By james art Last updated on October 22, 2024 by BVN
Overview: The number of black candidates for office at the national and state level has increased remarkably this year. There is an awareness that black representation empowers the black community. A 2021 report found that higher levels of racial resentment did not necessarily mean “unyielding opposition to black candidates.” This underscores the importance of campaign context in helping to shape how voters respond to racial, partisan, and ideological cues at the ballot box. Please take part in the survey to identify black candidates on the November 5, 2024 ballot in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
SE Williams
I certainly celebrate everyone in our community who threw their hats into the political ring this election cycle.
As a black woman, I am especially proud of the men and women of African descent who have raised their hands to serve, even knowing that in most cases they enter their respective races with a built-in disadvantage due to their race/ethnicity .
Whether you’re running for mayor, county supervisor, city council member, community college board trustee, school or water board member, or any of the other elected local offices on the November 5, 2024 ballot, this year more blacks use their commitment to justice, willingness to work on behalf of their community, and leadership abilities to run for many of these locally elected positions.
Before I go any further, I want to take this opportunity to remind all voters of the importance of everyone taking the time to vote all the way through. That’s because local races are placed on the ballot after federal and state races, and in the presidential election cycle, voters sometimes vote at the top of the ballot and skip local races. Yet local elections are just as important to our daily lives as federal and state races, which ultimately determine policy on issues that affect the local level.
The history and legacy of slavery, structural, and institutional racism, combined with the continuing struggle for equal voting access after the Civil War, led to more than 160 years of efforts to elect candidates at the local, state, and federal levels who represented the voices and concerns of black people . Black representation empowers the black community.
Being represented by someone who not only reflects my identity but also shares experiences is really empowering. Power lies in the collective tapestry of shared experiences—a resonance that amplifies the voice and narrative of our community. There is deep understanding, empathy and compassion when you stand up for a community whose values you deeply share.
Kaylan A. Tanner
The numbers show that the number of black candidates for office at the national and state level has increased remarkably this year. for example, in February, just before the presidential election in March, California voters chose candidates for several offices, including one seat in the US Senate, 52 seats in Congress, 20 seats in the State Senate and 80 seats in the State Assembly. Blacks were demonstrably overrepresented in these primary races for federal and state office compared to their percentage of the state’s population.
The 2022 American Community Survey shows that blacks make up only five percent (5%) of California’s population, but during this year’s primary races for federal and state office, black candidates in California competed in “11.5% of US House races, 23.8% of State Assembly races, and 30% of State Senate races. Overall, according to a report by California Black Media, 53 black candidates ran in 32 of the 154 statewide elections. “That’s about 21% of the races.” But what are their chances of winning the election in November? Will all the race pouring out of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his supporters be a hindrance to their potential victory at the local level? Hard to understand in a region as closely divided politically as the rest of the nation.
A 2021 University of Chicago report titled “What Makes Racially Resentful Voters Choose Black Candidates?” noted how racial resentment has historically been associated with or led to reduced support for black candidates. But the study also found that there are cases where just the opposite happens. This led to some racially resentful voters voting for a black candidate over a white competitor. In other words, the report shows that higher levels of racial resentment do not necessarily mean “unyielding opposition to black candidates.” That’s because such voters “respond to partisan and ideological cues about black candidate preferences.”
The report notes that this is because the traditional measure of racial resentment captures more than just racial animosity. Some black candidates — especially Republicans with an individualist message — may benefit electorally from “higher levels of racial resentment in the electorate.” This underscores the importance of campaign context in helping to shape how voters respond to racial, partisan, and ideological cues at the ballot box.
The answer to the question of whether black candidates increase African-American turnout may vary. At best, according to some reports, African-American candidates have a temporary effect on turnout among black voters. Another report found that African-Americans in cities with African-American mayors showed increased levels of “political efficacy and participation” than African-Americans in cities with white mayors. This is evidence that minority candidates and officials can increase minority voter turnout.
However, it is impossible to determine a candidate’s race/ethnicity from a sample ballot. Black voters, like most voters, are driven by the issues, the qualifications of the candidates, and who they think will best represent them. Note that the idea of presenting black is empowering. Although Ballotpedia invites all candidates to complete its Candidate Contact Survey, which asks him/her to share information about his/her race and ethnicity, the question is optional. Even when a candidate chooses to respond, their response is not a published part of their Ballotpedia profile. Instead, the data is aggregated for use in benchmarking, according to the Ballotpedia website.
There are a total of 52 incorporated cities between Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Because of the vastness of this region, it is difficult to identify all black candidates running for public office in the Inland Empire. For this reason, we seek your assistance. If you are a Black candidate or know of a Black candidate(s) in your community who is running for local office this November, help us compile this list of Black candidates by taking a moment to fill out this quick survey:
Journalist Susan L. Taylor once wrote, “Whatever we believe about ourselves and our abilities comes true for us.” There are many opportunities to continue breaking down racial barriers when it comes to public office domestically as well as nationally. scale. In the name of empowerment and representation, let’s know who’s on the ballot and support them as much as we can.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I keep it real.