GOP lacks minority candidates

WASHINGTON, May 19 (UPI) -- The Republican Party faces a shortage of competitive minority candidates in races for the U.S. House and Senate, The Politico reported Monday.

As the Democratic Party prepares to nominate either a black or a woman for president, the GOP has just a few minority candidates for the House, Senate or governorships, the newspaper said -- none with a plausible likelihood of winning in November.

When President George W. Bush took office in 2001, the Republican National Committee and the White House embarked on a high-profile program of minority outreach, The Politico said. But the GOP is nearing the end of its sixth consecutive year without an African-American governor, senator or House member.

The party has one minority governor, Indian-American Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, who resigned from Congress when he moved to the governor's mansion.

Democrats have three minority governors and 43 black members of Congress -- including Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is widely regarded as the party's likely presidential nominee.

Former Rep. Jack Kemp, R-N.Y. -- who was Bob Dole's running mate in 1996 -- told the newspaper the reason for the dearth of Republican minority office-holders is a "pitiful" recruitment program.

"I don't see much of an outreach," said Kemp.