DALLAS — Oklahoma Republican lieutenant‑governor nominee T.W. Shannon used his appearance on the sidelines of the inaugural GOP midterm convention to outline how the party can maintain the momentum it built among Black voters in the 2024 presidential election, even though President Trump will not appear on the 2026 ballot.

Record of growth among Black voters

Shannon cited a Fox News Voter Analysis that showed President Trump captured 16% of the Black vote in 2024, nearly double his share four years earlier. He credited that rise to the administration’s focus on job creation and crime‑reduction policies that “actually benefit Black voters and Black communities,” according to the interview.

Policy pillars for continued outreach

According to Shannon, the GOP’s platform—lower taxes, deregulation, and a strong stance on public safety—aligns with the priorities of many Black families. He warned that the Democratic Party’s leftward turn, highlighted by the influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), threatens to alienate Black voters with proposals such as higher taxes, eliminating the Senate, and dismantling police forces.

“Look at what the DSA is offering—raising taxes, doing away with the Senate, disbanding the police—these are not ideas that resonate in the Black community,” Shannon said.

Democratic response

A Democratic National Committee spokesperson pushed back, asserting that Black Americans will reject what they called “President Trump’s billionaires‑first, cost‑raising agenda” and will instead elect Democrats who promise to lower costs for working families. The spokesperson added that the DNC is allocating resources to register and mobilize Black voters while accusing the Trump administration of attacking civil and voting rights.

Shannon’s local credentials

Shannon, a Lawton native, made history in 2013 as the youngest and first African‑American speaker of the Oklahoma House and the first member of the Chickasaw Nation to hold that position. He is now the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in a state that leans solidly Republican, and he said the convention stage gave him a chance to showcase Oklahoma’s strengths on a national platform.

“Any time I get a chance to tell the story about how great Oklahoma is and how great America is, I won’t miss a chance to do it,” he said.

Implications for the 2026 midterms

While President Trump remains the party’s leading figure, his absence from the ballot forces GOP strategists to lean on policy achievements and local candidates like Shannon to retain Black voter support. The party’s emphasis on economic opportunity and public safety aims to counter Democratic narratives and keep the gains made in 2024 from slipping away as the midterm cycle unfolds.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.