Kentucky Republicans are rallying behind attorney general candidate Daniel Cameron, who was labeled by a black civil rights attorney as a submissive race traitor for being endorsed by President Donald Trump.

"Liberals will stop at nothing to attack anyone and everyone who dares to think for themselves," said Sarah Van Wallaghen, the state GOP's executive director, in a statement.

But Dawn Elliott, who said Cameron needs to "stop eating the 'coon flakes' the White House is serving," isn't backing down. The outspoken radio show host said the association with Trump is a slap in the face to African Americans and that Cameron needs to explain his position to black voters.

"To sit there and be so proud of someone who is an open racist is shameful," said Elliott, an attorney who co-hosts a political talk show on WLOU 1350 AM. "Why would anyone of color want to side with someone who is trying to destroy us?"

Background:Kentucky Republican Daniel Cameron walks racial tightrope in AG race

Cameron, who worked as general counsel for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, also defended himself on Twitter.

"I am a proud lifelong Republican, part of a diverse Kentucky Republican Party ticket, and yes I support Donald Trump," Cameron tweeted Wednesday. "It's time to stop telling black Americans what we're allowed to believe."

Cameron, a former University of Louisville football player, is running against Democrat Greg Stumbo in an increasingly nasty contest filled with personal attacks and negative advertisements.

Republicans are hopeful it can give them the attorney general's seat for the first time since World War II. If elected, Cameron also would be the first African American to ever hold the seat as Kentucky's chief law enforcement official.

It's something Republicans are bullish about when talking about the race. GOP voters have nominated three non-white candidates for statewide office, while Democrats have nominated none.

"Kentucky Republicans are proud of our record of diversity and inclusion," Van Wallaghen, the GOP official, said.

Read more:Kentucky attorney AG heating up with attacks and Trump endorsement

Louisville sports radio host Raashaan Myers, a Democrat, said he is keeping an open mind about Cameron's historic bid.

"Anytime you can have a first and have an African American have an opportunity to do something new, it's motivating and I love it," said Myers, who is black. "You can still be excited for Daniel whether Donald Trump likes him or doesn't like him. I'm not going to allow Trump to tell me who I should or shouldn't support."

But Myers said that most black voters will be turned off by the Trump connection.

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in July found 86% of black voters said Trump is racist, while just 11% said he is not.

Trump earned just 8% of the black vote in 2016, but the president's reelection campaign is still planning to reach out to black voters in 2020.

Politico reported this week that the Trump campaign plans to tout how his administration, among other things, has overseen a record low unemployment rate among African Americans, which stands at 6% as of this month's jobs report.

Michael Steele, the first African American to serve as chairman of the Republican National Committee, told Politico it will be hard for black voters to overlook Trump's multiple comments around race, such as when he said there were good people on "both sides" of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“I certainly think we should expect more from our political leaders,” Steele said. “I would think they would expect more from us.”

Also read:McConnell's campaign locked out by Twitter for critic's profanity-laced video

Elliott said black constituents are particularly interested in what Cameron will do to hold law enforcement accountable, restore felon voting rights and change the criminal justice system.

"At the end of the day, I'm pro-black all day long and it's not about party to me," she said. "It is about what are your politics, and if your politics are not in line with your own people, I have a problem with that. And I'm not the only black person in this county who has a problem with that."

Reporter Phillip M. Bailey can be reached at 502-582-4475 or pbailey@courierjournal.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/philb.