Jamelle Bouie argues that African-American pols running for statewide office are “much better off in the GOP,” at least strategically:
I wrote about this at length a few years ago, but in short, if you are a black lawmaker in the House, or the black mayor of a city – the kinds of people who tend to run for statewide office, in other words –odds are overwhelming that you serve a “majority-minority” constituency in a heavily Democratic area. This leads to a few things: First – even if you live in a largely liberal state – you’re considerably to the left of the median voter in your state. Think John Lewis in Georgia, or Bobby Scott in Virginia for examples of this.
Second, you’re likely to lead or represent a low-income area, which makes it harder to raise money for a statewide bid, on account of a smaller fundraising base. And finally, most majority-minority districts, or cities, are located in larger states, where – by definition – there’s more competition for statewide office. Either one of these alone is surmountable for a skilled and ambitious politician. But together, they present a huge barrier to advancement for African American lawmakers who are looking to statewide office …
Insofar that they exist, black Republican lawmakers don’t have these problems. Most likely, they’re representing middle-class to affluent white constituencies, placing them closer to the median voter, statewide, and giving them a healthy base for fundraising. And, judging from Scott in South Carolina, Shannon in Oklahoma, and Mia Love in Utah – who is likely to win her bid for a House seat this year—they seem to emerge in small, highly partisan states where the pool of candidates isn’t as deep, and inter-party competition is less fierce.
The Dish 