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

[Rockefeller GOP]

I remember seeing a poll that among White Democrats and White Republicans, only about 10% of both groups said they'd refuse to vote for a Black candidate for POTUS.  I think we're largely past that kind of racism.  Especially in this climate, people will choose their side over something as petty as race ten times out of ten.

Now, if you said, "could Tim Scott go into WV and beat Joe Manchin?" ... I say no.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

If an African-American politician in Kentucky ran on a campaign of being pro-coal and pro-gun I think he or she would win.

[politicus]

If an African-American politician in Kentucky ran on a campaign of being pro-coal and pro-gun I think he or she would win.

Only if he was King Coal:

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

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

Massachusetts disagrees.

[politicus]

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

Massachusetts disagrees.

Oh well, 7%. Thought they were a bit higher. Same with Indiana. More a matter of bad odds than no chance, I guess.

Still a fairly long list:

22    Indiana    591,397    9.07%
23    Nevada    218,626    8.10%
24    Oklahoma    277,644    7.96%
25    Kentucky    337,520    7.71%
26    Massachusetts    434,398    7.02%
27    California    2,299,072    6.67%
28    Rhode Island    60,189    6.36%
29    Kansas    167,864    6.15%
30    Wisconsin    359,148    6.07%

31    Minnesota    274,412    4.57%
32    Nebraska    82,885    4.50%
33    Colorado    201,737    4.28%
34    Alaska    23,263    4.27%
35    Arizona    259,008    4.16%
36    Washington    240,042    3.74%
37    West Virginia    63,124    3.58%
38    Hawaii    21,424    3.08%
39    New Mexico    42,550    2.97%
40    Iowa    89,148    2.68%
41    Oregon    69,206    2.01%
42    Wyoming    4,748    1.29%
43    Utah    29,287    1.27%
44    New Hampshire    15,035    1.22%
45    South Dakota    10,207    1.14%
46    North Dakota    7,960    1.08%
47    Maine    15,707    1.03%
48    Idaho    9,810    0.95%
49    Vermont    6,277    0.87%
50    Montana    4,027    0.67%

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Every state except Illinois and Maryland. Hopefully, Donna Edwards and Robin Kelly successfully wins.

OK should have run JC Watts replacing Don Nichols, but in Deep south and Mnt W are the ones that Blks have a hard time winning. TN and Harold Ford comes to mind. TX Ron Kirk and 2002 senate race to replace Phil Gramms.

[pbrower2a]

Any state that could ever vote for Barack Obama can vote for a black person for statewide office.

Virginia elected a Governor. 

[Mister Mets]

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

Massachusetts is less than 8% African-American, and they reelected a black man.

It may be easier to win major office in a state with a low percentage of African-Americans because the candidate will have less baggage.

[pbrower2a]

If the white Republican establishment implodes due to scandal or extreme incompetence in a state like Alabama or Mississippi, then such a state could vote for the obvious alternative.

[ag]

The crucial questions is: where would an African-American candidate have hard time getting NOMINATED statewide as a candidate of a party that has a chance of winning. Election is not only what happens in November.

As people here correctly noted, in one-party states (like the Deep South) it is, in the end, not a matter of the skin color of the candidate - nor, for that matter, of his biological species or a status as an animate/inanimate object at this point, probably.  I have no doubt that a cat, running as a Republican, would be elected to the Senate from Alabama these days against St. Peter reincarnated, running as a Democrat. The hardest time would be in the relatively close states. For instance, WV might still have enough of a Democratic party left so that a black Republican would loose there.