RNC to open community centers to reach out to black voters in battleground states

The group says it's made a dedicated effort to engage with the black community beyond the final weeks of a presidential election.

By Nicholas Sherman

Published: February 24, 2021 12:16pm

Updated: February 24, 2021 1:47pm

The Republican National Committee is setting up community centers to reach out to black voters in battleground states.

The group said Monday that it plans to spend $2 million on the centers and hope to have them open as early as this spring.

“'The RNC has made a dedicated effort to engage with the black community year-round – not just a few weeks before a presidential election,' RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement to McClatchy.

The new centers will be in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Michigan is the only state on the list without a Senate race in 2022.

his move by the RNC follows former President Trump's gains among black and Latino voters in the 2020 presidential election.

According to the Guardian, Trump gained 4 percentage points from black voters from his 2016 to 2020 elections. He gained 3 percentage points among Latinos over the same period.