Demographic Change, White Decline, and the Changing Nature of Racial Politics in Election Campaigns

Race and racism have long played a central role in American campaigns and elections. Racial politics have changed considerably in recent history, but out-group animus continues to play a decisive role in White political behaviour and preferences. This phenomenon is becoming even more visible due to the well-documented shift from implicit to explicit racial attitudes. Furthermore, the electorate is quickly becoming more diverse and will become majority-minority within the next few decades. Therefore, candidates of colour will become more likely to run for office and hold a larger share of American political representation – forcing parties to polarise on racial issues. Similarly, the increased importance of racial minority voters has driven the process of cross-racial mobilisation, where White candidates must seek to broaden their appeal to reflect this diverse voting base. This chapter examines the extant history and literature, detailing the increasing significance of race and racism.