SSN Commentary

The South Carolina Democratic Primary Will be Decided by Black Women

Policy field

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Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Originally published as: Ray Block, "The South Carolina Democratic Primary Will be Decided by Black Women," The Hill, February 24, 2020.

As Democratic primaries continue to unfold, the nominating process moves to a battleground with a much larger African American population. Black people comprise nearly 60 percent of the Democratic Party in South Carolina, making it an important stop along the campaign trail for candidates seeking to gauge – and court – the support of black voters.

It remains to be seen whether this change in demographics will make the issues and concerns of African Americans more central to the campaign. But one thing is clear: the candidate who wins the Palmetto State will be the one that does the best job of recruiting black women.