Ryan Nicol
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is launching a print ad campaign urging Black voters to turn out for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
The full-page ad will be printed in Fort Lauderdale’s Westside Gazette, a Black-owned and operated publication.
According to a Friday release from the DNC, the ad aims to criticize President Donald Trump over the federal response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“What do we have to lose?” the ad asks. “A lot. We’ve lost jobs. We’ve lost lives. This administration failed us. Don’t give them a pass.”
The ad also promotes IWillVote.com, a DNC initiative that allows individuals to check their voter registration status and register to vote if necessary.
“Donald Trump didn’t tell Floridians the truth about the coronavirus, he’s been totally incompetent and ineffective in responding to this crisis, and now working families — especially Black Floridians — are paying the price,” said Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez in a Friday statement.
“Over the last four years, communities of color have borne the brunt of Trump’s broken promises, and now because of his failures the coronavirus is costing too many Black families their lives and livelihoods. Voters will hold him accountable, and through resources like the IWillVote.com website, Democrats are making sure they have the information they’ll need to make a plan to vote Trump out of office.”
Exit polls from 2016 showed Trump secured a larger share of Black voters than Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney did in 2012.
That’s somewhat expected, as Romney competed against Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black President. Obama was able to turn out the Black community at historic levels.
Still, that demographic could be key to Biden ousting Trump this fall. Biden secured the Democratic nomination largely due to his strength with Black voters. However, some surveys have shown Democrats hitting hurdles in their Black voter outreach.
The DNC is hoping outreach efforts such as the new ad campaign in South Florida can help this General Election cycle.
“We cannot afford another four years of Donald Trump’s chaotic presidency and the DNC is not taking nothing for granted this November,” said DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie M. Rollins.
“We are making the much-needed investments in Black communities across the country to ensure every voter is able to make themselves heard at the ballot box.”
