Price wins support from minority GOP groups

A group of minority Republicans is backing Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) in his bid for chairman of the House Republican conference.

Eleven leaders and clergymen with African American and Hispanic GOP organizations sent a letter Tuesday night to Republican lawmakers hailing Price as “the most qualified candidate” to ensure the GOP remains a “big tent” party.

Price is facing Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) in a race for the fourth-ranking House GOP post. A former chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Price has the backing of many staunch conservatives in the conference, including Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Jeb Hensarling (R-Ga.).

But in the wake of an election in which Republicans lost badly among minorities and women, many GOP lawmakers want to ensure the party’s leadership team is not a collection of white men.

The leadership election is Wednesday afternoon.

“Dr. Price has demonstrated an understanding and willingness to engage a multi-ethnic, multicultural electorate,” the officials wrote, according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Hill. “Additionally, Representative Price has laid out a vision to enhance a newly-comprised working group of national and local coalition organizations designed to assist the Republican Party with messaging, organization recruitment and mobilization of a growing universe of voters.”

Among the signers of the letter are Aaron Manaigo, former chairman of the National Council of Black Republicans; William Brown, chairman of the Harlem Republican Club; and Dany Esquilin, chairman of the New York State Puerto Rican Party.

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