COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Democratic presidential contender Cory Booker is meeting in South Carolina with black men, some of whom say they’ve felt overlooked during a focus on the voting impact of the state’s black women.
One by one, several dozen black men gathered at the New Jersey senator’s South Carolina presidential campaign headquarters thanked Booker for highlighting their concerns. Booker said he was mostly there to listen but did discuss his plans to expand access to capital and government contracts for minority businesses.
Black support is crucial to candidates’ success in South Carolina, which holds the first southern primary vote next year. Black women in particular have long been thought of as the Democratic Party’s most consistent supporters, but Booker said, “We all are equal in this conversation.”
