"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there have been a lot more black Republicans in office than Democrats in the Senate and House."
Your VERY wrong. There have only been a few black Republicans in the house, and none ever in the Senate to my knowledge. Wait, maybe their was one...can't remember for sure.
But we have a realistic shot at one in Georgia:
http://www.cainforussenate.org/
If he wins the primary, he's heavily favored to win.
However, if you take out the urban districts, the numbers probably change.
there was senator Brooke (Mass), a black republican US senator some time ago.
Edward Brooke, Massachusetts, a few Presidents ago.
The first black Senators and Reps were all Republicans, see below... I also recall but can't find a Washington Post article mentioning that occasionally white Republicans were lynched with blacks to get us to stop helping them run for office.
"Seventeen Blacks were elected to serve in the U. S. House of Representatives and the U. S. Senate. Blanche K. Bruce and Hiram Revels from Mississippi were the first Blacks to be elected to the U. S. senate. Bruce served a full term, while Revels only served a year and a half. All of these elected officials were Republicans. As a matter of fact, 80% of the Republican voters in the South were Black men."
http://www.csusm.edu/Black_Excellence/documents/pg-r-reconstruction.html
You are right - my bad.
I called J.C. Watts Senator.
Wishful thinking on my part.
I'm going to miss Sen. Nickels.
I love him to death.
IIRC the guy was named something like "Ed Markey" as was from Mass.