Racial Coalition Building in Local Elections

Reviews / Votes

'That race is a defining feature of twenty-first-century electoral politics in America surprises no one in the age of Obama. Yet much of the focus remains steadfastly on federal elections and on the identifiable motivations of white voters confronted with a non-white candidate on the ballot. Andrea Benjamin departs the beaten path and blazes a new trail by focusing on black and Latino voters facing mayoral ballots without a black or Latino candidate. Benjamin very perceptively and powerfully demonstrates that race still informs African American and Latino voters through co-ethnic cues, especially those that reveal the inner workings of cross-racial elite coalitions. A must-add to my basket of indispensables!' Taeku Lee, University of California, Berkeley 'For decades, scholars have puzzled over the volatility of Black and Latino voting coalitions in local elections. Many different explanations have been offered, but until now, they've all neglected a key piece of the puzzle: endorsements. In this careful and convincing study, Benjamin argues that voters use co-ethnic endorsements to help inform their vote, particularly when race is salient in the election. Offering powerful evidence of the theory through a series of well-designed experiments, analysis of survey data, and newspaper coverage of elections, Benjamin's book helps us make sense of twenty-first-century city politics.' Jessica Trounstine, University of California, Merced and author of Political Monopolies in American Cities 'It is an engaging read, with chapters that work well in isolation ...' Melissa R. Michelson, Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics