Gov. Abbott campaigns for black votes up and down the ticket

Washington Examiner:
In a year where many Republicans are fighting for their lives, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is trying to expand the GOP slice of an electorate polarized by President Trump.

Abbott is one of the most popular governors in America and Democrats all but concede he will win re-election. That's good for the Republicans in Texas whose survival may depend on his help.

The governor of the lone star state holds the keys to GOP success there. Everyone from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to members of Congress representing suburban areas in difficult races, all the way down to state house members is counting on him in November.

"That's my role," Abbott said of his job to help re-elect GOP candidates down ballot, adding that his first goal remains to win re-election. "We have had a long-time developed strategy to achieve that goal and we're executing it very well."

As Republicans in the state largely try to energize and turn out their base ahead of Nov. 6, with some help from President Trump's slated rally in Houston, Abbott is pushing to expand the GOP tent beyond the limits of Trumpism.

On Monday, Abbott headlined a lunch featuring African-American leaders and pastors from across the Houston metropolitan region to air multiple messages, namely his push to improve economic opportunity and lower incarceration levels in the state, among other topics.

The discussion was the third of its kind, with Abbott also holding events earlier in the year in Dallas and Tyler, leading Abbott to sense an opportunity to bring new voters into the fold for the GOP.

"Because economic opportunity has broadened over the past two years, there is a greater sense of the African-American community realizing, 'You know what? Maybe these Republicans can be helpful to us,'" Abbott said in an interview after the event.
...
Republicans seem intent on broadening their base.  Abbott got 44 percent of the Hispanic vote the last time he ran and is likely to do the same this time.  His outreach to blacks should also help other GOP candidates.

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