GOP rising star reveals how Republicans can lock down minority voters without Trump on ballot
Republican Lt. Governor Nominee Sees Trump‑era Gains as Key to 2026 Black Voter Outreach
A former Oklahoma state House speaker and current Republican lieutenant‑governor candidate has argued that the 2024 presidential election, in which former President Donald Trump captured a record 16 percent of the Black vote, gives Republicans a springboard to continue courting African‑American voters in the 2026 midterms.
At the first GOP Midterm Convention in Dallas, T.W. Shannon – a Lawton native who became the state’s youngest and first African‑American House speaker in 2013 and the first member of the Chickasaw Nation to hold that post – said that the Trump administration’s “job creation and lower crime” record, combined with the Democratic Party’s progressive shift, makes the GOP’s platform more appealing to Black voters.
“We’re talking about a working party,” Shannon told Fox News Digital. “It’s something that you didn’t see before, but it’s here now.”
Shannon highlighted that the GOP has expressed policies he believes resonate with Black communities, and he pointed to the “working party” narrative as a counterweight to what he described as the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) proposals, including higher taxes, dismantling the Senate, and disbanding the police. “These are not things that are well received in the Black community,” he said.
The 2024 presidential results, according to Fox News voter analysis, show Trump’s share of the Black vote nearly doubled from 8 percent in 2020 to 16 percent in 2024—a 100‑percent increase. While the data are not official, they underscore a perceived shift in voter sentiment that Shannon believes Republicans can exploit in the next election cycle.
“Look at what the DSA is offering,” Shannon added, “we’re talking about raising taxes, we’re talking about doing away with the Senate, disbanding the police. These are not things that are well received in the Black community.”
A Democratic National Committee spokesperson responded to Shannon’s comments on Fox News Digital, arguing that Black Americans will reject Trump’s “billionaires‑first, cost‑raising agenda” at the upcoming November ballot. “We are fighting to protect the core of our democracy,” the spokesperson said, adding that the DNC is investing resources to “reach, register, and mobilize Black voters across the country.”
Shannon, who is widely expected to win Oklahoma’s lieutenant‑governor race, said his appearance at the convention provided a “national stage” to promote both Oklahoma and America’s values. “Any time I get a chance to tell the story about how great Oklahoma is and how great America is, I won’t miss a chance to do it,” he said.
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, the debate over which party can best capture the support of Black voters continues to intensify, with each side framing the conversation around economic opportunity, criminal‑justice reform, and broader policy visions for the nation’s working families.