Joy Reid Says Democratic Party Had to Be 'Screamed At' Over Black Candidates

Joy Reid said on Friday that the Democratic Party had to be pushed into backing two Black congressional candidates in the South. The comments came days after the party's House campaign arm added both men to its list of top pickup targets.

On The Joy Reid Show, Reid said Arkansas Democrat Chris Jones and Tennessee Democrat Justin Pearson reached the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's (DCCC) Red to Blue program "only after a lot of hollering." Angela Rye, the former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, joined her in criticizing the party.

"The Democratic party should not have to be screamed at to get them to do that," Reid said.

Joy Reid on the DCCC's Red to Blue List

Reid said both candidates had contacted her when they were left off. "They were not initially on it because they both reached out to me to say we're not on that list," she said. "And so the reality is a lot of folks had to make a lot of noise to get them on there."

The record supports her timeline. The DCCC expanded Red to Blue to 40 candidates on September 15, and Pearson was not among them. At a forum during the Congressional Black Caucus's annual conference that month, Pearson said, "There are no Black candidates from the South on the DCCC Red to Blue list."

On Monday, the DCCC added six candidates, including Jones in Arkansas' 2nd District and Pearson in Tennessee's 9th, bringing the list to 46. The program provides fundraising, staff and strategic support.

Jones is an astrophysicist from Arkansas. Pearson, a state representative from Memphis, faces Republican Brent Taylor in a district the GOP redrew this year. A Hart Research poll from September had Taylor ahead 48 percent to 44 percent.

Angela Rye Credits Hakeem Jeffries

Neither woman blamed Jeffries. Rye said the Democratic leader had been pressing the committee on the issue.

"This is one thing that I think Hakeem is doing very well. He is pushing them on that for people like Chris Jones... and Justin Pearson," Rye said.

Rye said she worked for the Congressional Black Caucus and that members repeatedly had to make the case. She was executive director and general counsel of the Congressional Black Caucus during the 112th Congress. "The injury feels particularly acute because of how long we've been having these discussions," she said.

"If you don't invest in the race, it is harder to win full stop," Rye said. "You need to ensure that the red to blue program represents the face of America. That means it has to be diverse."

The Senate Map: Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida and Texas

Reid also said Black Southern candidates were "underfunded" in Senate races. "I think we can both agree the party not really investing in places like Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida, but you know, hyper-investing in Texas," she said.

In Mississippi, Democrat Scott Colom is challenging Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. In Kentucky, Charles Booker is running against Republican Andy Barr.

In Florida, Democrat Angie Nixon is running against Senator Ashley Moody.

Texas, where Democrat James Talarico faces Republican Ken Paxton, is the closest of the four races. Reid herself conceded of the Texas contest, "It's also very hard to win."

Polling shows how the four races compare. Talarico leads by 3.4 points in PolitiKool's polling average for Texas. Hyde-Smith leads by 7.5 points in PolitiKool's polling average for Mississippi, and Moody leads by 7 points in PolitiKool's polling average for Florida. In Kentucky, Republican Andy Barr leads Booker by 10.9 points in PolitiKool's polling average.

What Happens Next

Democrats lead the national generic congressional ballot by 8.2 points in PolitiKool's polling average. A wave that size could bring Republican-leaning seats like Jones' and Pearson's into play.

The two candidates now have the party's backing, but with about four weeks to go. Reid said Black candidates have to fight for that support every cycle. "This is a problem that is systemic and it's just every single cycle," she said.