CHICAGO | With a trio of African-Americans running for Congress, sheriff and Water Reclamation District, the Cook County Republicans are reaching out and coming back with a fistful of candidates who do not look like the stereotypical GOP.

"We've been accepted very well," said Frederick Collins, the Republican candidate for Cook County sheriff, of the GOP candidates hailing from the African-American community. "They see a young man from the community who has a positive message and he's qualified. The African-American community has waited for 40 to 50 years."

Both Jimmy Tillman II, a candidate for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, and the Rev. Isaac Hayes, candidate for the 2nd Illinois Congressional District, said they felt anger at the way Roland Burris and Todd Stroger were treated by the Democratic Party.

Speaking separately, Hayes and Tillman said the recent snubbing of state Rep. Art Turner by Gov. Pat Quinn when he had the chance to choose his running mate demonstrated the disregard of the Democratic Party for the African-American community.

The Democratic Party takes African-Americans for granted, they said.

"Roland Burris was a water carrier for the Democratic Party, even turning his back on his community," Tillman said. "To play him like that was a travesty."

The party turned into a "circular firing squad" to try to take out Stroger, he added.

Tillman, the son of former Democratic Alderman Dorothy Tillman, said that since the election of President Barack Obama, not one white Democrat has solicited votes in the community.

"They believe we are just going to follow them," Tillman said.

Collins, Tillman and Hayes all pointed to strong core values that shaped their decisions. The Republican Party, which traditionally market itsself as the party of family values, was an easy sell, they said.

Collins is a Chicago police officer working the third shift on the Near West Side. He said he remembers the Republican Party made fair housing possible and made discrimination illegal.

"We have people on both sides that don't follow the core values," Collins said. "We can't allow them to be the leading voices."

Tillman said African-Americans see the anger in the conservative Tea Party movement, but, he said, "I see the Dixiecrats, too."

"The time for cleansing is now," Tillman said. "The time is right to bring the Republican Party back to what it was: the party that freed the slaves and stood for the rights of the oppressed."

Hayes agreed.

"Because of my values on the sanctity of life and the protection of the institution of marriage, I looked at my values and what the Democratic Party stood for," he said. "There was a conflict there.

"Lower taxes, supporting free markets, free trade, school choice and a robust national security are all issues I stand for, but the social issues and the historic values of the party going back to its inception were most important."

Collins recalled the role of family values while growing up with gangs in the Chicago Public Housing Authority's Henry Horner Homes.

"When you're a little kid, the gang bangers don't jack you up," he said. "They're the older guys on the street. They wear the fancy clothes with the updated sneakers. They drive around in loud music cars. It's cool.

"Your parents try to put in you a morality that exposes that for what it is, and for some kids, that's good enough. But some kids find they can feed themselves, feed their families, get fancy clothes and live a false dream. What you have to come to is what is your life really worth? In an area where there is not that much opportunity, these kids are looking for attention, love and safety."

The Republican strategy for the African-American and Hispanic community is education and strong economic development, Collins said.

"It is the opportunity to own your own business, to leave failing schools, to improve education," he said. "You can be far off better. There is a need to invest in education for all our children."

Collins said policing and education working together would bring crime-ridden communities out of poverty and out of fear. Asked what the Republican Party stands for, Collins said education, entrepreneurship and family values.

"Family values is a strong sell among the African-American community," he said.