By Tim Craig, Photo: Thomas Simonetti/The Washington Post, The Washington Post, September 13, 2022
A record number of Black men and women are running for U.S. Senate and governor this fall, with the potential to increase diversity in the nation’s top elected offices, which are still overwhelmingly held by White men.
Since Reconstruction, voters have elected just seven Black senators and two Black governors. This year, 16 Black candidates — 13 Democrats and three Republicans — are major party nominees, from Florida and across the Deep South to traditional Midwestern battlegrounds like Wisconsin. While many of them face tough odds, some have posted strong poll numbers and fundraising totals, waging credible campaigns that challenge long-held attitudes about whether Black candidates can be competitive in statewide races.
The unprecedented number of Black contenders for higher office comes at a time when racial and cultural fissures run deep in America. And as the fall campaign heats up, some of the candidates are bracing for racially tinged attacks on their policies and character, highlighting their concern that African Americans still must run near-perfect campaigns to be successful.
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