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The Election of African American State Legislators in the Modern South
Author(s) -
Bullock Charles S.,
Hicks William D.,
Hood M. V.,
McKee Seth C.,
Smith Daniel A.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
legislative studies quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.728
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1939-9162
pISSN - 0362-9805
DOI - 10.1111/lsq.12280
Subject(s) - legislature , state (computer science) , representation (politics) , political science , african american , public administration , race (biology) , political economy , law , politics , history , sociology , gender studies , ethnology , algorithm , computer science
This study is the most comprehensive analysis of the election of black state legislators in the American South. We start with the election of Leroy Johnson to the Georgia Senate in 1962, the first African American to win a state legislative seat in the modern South. We also document the election of all subsequent African Americans who were the first to enter their southern state legislative chambers. Next, we assess the factors influencing the election of southern black state legislators from the 1970s through 2015. Because of notable long‐term changes to the southern electorate and alterations in the racial composition of legislative districts, there has been substantial variation in the likelihood of electing black lawmakers. Our final analysis highlights the undeniable reality and broader significance that the increasing share of southern African American state legislators has occurred at the same time that Republican representation has grown at a greater rate.