WASHINGTON�With the year 2000 less than four months away, the race for the presidency is in full swing, with several candidates that have already announced their candidacy and others with campaign exploratory committees. Blacks will have to decide which candidates support their agenda.

Traditionally, Blacks are backers of Democratic candidates, but with 2000 heralding a new millennium, many things, including who Blacks feel will serve their political agenda may change, some say, should change.

For the Democratic Party, the two major candidates are Vice President Al Gore and former U.S. Senator from New Jersey Bill Bradley. Republican candidates include Texas Governor George W. Bush, conservative family activist Gary Bauer, Elizabeth Dole, Alan Keyes, a Black former Reagan administration official, Pat Buchanan, former Vice President Dan Quayle and millionaire Steve Forbes. Republican Senators Orrin Hatch and John McCain both have presidential exploratory committees.

Issues such as affirmative action, AIDS policy and funding, urban development, environmental justice, juvenile justice, Africa policy and trade and the problem of police abuse and brutality in the country are top issues for many Blacks.

Al Gore and Bill Bradley are fiercely battling to win the hearts, minds and votes of Blacks, perhaps the most loyal supporters of the Democratic Party in the country. Al Gore recently told Black Enterprise magazine, "I think the Democratic Party has to earn the vote of African-Americans. I�m doing my best to earn the vote of every African-American."

Like President Clinton, Mr. Gore has given considerable attention to trade with Africa, traveling to the continent several times, including to South Africa this year. He has also said the AIDS crisis in the United States, Africa and other parts of the world need immediate attention, though he has not addressed the "state of emergency," regarding HIV/AIDS infection in the Black community. Mr. Gore has painted himself as "Mr. Environment," because of his work in trying to save the planet from "man-made," environmental destruction, but has also not said little about "environmental racism" and its impact on Black communities, say some observers. Mr. Gore argues he and his father, also a former U.S. senator, records as "staunch" supporters of civil rights in the U.S.

"Throughout his career, Al Gore has had strong support in the African American community, starting with his first run for Congress," said Kiki Moore, his campaign spokesperson. "He is committed to issues that are critical to the Black community. He has been out campaigning for support. Some of the groups that he�s had visits and events with include the Black Leadership Forum, the NAACP, the National Urban League, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, NNPA, the Rainbow/PUSH Conference. These are the places where is talking about key issues such as economic opportunity, education, healthcare, the kind of issues that really make a difference in people�s lives."

Mr. Bradley, who was a senator from 1979-1996, wants to be the president who help Americans "vanquish racial discord from our hearts and minds."

According to spokesperson Tony Wyche, Mr. Bradley is a "strong supporter," of affirmative action, which has been attacked over the last four years by everyone from the Supreme Court to state governors. "Mr. Bradley believes the playing field isn�t level and we need to take action and have policies on the table that help level it out. That�s what affirmative action is.

Mr. Wyche also said Mr. Bradley is "very much so," aware of the high HIV/AIDS infection rate in the Black community. The former senator favors federal help for urban centers and "sponsored the Urban Empowerment Zone legislation in Congress that passed a couple of years ago," Mr. Wyche said.

"He�s made some very strong statements about the federal government looking into local and state police departments and they�ve been dealing with police brutality and racial profiling," Mr. Wyche said.

Gov. Bush, who has commanded the highest standings in the polls among Republican candidates, opposes racial preferences, but supports affirmative "access" to open the doors opportunity. He also favors "need-based" contracting, breaking down government contracts to smaller sizes to encourage entreprenuership in all communities. On the environment, Mr. Bush has said environmental standards must be based on sound science, with solutions based on market driven technologies.

But again, some say, Gov. Bush has said nothing of the environmental racism perpetrated in Black communities.

Alan Keyes, is making his second appearance as a presidential candidate, and Elizabeth Dole, whose husband lost the last presidential election to President Clinton, are among other Republican hopefuls.

Mr. Keyes� position on affirmative action and other issues differs from many Black political leaders.

"In the 1960�s, the civil rights movement sought the assistance of government to enforce the fundamental principle that all men are created equal," Mr. Keyes said. "But today�s civil rights groups have abandoned that principle in favor of preferential treatment for groups defined by race or sex. This is simply wrong. We cannot cure injustice with another injustice."

"Moreover, preferential affirmative action patronizes American Blacks, women, and others by presuming that they cannot succeed on their own. Preferential affirmative action does not advance civil rights in this country," he adds. In addition, Mr. Keyes calls for an end to the "family-destroying" welfare system and an end to "sex education that encourages promiscuity."

Mr. Keyes added: "These programs actually hasten the moral breakdown. Most of our expensive government welfare programs aim to deal with problems that are related to the breakdown of moral standards and self-discipline. We will go bankrupt as a nation if we continue trying to pay the ever-increasing costs of our society�s moral disintegration."

Ms. Dole has a campaign exploratory and plans to announce her candidacy soon, a spokesperson told The Final Call.

According to Bob Adams, spokesman for the Buchanan campaign, the former Nixon is seeking a third presidential bid "because the issues haven�t changed. You still have working Americans who�ve been abandoned by both political parties."

In dealing with Africa on trade and foreign policy, Mr. Adams said: "Mr. Buchanan believes America first, in other words, what is the vital interest of the U.S. and its workers? That�s in dealings with Africa, Brazil, Japan, China you name it."

The spokesman said Mr. Buchanan is against police brutality, but "at the same time that�s not a reason to brand our law enforcement officers throughout the country as being bad guys."

On the issue of affirmative action, "Mr. Buchanan holds that people should be judged according to their merits, not their skin color, nationality or creed or any other classification," Mr. Adams said.