Republican, Black, Female…And Harlem’s Next Congresswoman?
By Dayana Perez
This election season has seen the emergence of numerous nontraditional political candidates, from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the fresh-faced 29-year-old Nuyorican and Democratic Socialist who is likely to become one of New York City’s next Congress members, to a black female Republican you may not have heard of yet: Jineea Butler.
Butler is on the ballot in the Nov. 6 general election, running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillatto represent the 13th Congressional District in Washington. Butler, who says she has lived in Harlem for over 20 years, seeks to represent the district that includes Harlem, Inwood, Washington Heights, and part of the Bronx. She told Harlem Focus that she wants to be like Ocasio-Cortez in terms of energizing voters who were not willing to vote before, due to feeling unrepresented and marginalized.
Butler is listed on the ballot lines for the Republican and Reform parties. Espaillat is listed on the ballot lines for the Democratic and Working Families parties. After serving as a member of the New York State Assembly, and then state Senate, Espaillat won election in 2016 to the seat that U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, also a Democrat, held for 46 years.
Butler has never held elected office before, but says her experience has prepared her for a new kind of leadership. She is promoting a program called the New American Agenda aimed at resonating with the hip hop community, millennials and other younger voters.
“The New American Party is a political party…that focuses on urban issues that are not being addressed in today’s urban America,” Butler told Harlem Focus. “The lack of representation is a clear indication of frustration among constituents, and this new political [group] is aimed to reshape the political landscape in New York and hopefully the rest of the country.” She has worked for greater political inclusiveness through the Hip Hop Union, where she is listed as president, and the Hip Hop United PAC(political action committee).
Her professional experience also includes serving as a social worker for HIV/AIDS case management in the Bronx, as an addiction counselor in the NYC Department of Correction, and in several roles at the city’s Department of Homeless Services. (Previously, as a college student at Long Island University, she was an all-star basketball player and one of only two players in school history to collect 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.)
According to her website, she founded the Social Services of Hip Hop in 2007, and the Hip Hop Union in 2009. She believes that hip-hop is a culture that brings people together through the freedom of speech. An August article in the Daily News quoted Butler as looking to stars like LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes to get involved, though she remains the “New American” standard-bearer at present.
As a black Republican woman in heavily Democratic New York City, however, she is unusual. Among black voters nationwide, 87 percent of women are registered Democrats, as are 79 percent of men. Yet Butler’s issue agenda doesn’t appear to reflect Republican philosophy — not as much as that of her fellow black Republican, Keith Wofford, who in another unusual race, is running against black Democrat Letitia “Tish” James for attorney general.
But that’s not stopping the New York City GOP from embracing Butler. “Jineea will be a fantastic representative because of her background in social work, corrections and homeless services,” said state Republican Party Secretary Allie Nigolian. “She understands the needs of the people in her district, and is not a career politician so she can bring a fresh perspective to D.C.” Butler claims endorsements from prominent Democrats as well, including Rangel, former mayor David Dinkins, NAACP leader Hazel N. Dukes, and Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
While the majority of New York voters did not support President Donald J. Trump, Butler does not shy away from the controversial commander-in-chief. She has called Trump a “gangster” based on his style. “Trump is a personality that needs to celebrated, because people like him make the country free,” she said.
To another prominent African-American in Democratic city and state politics, Charlie King, Butler’s run for office is a good thing — although he supports her opponent, and assesses that she has little chance of winning.
“I commend her for running, and I commend the Republican party for fielding an African-American woman. That should not go unnoticed,” he said. “Even though I’m not supporting her, I think she should think about running again.” King said he was familiar with Butler’s hip-hop action groups, although they and similar political groups could probably be reaching more people than they currently are.
