Black candidates head for middle at polls

By Matthew Bigg

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Black candidates in the U.S. midterm elections moved toward the political center, seeking votes across the spectrum and playing down race, academics and analysts said on Friday.

The strategy reflects a further shift from African- American leaders rooted in the civil rights era to a generation of politicians for whom race can be used best as a vehicle for appealing to universal themes such as overcoming poverty.

In one of the most high-profile races involving black candidates, Democrat Deval Patrick was elected governor of Massachusetts, becoming the state's first black governor, after running on a centrist platform.