Statewide Races a Challenge for Black Politicians?

The Republican Party, while still smarting from the losses in 2008, may find they'll need two new strategies in their arsenal if they want to turn things around: tame the rhetoric on the far right and diversify their candidates. One may be easier than the other but both will be critical if they want to start winning.

It looks like one Republican African-American is ready to help them out. Florida's former Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Marion Thorpe Jr., announced Wednesday he's going to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez (R). Thorpe's announcement came on the hills of Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek's (Fla.) announcement he was throwing his hat in the ring.

Both candidates are being ambitious. But, Meek may have a better shot as an African American Democrat than Thorp in a statewide race. Seeking a statewide office is tough, but it's been almost impossible for Black Republicans.

As recent as 2006, three African-Americans ran for high-profile statewide office on the Republican ticket and all were defeated by considerable margins. Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and former Pittsburgh Steelers Lynn Swan ran for governor of their home states Ohio and Pennsylvania, both were defeated. In Maryland, the former Lieutenant Gov. Michael Steele ran for the vacant U.S. Senate and lost.

The Dems on the other hand were able to get a win in Massachusetts seating Gov. Duvall Patrick and former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford's defeat was by a narrow margin.

Meek, 42 is most likely looking at the 2006 races and the success of the President-elect Barack Obama in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida as an indicator he might do well running for Martinez's seat. Understandable, but it's really too soon for Black politicians to draw conclusions based on Obama's success.

Thorpe has had more statewide exposure in Florida because of his advocacy to improve the quality of the states health care system as the state's chief medical officer. But that experience didn't translate for him politically. He lost his bid to unseat Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) in 2008.

Both Meek and Thorpe will face challenges running for the Senate, and it will be refreshing and smart for both parties to have an African-American candidate in the running. It demonstrates both parties realize a strong candidate can come in any color.

Comments

[Edmonsky]

PE Obama did not win this election by roll of dice but through painstaking strategic thinking. Obama shows that he understands human behavioral psychology and conditions of her existence in a larger context. The mistake average black politician hitherto makes is the impulse to always conflate civil-right and political leadership as an indistinguishable category when campaigning for elective office. Within African American communities, such message strategy or tactic is a home-run; but in state-wide elections, it is an albatross or turn-off.

During the campaign Obama says that he will win or lose as a function of how he communicates his political views to the American people rather than about his race. He argues that Americans are decent people who can make informed judgment based on merit rather than racial bias. That is, Obama gave white Americans the reason to feel good about themselves rather than provoking white-guilt when he sought their votes.

[hapaglloyd]

great post.

[SJBrown]

I've heard this assessment of black politicians in the past. However, no one gives real examples of this "average black politician" that you allude to. Please give specifics.

BTW, I didn't know there was any "white guilt" to capitalize on until this election.

[PATina]

I read a story not long ago about the increasing numbers of African Americans in state legislatures... many of them representing majority white districts. The article posited that because more and more African Americans are holding state offices... winning state wide offices would become easier. I agree w/ you that a Democrat would have a better chance than a Republican. While much has been written about a large majority of Blacks having issues w/ Black Republicans... some of my Black Republican friends have talked about how some whites question their allegiance to the Republican Party as well.

[SJBrown]

In Maryland, the former Lieutenant Gov. Michael Steele ran for the vacant U.S. Senate and lost.

And he should have. We are Democrats for the most part in Maryland. Maryland did elect a Republican gov (and a Steele as a Black LT Gov) so it is possible for a Republican to win in the state. Michael Steele didn't run as a "real" Republican and tried to distance himself from Bush (although he was quoted calling Bush a "homeboy") and the Republicans (although he had reenergized the party in Maryland). He wasn't authentic. He put life-size cutouts of himself near the polling places, I guess to let every know he was a Brotha. He later commented that race should have trumped party. Right. Michael Steele did has his supporters in more conservative parts of the state.

We have a black Democrat Lt. Gov currently in office and term limits. It will be interesting to see if he can run and get elected as gov.