Headline Roundup • October 28th, 2022
Is the Democratic Party Losing the Support of Black Voters?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Black voters have long been perceived as a reliable base of support for the Democratic Party. A number of published perspectives backed by poll numbers are casting doubt on the truth of this belief in the current political landscape. Driven by issues of economics and crime, many are speculating that Democratic candidates will see undersized support from black voters in the midterm elections.
Political Commentator Jeff Charles believes the decline in black support for Democrats comes from the party's failure to address issues relevant to the community. He writes, "whether it's on crime or immigration or the economy—top concerns for Black Americans—the Democrats have been falling short, again and again and again."
Cliff Albright and LaTosha Brown, founders of 'Black Votes Matter,' a community outreach organization, believe Democratic Party leaders are misappropriating campaign funds, focusing too much on advertising and not enough on direct engagement with voters. They write, "coalition-building is the future. Campaigns are won through well-supported localized, on-the-ground grassroots organizing and messaging that moves audiences into action."
For Context: Black voters remain overwhelmingly Democrat. 2020 President Election exit polls analyzed by Axios show 87% of black voters chose Joe Biden. However, recent polls show a decline in support. A poll from the Washington Post (Lean Left Bias) and ABC News (Lean Left Bias) found only 70% of black voters would vote for Biden in 2024 in a hypothetical matchup against Donald Trump.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Jon Cherry/Getty Images
This year, researchers estimate that overall ad spending by political candidates will hit $9.7 billion by Election Day in November. Yet, grassroots groups in Georgia trying to mobilize voters for the all-important turnout are so strapped for cash that they are pooling resources. Think on that for a moment: Limited financial support for voter organizing in Georgia, of all places, where Black engagement in two runoff elections in 2020 was the key to Democratic control of the Senate.
Political funding habits are hard to break. Donors direct their money to...
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Democrats are publicly and privately growing more concerned about their soft support from Black and Latino men, fearing that any marginal move by voters of color toward the GOP — or low turnout — will be decisive in the midterms.
Why it matters: With Republican candidates banking on big margins among white voters, Democrats need to run up the score with Black and Latino voters to win tight Senate and governor's races in Georgia, Nevada, Arizona and Pennsylvania.
The big picture: Strategists from both parties are closely watching whether Republicans...
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/GettyImages
Once upon a time in American politics, the Democratic Party enjoyed the overwhelming support of the Black community. Left-leaning candidates routinely won over 90 percent of the Black vote.
The times, they are a-changing.
African Americans are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Democratic Party, and this is no longer just something you hear in the barber shop or church pews. It's showing up in the polls—in a significant way.
A recent Washington Post/ABC News poll revealed that while African Americans still support Democrats by clear margins, the percentages have declined...
