Rep. J.C. Watts of Oklahoma, the lone Black Republican in Congress and a member of the House GOP leadership, is going back to Oklahoma. To make money for his family, he says.
This is not good news for the Republican Party.  It not only gives Democrats a chance to pick up a seat in its battle for control of the House this fall, it suggests that even when Republicans can find a qualified Negro, they can’t keep him.

Lately, there have been rumors that Watts was not happy on the Republican plantation . He was said to have been angry about the White House decision to cancel the $11 billion Crusader weapons system that was to have been produced in his district. He had also complained that he wasn’t included enough and often enough in leadership discussions or decision-making.
Despite the fact that Watts was smart, articulate and had television appeal, he was underutilized by his party. And then when he was put out before the public, it was often mishandled. For example, when it became apparent that the Florida election aftermath had taken on strong racial overtones, Watts was put before the cameras. That angered African-Americans and cheapened him.  Watts should have had a higher profile on the same issues as other members of his party.
The 44-year-old Watts was first elected to the House in 1994. He joined the leadership four years ago, in the fourth-ranking position of chairman of the House Republican Conference. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, George Bush, and other GOP leaders urged Watts not to leave but their pleas went unheeded.

With Watts on the ballot, Republicans would have been virtually certain to hold on to the seat, but in a district that is now more than 50 percent Democrat, it is likely to be a competitive race now. And the House GOP reverts back to being the all-White male country club it was before.
(Martin is a freelance political columnist living in Austin.)