| Since Election 2016, a wealth of research has been conducted about American politics and the
subsequent election of Donald J. Trump. While race and racism are not novel to America, questions
regarding how racism influences American political processes have reemerged. Traditionally,
African American candidacies have been less successful. However, post-election 2016, African
Americans candidacies and electability have increased (e.g., Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum).
African American candidacies and electability are inextricably connected to the African American
electorate’s political vibrancy. Using voting data from Florida and Georgia’s gubernatorial
elections occurring between 2006-2018, African American candidacy and political engagement
will be explored. Extant research indicates African American candidates increase African
American political engagement thus increasing the likelihood of electability. Results suggests
African American candidacies situationally and contextually increase African American political
engagement bolstering extant research and a need for augmented approaches to understanding
African American political behavior.
Keywords: race, politics, voting, candidacy, political engagement, political behavior |