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Black Women Candidates 2024MID YEAR REPORT

From Our President03Overview05Key Observations07Federal Races09U.S. Sentate Races10U.S. House Races11The 2024 Landscape08State Races12GubernatorialRaces13Final Analysis14Table of Contents Kamala HarrisVice Presidentof the United States Lisa Blunt RochesterU.S. Senate Delaware AngelaAlsobrooksU.S. Senate MarylandDr. ValerieMcCrayU.S. Senate Indiana Jennifer BaconHouse ofRepresentativesColoradoDistrict 7Yvette ClarkeU.S. House New York 9th DistrictJenniferMcClellanU.S. House Virginia4th District JeanettaWilliams House ofRepresentativesUtahDistrict 26Tameika IsaacDevineState Senate South CarolinaDistrict 19LaMonicaMcIverU.S. HouseNew Jersey 10th DistrictLea WebbState SenateNew York District 52Ajay PittmanHouse ofRepresentativesOklahoma District 99Mo IvoryFulton County Boardof Commissioners Georgia District 4PamelyaHerndon House ofRepresentativesNew Mexico District 28Shari BaberHouse ofRepresentativesIdahoDistrict 15, Seat B Kiana FieldsState SenateKentuckyDistrict 17 2Front Cover Directory

FROM OUR PRESIDENTGreetings Sisters & Allies, We are excited to share our 2024 Black Women Candidates’ Mid-YearReport. This data represents the roots of Sisters Lead Sisters Vote andits mission to support and amplify Black women's political leadership andvoices. Running for office is one of the highest forms of politicalleadership. So whether Black women win or lose, their candidacyrepresents leadership in our community. Their leadership is what we wantthe nation to know and respect. In 2018, Democrats won a historic 41 seats in the House ofRepresentatives to take back control; Democrats lost 2 seats in theSenate and captured 7 seats for governor. This was also a historic year forBlack women in politics, as we saw Black women running for toppositions, including Governor, US Senate, and US Congress. The big winfor Black women was Congress, where 20 Black women were elected toserve in the US House, including 5 new congressional members - Rep.Lauren Underwood, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Johanna Hayes, Rep.Ilhan Omar, and Rep. Lucy McBath. In the same election year, we sawmore than 600 Black women run for office, including more than 17 forstatewide office and 40 for congressional seats. It is also true that whilewe saw some success, we also experienced heart-wrenching losses likeStacy Abrams' race for Governor in Georgia.13

Since 2020, Sisters Lead Sisters Vote (SLSV) has worked to continuethe work that Luvvie Ajayi Jones started in 2018 throughcrowdsourcing and researching all the Black women running foroffice. Today, we are in our 2nd complete cycle of capturing thisinformation. The 2024 Black Women Candidates’ Mid-Year Report, a crucialdocument that reflects the information curated as of June 25, 2024, isnow available. This report is a key resource for understanding theprogress and challenges of Black women candidates in the currentpolitical landscape.In Solidarity, Holli L. HollidayPresidentSisters Lead Sisters VoteThe audacity of these ideas was fueled by three important facts: One,2018 marked the 4th consecutive cycle where Black women’s voteturnout outperformed the electorate share, solidifying their position asone of the most reliable voting blocks, particularly for Democrats. Two, in2018, we saw hundreds of black women run for political office despiteour voting power, limited funding, and limited institutional supportinvested in their candidacies or voting communities. Sadly, theoverwhelming majority lost. And three, racist and sexist fueled mis/disinformation was the basis of most attacks on Black women’s leadershipand campaigns with NO practical playbook on how to respond. It is against this backdrop that African American women, including themembers of Sisters Lead Sisters Voice's board of directors, begin to ideateabout what it would take to….Elect Black women in every state, Elect a Black woman governor,Confirm a Black woman to the Supreme Court, ANDElect a Black woman President.4

OverviewSummary of Black women running for office. Year# of BlackWomenCandidatesWhite HouseSenateHouse ofRepresentative201860307802020103✹1131172022832022134202490011285Every cycle, Sisters Lead Sisters Vote (SLSV) seeks opportunities toenhance this research and bring more depth to the data to understandhow Black women candidates experience politics. This informationprovides insights to help address disparities, level the playing field, andwrite the playbook to defend against race and gender-based attacks,which significantly contributed to unfair election conditions, whichcontributed to heartbreaking losses. The research tracks and capturesthe following information: political party affiliationposition that each candidate is running for, incumbent status, campaign social media accounts, personal contact information, their current and previous elected office experience. ✹ Data from 2020 only includes Federal candidates. 5

This work is extremely valuable because it allows us to identify: the number of Black women running for office this election cycle;how that number compares to previous election cycles; the number of Black women running for federal, state, and localoffices over time;the success rates of Black women winning statewide primary andlocal races that do not follow the national election calendar. Data is collected from responses sent in by Black women running, eitherfrom emails and Google forms sent out from SLSV, social media postsmade by the candidates, and through other Black women's networks.Through extensive research and the recorded data, 900 black womenhave been identified so far as running for elected office during the 2024election cycle. Below, the report outlines essential information aboutwhat these candidates are running for and ensures they are accountedfor across state and federal races.6Black Women Political State Party LeadersWhile this report is focused on Black women candidates, we recognize thatno candidate is elected by themselves. Further, a frequently cited systemicbarrier is the lack of cultural competency and support at the state-party level.One way to change that is to improve state party-level representation. BothDemocrats and Republicans elect and appoint State Party Chairs. The job ofthe State Party Chair includes supporting party candidates, raising money tosupport party operations, and expanding party members. Meet 6 BlackWomen State Chairs in Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, &South Carolina, all Democrats. SpotlightNikema Williams, Georgia1.Jeanna Repass, Kansas2.Lavora Barnes, Michigan3.Daniele Monroe-Moreno, Nevada4. Rosa Colquitt, Oregon5.Christale Spain, South Carolina6.1 2 34 5 6

Black women are candidates in all 48 States in 2024, up from 44 states in2022.While in the last four cycles, we have seen at least one Black womanrunning for office in every state in the union, this year, we have nottracked any Black women running for office in Wyoming and NewHampshire. The overwhelming majority of Black women running for office areDemocrats (594), compared to merely 41 Republicans. 230 Black womenare running in non-partisan elections. NOTE: A few states allowcandidates to run on more than one party line. Out of the 677 black women who have already had their primary andgeneral election, an impressive 72.9% have won their primary/ generalelection, demonstrating their commendable success rate. Georgia stands out as the state with the most Black women running foroffice, with 196 Black women candidates. 27 Black women have been identified as running for a statewide position,nearly ⅓ less than the 66 Black women who ran for statewide positions in2022. Most of the candidates tracked are NOT incumbents. Of the 900, 582Black women are running as challengers, and 318 are incumbents. Of the 318 incumbents running for re-election, nearly ⅓ lack acampaign social media presence. Of the 318 incumbents, 228 Black incumbents have won their primaryelection, and 37 Black incumbents have won their general election.Together, the incumbent success rate so far is 84.9%. Key ObservationsThrough June 25, 2024Already at this halfway point, we can identify some key observations thathelp us to understand the 2024 election landscape for Black women. 7

The 2024 Landscape8

From the incredible 900 Black women we have identified running for electedoffice, 97 Black women have announced their candidacy for a seat in the USCongress. That number includes the 12 Black women running for Senate and85 Black women running for the House of Representatives. Breaking that 98number down, 36 Black women have advanced from their primary, 32candidates lost their primary, 2 candidates were removed from the ballot,and 27 Black women are currently waiting for their primary day. Regarding US Senate races, we identified 12 Black women who haveannounced their campaign for the US Senate. Of the 12 Black women, onlythree candidates have received national attention from the party and media:Barbara Lee of California, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, and AngelaAlsobrooks of Maryland. Angela Alsobrooks advanced to the generalelection, and Barbara Lee lost the primary. This number will likely increase to3, as Lisa Blunt Rochester will likely be the nominee for the US Senate fromDelaware after their September 10th primary election. Even though the other9 candidates have received minuscule attention from the party and media, acandidate from Indiana (Valerie McCray - D) advanced to the generalelection, and while another candidate from Maryland lost their primary(Scottie Griffin - D). FEDERAL RACESUS Senate5Regarding US House races, SLSV has identified 85 Black women who haveannounced their campaign for the US House of Representatives. Currently,34 Black women have advanced from their primary, 29 Black women havelost their primary, and 2 candidates were removed from the ballot. We areawaiting the results of 20 Black women's’ primary races for the US House. US House9

U.S. Sentate Races10

U.S. House Races11

Shifting the focus from the federal races to the state races, SLSV hasidentified a total of 3 Black women who have announced their campaignfor Attorney General. Satana Deberry [D] - NC, Keir Bradford-Grey [D] - PA,and Shaina Maxey Pomerantz [D] - OR, while all viable and competitivecandidates, all of them lost amid attacks based on race and genderstereotypes, both overt and covert. Ms. Dewberry notes in her FacebookLive commentary on electability, “They go with somebody who doesn't.Who doesn't even come close to having the experience that you have andthe abilities that you have because of some kind of group thinkamorphous idea that the only people qualified to do anything are men orwhite men.” Moving to Governor races, 5 Black women have announcedtheir campaign for Governor, with 4 women still running. The 5 Blackwomen running for Governor are: Jamie Reitenour [R] - IN, CherelleBooker [D]- NC, Esther Charlestin [D] - VT, EL'ona Kearney [D] - WA, AmbraMason [D] - WA. The candidate who lost their primary election was JamieReitenour. State RacesTo date, we have identified 349 Black women running for a seat in theirrespective states’ state legislature. 236 Black women have advanced fromtheir respective primaries, 26 Black women are still in the running for theirprimary, and 87 Black women have either lost their primary election orhave been disqualified. Moving on to the mayoral races, we haveidentified 13 Black women running for mayor, with 1 Black womanwinning her mayoral race so far: Renee Baskerville - Montclair, NJ. Fromthe 4 remaining candidates, 6 Black women have lost their mayoral race.Two candidates, Vivian Flowers of Pine Bluff, AR, and Flo Cofer ofSacramento, CA, have advanced from their Democratic primary run-offelection to the general election.12

Gubernatorial RacesGubernatorial 13

Based on the number of Black women who have already experienced a primaryor general election in 2024, Black women are winning their election oradvancing to the general election at a nearly 73% rate. The success of Blackwomen in this election cycle can not be overlooked or understated. As wecome up on the primary election of states with a higher percentage of Blackvoters, the overall success rate for Black women running and the number ofincumbents advancing to the general election should only increase.While this is terrific news and an increase in win percentages over 2022, manywill need more support from the political parties, institutional supporters, orbig donors than they will get. This results in a viable and electable candidatefacing additional and unwanted barriers. And if that is not bad enough, theymay face the “super tax” of mis and disinformation, which generally play toharmful race or gender-based stereotypes. FINAL ANALYSISA clear example of the race and gender bias fueling mis and dis - information is noted in thecampaigns of the 2 Black women who have secured the Democratic nomination for the US Senate,Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Valerie McCray of Indiana. Alsobrooks is running against a well-funded former Republican Governor, who is pulling out all of the traditional tactics, which seek todiscredit her experience, defame her reputation, and launch disinformation campaigns to confusevoters. If you google “Angela Alsobrooks,” it will reveal 2 websites - angelaalsobrooks.com andangelaalsobrooks.org. The .com version is the office website of Angela Alsobrooks's US Senate campaign, which lays outher platform, shares her story, and provides an opportunity for engagement. The .org version is paidfor by her opponent Larry Hogan, who misrepresents her record, quotes fringe news outlets withambiguous headlines, and collects information in a misleading way. AngelaAlsobrooks.comAngelaAlsobrooks.orgCase Study14

While we are seeing more and more evidence of these tactics, we must betterprepare Black women candidates, political institutions, and all of theirsupporters to combat these circumstances. As Black women are running forelected office in large numbers, now is the time for us to invest in Blackwomen-led organizations that are doing the work to support Black womencandidates, like Sisters Lead Sisters Vote and others. This investment willcontinue the work to rewrite the playbook to prepare both current and futureBlack Women candidates to inoculate themselves and help candidates defendagainst these attacks. Whether it is struggling with public visibility, having yourqualifications and ability to carry out a role be questioned to an antagonisticdegree, or America’s inability to redefine or eliminate its status quo, Blackwomen face the unfortunate battle of advocating for one’s value and place insociety.The Sisters Lead Sisters Vote 2024 Black Women Candidates’ Mid-YearReport documents the incredible political leadership of 900 Black womenrunning for office this year. From the last four election cycles, some noteworthythemes have emerged: Black women’s political leadership is present in all 50 states, but we mustexpand the resources to ensure and maintain opportunities.Black women are engaged at every level of elected politics, from localadministrative offices to school boards, city & county councils, statelegislature, Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court. Gender and racial barriers are negatively impacting the number of Blackwomen running for statewide offices. Black women’s experience as candidates is impacted by race and genderbias, both systemic and cultural.Black women are figuring out ways to overcome tremendous barriers Black women continue to overcome the impossible. This is made more likelywhen Black women show up and vote, show up and donate, show up andenthusiastically engage. As Black women and our allies, who are integral to ourcause, support each other, Black women are the model and are unwavering intheir mission to advocate for the progression of Black families, individuals, andBlack lives all together. 15

ContactSister Lead Sisters Vote Holli Holliday, President of Sisters Lead Sisters Voteholli@sistersleadsistersvote.orgJaelen Maxeyjaelen@phaseonestrategiesllc.com900This report is not only an important documentation of the politicalcontributions and history for Black women, it is truly a labor of loveand commitment by our small but mighty team, specificallyJaelen Maxey, Primary Research and Data ConsultantL. Simone Henderson, SLSV Program ConsultantChantel Mullen, Esq., SLSV Director of Special ProjectsHollye Weekes, SLSV Digital Communications AdvisorsLinda Paris, Communication AdvisorWe are especially grateful and thankful for each and every Black womanwho has made the decision to travel the tough campaign road and thetremendous sacrifice they make to evalate their leadership in this way. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSBLACKWOMEN RANFOR OFFICE IN 2024NEARLYAs of June 11, 2024, including results from elections called on June 11, 2024.1. https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/11/9/18079046/black-women-candidates-history-midterm-elections According to the crowdsourced Black Women in Politics database, at least468 black women ran for political office in 2018. 2.https://www.essence.com/festival/2018-essence-festival/luvvie-ajayi-black-women-running-office-database/ 3.The Black Women Running for Office database was discontinued in 2020, so this number only includes the number of Black women who ran for US Congress fromhttps://cawp.rutgers.edu/blog/black-women-candidates-2020 4.Even though they do not possess any voting power within Congress, we have also identified one Black woman running for DC’s Senate (Shadow) seat and one Black woman runningfor DC’s House of Representative (Shadow) seat respectively.#5.ENDNOTES