In a matter of months, the strong alliance of “America’s Starting Five” of conservative Republican Black leaders is starting to unravel as losses and seeking new heights is dwindling the number down to one.
South Carolina’s Sen. Tim Scott, the country’s sole Black Republican leader, will soon be potentially flying solo after Reps. Byron Donalds (Fl.), Burgess Owens (Utah), Wesley Hunt (Texas), and John James (Mich.) seemingly have other plans. In February 2025, Donalds announced that he would be leaving D.C. behind to potentially become the first Black governor of the Sunshine State. James announced the same for the historically Democratic-led state.
Hunt promised a political comeback, according to Fox News, after coming in third place for the Texas Republican primary behind incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton. “Things didn’t go our way last night, but that’s alright,” he wrote on X in a lengthy post. “Because with Jesus Christ at the center of our lives, and with millions of Texans who still believe in faith, family, and freedom, I know the future is bright.”
Lastly, just 48 hours after the March 3 primary, Owens announced that he will not be seeking re-election, adding to the list of more than 30 leaders on the Republican ticket bowing out of returning to Congress. In an X post, Burgess said he wanted voters “to hear this directly from me.” “After prayer, reflection, and many long conversations, I have decided that I will not seek reelection in 2026,” he said. “I will complete this term fully committed to my work in Washington, DC, and then step away from elected office.”
While the reasons could be listed as President Trump’s heightened unpopularity in polling, affordability concerns, or the continuous backlash from the Epstein files, Burgess’ announcement comes as Utah is facing a redistricting shakeup. According to My Northwest, Owens and other Republican officials sued to block a new congressional map that could give Democrats a leg up in flipping one of the state’s four seats.
Something that Republicans feel the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which Scott serves as the chair, isn’t taking things as seriously as they should, with the senator in the hot seat. GOP leaders, along with President Donald Trump, allegedly feel the NRSC continues to stray from the message. They’ve accused him of not making candidate-recruitment visits or fundraising calls, but leaving the responsibility in the hands of other committee members.
A veteran Republican strategist labeled interactions with the committee as “the most unprofessional I have ever seen.”
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