Black leaders worry about voter turnout
LAS VEGAS – Civilrights leaders at the NAACP’s annual convention worry that black voters won’t show up at voting booths in November this year.
Black voting turnout hit records in presidential elections during Barack Obama’s presidency but dropped sharply in 2010. A wave of newly elected Republicans passed several laws targeting voter fraud after those elections that critics say make it harder for minorities to vote.
During a panel discussion at the civil rights organization’s conference in Las Vegas, black political leaders worried that their community could see a repeat of 2010 unless more voters were mobilized. Speakers urged delegates to tell their neighbors about the importance of local and state elections that draw less attention than the presidential contest but can be more significant.
Businessman wins runoff to face Nunn
ATLANTA – Businessman David Perdue has defeated longtime Rep. Jack Kingston in a Republican runoff for Georgia’s U.S. Senate nomination, setting up a general election matchup against Democrat Michelle Nunn.
On Tuesday night, unofficial returns showed Perdue with a lead of more than 6,000 votes, with about 93 percent of precincts reporting.
Perdue is a former corporate CEO making his first bid for public office. He campaigned as an outsider and called Kingston a career politician who has done little to solve the nation’s problems.
Kingston is an 11-term congressman from Savannah.
The Perdue-Nunn race will be one of the most critical matchups of the November midterm elections.
Weather may help with Washington blaze
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Firefighters were making progress Tuesday in their efforts to get the largest wildfire in Washington state’s history under control, with wetter weather bringing some relief but also raising concerns about flash flooding.
The Carlton Complex of fires, which has burned nearly 400 square miles in the north-central part of the state, was 16 percent contained as of Tuesday, fire spokeswoman Jessica Payne said.
Firefighters and local authorities have been heartened by forecasts that call for cooler temperatures and higher humidity. But even though wetter weather has moved in, they worry that lightning strikes could ignite more fires.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch from Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening because of expected rainfall.
Associated Press
