“Lifelong Democrat” and Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones is no longer a Democrat.
“Now more than ever, the Republican Party is in desperate need of leaders that know how to fight. I know how to fight,” Jones tweeted.
Moments ago, I announced that I am officially joining the Republican Party.
Now more than ever, the Republican Party is in desperate need of leaders that know how to fight.
I know how to fight.
— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) January 6, 2021
Jones earned national attention last April when, as a Democrat, he endorsed President Donald Trump for re-election, saying that Trump’s handling of the economy and his support for criminal justice reform had earned his support. Since then he’s campaigned for Republicans in Georgia, including Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, and attracted scorn and derision from the left.
In recent interviews, he’s said that the Republican Party needs to improve its outreach to black voters.
“The face of the Republican party is going to be African-American men,” Jones told Newsmax TV host Rob Schmitt Tuesday night as the returns from the Georgia runoff special election were counted. “African-American men, 2 million more voted for the president. The president has cracked the wall on getting African-American men votes.”
“But I did not see a significant effort for the African-American community in terms of voter get out for the Republican candidates,” he added. “They have not learned that yet. [Sen. Kelly] Loeffler nor [Sen. David] Perdue put together a real stiff team to go after the African American vote.”
The runoff special election in Georgia was called late Tuesday evening for Democratic candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock, who unseated Loeffler, the Republican-appointed to fill the vacancy left by retiring Sen. Jonny Isakson (R-Ga.).
Jones told Newsmax TV that the Democrats were effective because they were unified while Republicans were divided.
“Georgia’s still a red state, it’s not a blue state,” he said. “What you’ve seen happen is you’ve seen the Democrats more organized and run as a pack. We have not seen that on the Republican side.
“You and I and others know there has been a split with the leadership of the Republicans, including with the president.”
Faced with Tuesday’s apparent losses, Jones said that moving forward, Republicans need to support each other.
This is an excerpt from The Blaze.
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