States where African-American candidates have a hard time winning statewide

[Suburbia]

Which states in the U.S. would African-American candidates have a hard time winning statewide, due to race or their ideology, regardless of party?

[Tender Branson]

I think an African-American candidate would be able to win in every US state right now.

That candidate of course has to be in the right party though (GOP in the South and heavily-GOP states and Democratic in the Dem. states), run a good campaign and raise a good amount of cash.

Tim Scott for example didn't have much of a problem in South Carolina, it's just that a Democratic Black cannot win there.

[Zioneer]

I think an African-American candidate would be able to win in every US state right now.

That candidate of course has to be in the right party though (GOP in the South and heavily-GOP states and Democratic in the Dem. states), run a good campaign and raise a good amount of cash.

Tim Scott for example didn't have much of a problem in South Carolina, it's just that a Democratic Black cannot win there.

Mia Love in Utah is the same way; the fact that she's a Black Republican Mormon means she can win in Utah. If she were a Black Democratic Mormon, she'd have no chance. Simple as that.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Utah, given how narrowly Mia Love won as a well-funded Republican.

I don't think even a staunch conservative AA candidate would have an easy ride in Alabama.

[Zioneer]

Utah, given how narrowly Mia Love won as a well-funded Republican.

I don't think even a staunch conservative AA candidate would have an easy ride in Alabama.

Nah, Mia Love lost the first time and narrowly won the second time because she's a terrible, undisciplined candidate, and in the second election, Doug Owens ended up being a better campaigner and GOTVer than anyone expected. It wasn't racism. When Mormons are racist, they're racist to non-Mormon minorities, not Mormon minorities.

[Ebowed]

Wyoming.

[King]

Every state except Illinois and Maryland.

[TDAS04]

Every state except Illinois and Maryland Massachusetts.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I think an African-American candidate would be able to win in every US state right now.

That candidate of course has to be in the right party though (GOP in the South and heavily-GOP states and Democratic in the Dem. states), run a good campaign and raise a good amount of cash.

Tim Scott for example didn't have much of a problem in South Carolina, it's just that a Democratic Black cannot win there.

Literally this. A REPUBLICAN Black candidate can win in the Deep South, a Democratic can't. That's why I love it when Democrats complain about how badly Obama lost the South and the white vote because of racism. Heck, Kerry lost white voters by the same margin and no one was complaining. It has much more to do with the fact that Obama is a liberal, pro-choice, pro gay marriage, pro gun control Democrat.

A black Republican candidate could win in "the South," but I strongly disagree that one can win in the "deep South." It was only 15 years ago that 40.5% of Alabama voted to keep its ban on interracial marriage.

Here's an article last year about how excited AL Republicans were to get eleven black candidates in the primary, including those seeking "county commission" and "Public Service commission." That's a really really really far stretch from having a statewide candidate for something.

[ElectionsGuy]

Nowhere really, as long as they're the right party for the state.

[TDAS04]

Every state except Illinois and Maryland Massachusetts.

How so? Do you really think a Black candidate would have a hard time winning statewide in VT, NJ, DE, MD (Brown didn't lose because of racism), CA, MI, CT and VA? You're quite pessimistic

I wasn't really being serious.  Those are the two states where at least two blacks have won a senatorial or gubernatorial election since Reconstruction.  I just felt like correcting Monarch's post. Obviously blacks can (and have) won statewide elsewhere.

[politicus]

Wyoming.

How so? Hard to see a white Democrat beat a black Republican in Wyoming.

[politicus]

If we are looking for states where enough racist whites would stay home to swing the election to the Democrats if a black Republican ran what would they be: Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri?

Mississippi might also be an option with the high Democratic floor, but maybe too many black moderates that would vote for a black Repulican?

Arizona would be another option.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Wyoming.

How so? Hard to see a white Democrat beat a black Republican in Wyoming.

True, but then, what Black Republicans?  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are any in the State Legislature.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I think an African-American candidate would be able to win in every US state right now.

That candidate of course has to be in the right party though (GOP in the South and heavily-GOP states and Democratic in the Dem. states), run a good campaign and raise a good amount of cash.

Tim Scott for example didn't have much of a problem in South Carolina, it's just that a Democratic Black cannot win there.

Literally this. A REPUBLICAN Black candidate can win in the Deep South, a Democratic can't. That's why I love it when Democrats complain about how badly Obama lost the South and the white vote because of racism. Heck, Kerry lost white voters by the same margin and no one was complaining. It has much more to do with the fact that Obama is a liberal, pro-choice, pro gay marriage, pro gun control Democrat.

A black Republican candidate could win in "the South," but I strongly disagree that one can win in the "deep South." It was only 15 years ago that 40.5% of Alabama voted to keep its ban on interracial marriage.

Here's an article last year about how excited AL Republicans were to get eleven black candidates in the primary, including those seeking "county commission" and "Public Service commission." That's a really really really far stretch from having a statewide candidate for something.

I think the question was about whether a black candidate would win if they were of the right party, not whether they would choose to run as a candidate in the only party that can win statewide.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I'm thinking Missouri or West Virginia.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Wyoming.

How so? Hard to see a white Democrat beat a black Republican in Wyoming.

True, but then, what Black Republicans?  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are any in the State Legislature.

     Wyoming is a pretty white state though. A lack of black Republicans isn't really surprising, whether or not there is a serious problem with racism there.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Wyoming.

How so? Hard to see a white Democrat beat a black Republican in Wyoming.

True, but then, what Black Republicans?  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are any in the State Legislature.

     Wyoming is a pretty white state though. A lack of black Republicans isn't really surprising, whether or not there is a serious problem with racism there.

Well, my point is that we have to weigh Black population in a state in the equation.  So yeah, you may have read my response a bit wrong.

[7,052,770]

A theoretical black Republican could win a statewide election in Mississippi, but he/she would have a real hard time getting nominated, and there's absolutely none prominent enough to give it a go right now. Literally just a couple of small-town mayors.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Wyoming.

How so? Hard to see a white Democrat beat a black Republican in Wyoming.

True, but then, what Black Republicans?  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are any in the State Legislature.

     Wyoming is a pretty white state though. A lack of black Republicans isn't really surprising, whether or not there is a serious problem with racism there.

Well, my point is that we have to weigh Black population in a state in the equation.  So yeah, you may have read my response a bit wrong.

     Yeah, I didn't read the tone of your post correctly. I see that that is what you were getting at now.

[Cubby]

Tennessee

Harold Ford lost in 2006

Sure they said it was due to his being from (air quotes) "Memphis" and being from the "Ford Family", but something else must have been at work there.

It was the only open seat hold for the GOP in the whole country that year, not to mention the incumbent defeats

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

A Black Libertarian in any state except the hardcore liberal ones could easily win so long as he isn't in opposition to the CRA of 64 and doesn't hate Lincoln

how, when a Libertarian can't win to begin with?

[Simfan34]

Oklahoma.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Pretty sure we won't see an African-American represent Vermont anytime soon.

[Zioneer]

Pretty sure we won't see an African-American represent Vermont anytime soon.

Doesn't Utah have about as low a percentage of African-Americans as Vermont? Checking Wikipedia... Looks like the 2010 census says that Vermont had 1% African-American population, and Utah has 1.1% (probably because of Somali and Sudanese refugees; we've got a couple thousand of them).

All states with less than 10% African-Americans. Neither party would be inclined to select an African-American in those.

We'll see in 2018... Utah at least could elect an African-American statewide, and I'm sure that a few other states could as well.