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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to voters in South Carolina a day after her debate with rival candidate Bernie Sanders on February 12, 2016.(Photo: Photo by Spencer Platt, Getty Images)
WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders have shifted the focus of their presidential campaigns southward ahead of Democratic<span style="color: Red;">*</span>primaries in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Louisiana and Mississippi.
Both candidates aim to maximize support from African-American voters, after Clinton trounced Sanders by 47.5 points<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in South Carolina's primary on Saturday. They're<span style="color: Red;">*</span>holding rallies at historically black colleges and universities, meeting with black elected officials and sending surrogates to black churches.
Blacks make up more than 30 percent of the population in Louisiana and Mississippi, and Mississippi has<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the highest number of black elected officials in the country.
“Since the South is a pivotal region in terms of the general election… it could be important to both of them,’’ said Rickey Hill, chairman of the political science Department at Jackson State University. Hill said both candidates will have to work hard to boost voter turnout.
Black voters played a major role in Clinton's lopsided<span style="color: Red;">*</span>victory in South Carolina's primary.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>South Carolina Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, the highest-ranking African American in the House, endorsed her earlier this month.
USA TODAY
Clinton, Sanders Vying for Black Support
Clinton<span style="color: Red;">*</span>opened campaign offices in New Orleans and Baton Rouge earlier this month. Her campaign is relying on volunteers and surrogates in other parts of Louisiana, including Shreveport, where state Rep. Barbara Norton recently endorsed her. and in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Monroe, where she's backed by Mayor Jamie Mayo.
Clinton also has turned to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>his sister, former Sen. Mary Landrieu, and Rep. Cedric Richmond.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is spending the weekend<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in Louisiana stumping for Clinton.
‘We’re reaching out to people all across the state,’’ said Fabien Levy, a spokesman for the campaign.<span style="color: Red;">*</span><span style="color: Red;">*</span>“We’re here on the ground because Louisiana is important …There’s a lot of excitement.’’
Louisiana holds its primary March 5. The state<span style="color: Red;">*</span>has 59 delegates, awarded proportionally to a candidate's share of the vote. Mississippi's primary is March 8. It has 41 delegates, also awarded proportionally. In both states,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Democratic candidates need<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to get<span style="color: Red;">*</span>15 percent of the primary vote to be considered viable.
“Louisiana, Mississippi,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Alabama and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Texas, are not states that the Democrats have historically carried,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>but they’re delegate-rich states that are very important to the nomination,’’ said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League and a former mayor of New Orleans.
USA TODAY
Clinton has target audience for S.C. closing argument: Black moms
Sanders, I-Vt., opened his campaign<span style="color: Red;">*</span>headquarters in New Orleans last month. Volunteers have canvassed across the state and held nightly phone banks.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>With early voting ending Saturday in Louisiana, the campaign plans to kick off a get-out-the-vote effort<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Sunday targeting young voters <span style="color: Red;">*</span>and undecided voters. It also plans to run radio ads.
"(We’re) just making a final push toward Election Day,’’ said Sarah Slamen, the campaign’s state director. “It’s really exciting getting to talk to people where they are -- Bossier City, New Orleans…It’s been a great response.’’
In Mississippi, scores of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Democrats, including Rep. Bennie Thompson and Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber, have<span style="color: Red;">*</span>endorsed Clinton, saying she has the best chance to win the general election.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at a presidential campaign event in Chicago on Feb. 25, 2016.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Tannen Maury, European Pressphoto Agency)
“I’m not feeling the Bern,’’ Thompson said.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>He said Clinton’s campaign is much more organized in Mississippi and across the South, and Sanders faces a tougher challenge appealing to black voters.
“They don’t know him,’’ Thompson said.
John<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Bruce, chairman of the political science department at the University of Mississippi, said Sanders should pose no<span style="color: Red;">*</span>real threat to Clinton in the state.
“His strength in the Northeast has been on college campuses," Bruce said. "I don’t see that happening here. I don’t see a Bernie groundswell.’’
Sanders supporters held a rally recently at historically black Tougaloo College outside Jackson, Miss., where college president Beverly Wade Hogan said Sanders has clearly energized younger voters.
“It’s been amazing to see that,’’ she said.
Hogan said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Clinton's supporters have<span style="color: Red;">*</span>contacted her about holding an event on campus, maybe with Clinton herself.
“Our campus is open to anyone,’’ she said.
Contact Deborah Barfield Berry at<span style="color: Red;">*</span>[email protected]. Twitter: @dberrygannett
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