In Harris County – which, with about 4.4 million residents, is more populous than 24 US states – a Democrat may be about to oust a Republican in a highly influential position: the county prosecutor. A University of Houston poll last month gave Kim Ogg a lead of seven percentage points over the incumbent district attorney, Devon Anderson. Hollis and Pittman said that one of the key issues for potential black voters is criminal justice; specifically, crime rates and police brutality. In addition to the race for Harris County district attorney, #VotingWhileBlack is focusing on elections of prosecutors in Ohio and Florida in targeted attempts to replace officials they feel have poorly served black communities. Success, Robinson said, will be a shift in the balance of power that makes elected officials “nervous about disappointing black people”.

Source: The Guardian November 03, 2016 15:33 UTC