Black Democrats Take Capitol Victory Tour

Victorious black Democrats toured the Capitol today, and L. Douglas Wilder said his triumph in the Virginia governor’s race proved that “Americans have come of age.”

During a meeting with Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell (D-Me.), Wilder joked about the narrowness of his margin--a majority his Republican opponent still questions.

Turning to David N. Dinkins, mayor-elect of New York City, Wilder congratulated him and other Democrats, “some of whom had landslide victories like I did.”

Wilder was asked if racism was the reason he ran behind other Democratic candidates for statewide office, and he replied, “It says I had a very negative campaign being waged against me and my ticket-mates didn’t.”

Democrats were jubilant as they tallied gains that included the governor’s mansion in New Jersey as well as the State Assembly and the election of blacks as governor of Virginia and mayor of New York City.

Analysts of political trends among blacks hailed the results not only in Virginia and New York but also in such cities as Seattle; New Haven, Conn.; Cleveland and Durham, N.C., as “a new direction.”

Democratic Party Chairman Ron Brown, appearing with Wilder and Dinkins, said he believes that the election demonstrated that the Republican Party’s stance on abortion is “an untenable position.” He said he believes that President Bush has “painted himself into a corner” by taking a strong anti-abortion position.

Brown said Tuesday’s election results show the Democratic Party “is not only alive and well, but strong and getting stronger.”