UPDATE 1-Democrats challenge Biden, and one another, for black support after Atlanta debate

Top Democratic White House contenders courted black voters in Atlanta on Thursday in hopes of challenging former Vice President Joe Biden's dominance with a voting bloc that is crucial to their 2020 election chances. The Democratic presidential debate in the majority-black Southern city on Wednesday night put a focus on African-Americans, who make up about a quarter of Democratic primary voters and caucus-goers in presidential nominating contests.

Biden, who served as No. 2 to Barack Obama, the first black U.S. president, touted his long-standing relationship with the African-American community. Pete Buttigieg, the South Bend, Indiana, mayor who has been rising in opinion polls but has very little backing from black voters, acknowledged the hurdles he still faced with winning broader support. Buttigieg appeared at a forum on Thursday sponsored by the National Action Network, the Reverend Al Sharpton's advocacy group, and at a voting rights event at Ebenezer Baptist Church, once the pastoral home of Martin Luther King Jr.

In his remarks at the forum, Buttigieg sought to bond with the crowd through his own Christian faith, saying, "We have to put an end to the idea that God belongs to a political party." But even as he did so, one of his rivals, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, who is black, was criticizing his comments on race during the previous evening's debate as "naive." The mayor answered a question about his relationship with black voters in part by talking about his own struggles as a gay man.

Told of Harris' comment on Thursday, Buttigieg did not apologize, though he said there was "no equating" the experiences of black people and gay people. "Anyone who has experienced whatever personal struggle we bring to this fight needs to reach into that as motivation to help others," he said.

U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, who also trail Biden in black support, will both speak at historically black colleges and universities in Atlanta on Thursday. For many African-American voters, like other Democratic voters, getting Republican President Donald Trump out of office in November 2020 overshadows other considerations.

A Sept. 16-20 Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll found that 27% of blacks — a plurality — said they preferred a candidate who "can beat President Trump," while 16% wanted someone who could create jobs and 10% wanted someone who is "strong on healthcare." During the debate, Trump's campaign sent an email citing economic gains for black Americans during his presidency.

But retired nurse Martha HardyHoward, 65, who grew up during the segregation era in the South, said she fears Trump's presidency has uncorked racist sentiments once again. She is leaning toward voting for Biden in Georgia's March primary but is also looking closely at Warren and Buttigieg.

"We really need someone with experience in the White House right now," said HardyHoward, who is black.

'WHO'S GOING TO BEAT TRUMP'

Biden is meeting on Thursday with Southern mayors in Atlanta before traveling to campaign in South Carolina, where six in 10 Democratic voters are black. The former vice president is targeting diverse early voting states South Carolina and Nevada to build a lead in the Democratic nominating contest.

"Voters know who Joe Biden is and what he stands for," an aide said. "The onus is on the rest of the field to show that they can appeal to a broader segment of the Democratic electorate than they have so far." Biden's support is especially strong among older African-Americans, leading his progressive rivals to target younger black voters.

"Older black voters tend to be more pragmatic, wanting to protect gains that have been realized to date," said Theodore Johnson, a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice. "Younger voters tend to be more ideological and open to disruption and are less risk-averse." Buttigieg is rising in the polls in the less diverse early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire but has been plagued by questions about his relationship with the black community in South Bend.

Warren has made a more sustained effort at building ties with the black community, Johnson said, visiting historically black schools and working with black women activists. A Morning Consult poll in September found that while Biden had the support of 40% of black voters, a growing number of African-American voters were naming Warren as their second choice.

Atlanta resident Kendall Boone, 28, said he liked Warren's plans, such as her proposal to cancel student debt, but might still vote for Biden. "Maybe it's not the time for that right now," Boone said of Warren's progressive platform. "This election is about who's going to beat Trump."