It was never "fine" to be overtly racist, people just got away with it their whole lives because it was a common norm in private among a whole lot of white people. I know it was in my family until we had a new baby who wasn't lily white and then I legitimately think they went from white vs. non white to immigrants and muslims.

They really needed some group to hate, I guess.

Anyway, to come up with when it was okay to be an overtly racist elected official, I'd submit someone like Strom Thurmond. He was a senator for 50 years and for decades although he actively promoted segregationist policies, he was nevertheless still in office until his death 20 years ago. Not all that long ago some people still wanted him in charge of stuff.