Campaigning While Black: Black Candidates, White Majorities, and the Quest for Political Office

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Matthew Tokeshi

Campaigning While Black

Black Candidates, White Majorities, and the Quest for Political Office

Matthew Tokeshi

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English

Columbia University Press
29 August 2023

Ethnic minorities & multicultural studies; Black & Asian studies; Elections & referenda; Political campaigning & advertising

Even today, Black politicians rarely hold the most powerful elected offices one step below the presidency: governor and U.S. senator. While about 11 percent of the electorate is Black, only 3 percent of senators and 2 percent of governors are Black. Only ten Black Americans have been elected to these offices since Reconstruction, and forty-two states have never elected a Black governor or U.S. senator. Why is it so rare for Black candidates to win elections for these offices?

Matthew Tokeshi examines the campaigns of every Black challenger for those offices from 2000 through 2020 and points to the significant effects of racial appeals to white voters. He demonstrates that Black candidates consistently face more attacks on stereotypically anti-Black themes such as crime, sexual misbehavior, and economic redistribution than comparable white candidates. Such attacks diminish their support among the large number of white voters with ambivalent or negative attitudes toward Blacks. However, despite this formidable hurdle, Black candidates can in some circumstances mitigate the effects of negative racial messages.

Presenting timely new evidence on the racial dynamics that shape electoral politics in the United States, Campaigning While Black exposes the unique obstacles facing Black candidates and highlights ways that these barriers can be overcome.

By: Matthew Tokeshi
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9780231209274
ISBN 10: 0231209274
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 29 August 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Why Are Black Governors and U.S. Senators So Rare? Racial Bias Against Black Challengers, 2000–2020 2. The Racialization of Black Candidates 3. The Response of Black Candidates 4. The Deval Patrick and Harold Ford Jr. Campaigns of 2006 5. The 2013 Cory Booker and 2014 Anthony Brown Campaigns 6. When Black Women Run: The 2018 Stacey Abrams and 2020 Kamala Harris Campaigns 7. The Booker Experiment 8. The Criminal Pardon Experiment Conclusion Appendixes Notes Index

Matthew Tokeshi is an assistant professor of political science at Williams College.

Reviews for Campaigning While Black: Black Candidates, White Majorities, and the Quest for Political Office

Tokeshi provides a major contribution to our understanding of when and how racial attacks are effective and what candidates can do about them. The focus on African American women at the state level is new and important to our understanding of the link between race, gender, and state politics. -- Christopher Stout, author of <i>Bringing Race Back In: Black Politicians, Deracialization, and Voting Behavior in the Age of Obama</i> Tokehsi’s book is timely as we think about the future of descriptive representation in the United States. Asking if race is still a hurdle today for Black candidates, Tokeshi finds that Black candidates do not need to remain silent when attacked. This book is a must read for those interested in race and politics, campaigns, and racial attitudes. -- Andrea Benjamin, author of <i>Racial Coalition Building in Local Elections: Elite Cues and Cross-Ethnic Voting</i>