Against type: Ellison’s GOP opponent, Barb Davis White, slams convention planners, state GOP

The campaign of Barb Davis White went after the Republican National Committee and the Republican Party of Minnesota on Tuesday, criticizing the RNC’s failure to invite any African-American congressional candidates to speak at the Republican National Convention and complaining that the Minnesota GOP has been lax in supporting Davis White’s campaign. Davis White is the Republican Party’s endorsed candidate for the 5th Congressional District, which encompasses Minneapolis and several inner-ring suburbs.

In an email sent to the RNC and posted to the Independent Business News Network, Davis White’s press secretary, Don Allen, said that he had tried to get answers from the RNC numerous times as to why no African Americans are scheduled to speak at the RNC.

He wrote that he was stonewalled and, at least one time, threatened. He accused the party of discriminating: “This ’slave mentality thinking’ i.e.; ‘Be good you Black Republicans while our White friends are in town’ does not fly with me or the tools I have in place to distribute this message ‘top-of-mind’ to the general public and national news affiliates.”

Allen said that the local GOP has not been supportive of Davis White’s campaign. “Keith Ellison is not worried and rest assured that the Minnesota GOP will put no effort into an African American Republican candidate for Congress in Minnesota with the current leadership of the GOP,” he wrote.

He charged the party with jeopardizing the 5th District: “Again, and for the last time — I will ask, what African American Congressional Candidates have been scheduled to speak at the RNC? What do we really have to lose, besides Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District?”

Minnesota’s 5th District is heavily Democratic and has voted for the DFL candidate since 1963.