Telly Lovelace, a Capitol Hill and PhRMA PR alum, has joined the Republican National Committee to help the party reach African-American audiences.

Telly LovelaceTelly Lovelace

Lovelace, a longtime GOP communications operative, takes the title of national director of African-American Initiatives and Media, charged with outreach to black voters and media.

GOP black media director Orlando Wilson stepped down in early March, while its director of African-American outreach, Kristal Quarker-Hartsfield, is also exiting.

The party is looking to reverse a paltry performance among black voters in 2012, when Mitt Romney won only six percent of the African-American vote, compared with a still sparse 11% by George W. Bush in 2004.

Lovelace has run his own firm for the past six years since serving as director of communications for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. He was comms. director for Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) around a stint as senior manager of communications and PA for the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America.