Financing Black Politics: A Study of Congressional Elections

Abstract

This article investigates the financing of the campaigns of black candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. Although incumbent black candidates receive lower levels of campaign contributions than their white counterparts, analysis of expenditure data shows that their campaigns are adequately funded, with most of them winning by large margins and retaining modest surpluses. Black challengers, however, are substantially underfunded and are rarely able to conduct competitive campaigns. The implications of this incumbent-challenger financial disparity for the accountability and responsiveness of members of Congress representing black constituencies are discussed.