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African-American candidates for president of the United States from major parties include U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), elected president of the United States in 2008. He was the first African American to win a presidential election and the first African American to serve as president of the United States. He was re-elected as president in 2012. There had been several candidates in the years before.
Frederick Douglass was invited to speak at the 1888 Republican National Convention. Afterward, during the roll call vote, he received one vote, so was nominally a candidate for the presidency. In those years, the candidates for the position and vice presidency were chosen by state representatives voting at the nominating convention. Many decisions were made by negotiations between state and party leaders "behind closed doors." Douglass was "never a contender" for the presidency in 1888 and had previously received a roll call vote in 1848 for a minor political party's presidential nomination. [1]
In 1904, George Edwin Taylor was president of the National Negro Democratic League. [2] Since 1890 white Southern Democrats had been enacting state laws or constitutional changes that effectively disfranchised most Black voters and were imposing segregation through “Jim Crow” laws. Northern Democrats seemed unwilling and unable to control the excesses of their Southern parties. The National Negro Democratic League was fractured by the debate over the issue of linking the nation's currency to silver as well as to gold. By 1904, Taylor was positioned to abandon the party and bureau that he had led as president for two terms. It was not a good time to be a Black Democrat. This was close to the nadir of race relations, when the number of lynchings of blacks in the South was high. In addition, scientific racism was gaining acceptance within the nation's intellectual and scientific community. [3]
In 1904 the executive committee of the newly formed National Negro Liberty Party asked "Judge" Taylor to be their candidate for the office of president of the United States. [4] That party started in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1897 when it was known as the Ex-Slave Petitioners’ Assembly. It was one of several leagues or assemblies that had formed at the end of the century to support bills working their way through the United States Congress to grant pensions to former slaves. [5] These leagues claimed that membership in an association was required to qualify for a pension, if and when Congress passed such a bill. In 1900, that Assembly was reorganized as the National Industrial Council. In 1903 it added opposition to lynching, Jim Crow laws, disfranchisement, anti-imperialism, and scientific racism to its agenda, broadening its appeal to Black voters in Northern and Midwestern states. In 1904 the Council moved its headquarters from Arkansas to Chicago, Illinois, and reorganized as the National Negro Civil Liberty Party. It was following a growing wave of black migrants from the South to northern cities. [6]
The first national convention of that new party convened in St. Louis, Missouri, in July 1904. It intended to field candidates in states that had sizeable Black populations. Its platform included planks that dealt with disfranchisement, insufficient career opportunities for Blacks in the United States military, imperialism, public ownership of railroads, “self-government” for the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.), lynching and pensions for ex-slaves. The convention selected “Col.” William Thomas Scott of East St. Louis, Illinois, as its 1904 candidate for the office of president and William C. Payne, a little-known teacher from Warrenton, Virginia, as his vice-presidential running mate. The 37-year-old Payne, who later founded an industrial school in Puerto Rico, had served as a Cabin Steward on the USS Dixie during the Spanish–American War. [7] [8] After convention delegates had left St. Louis, Scott was arrested and jailed for having failed to pay a fine imposed in 1901. The party's executive committee turned to Taylor (who had just resigned as president of the National Negro Democratic League) to lead the party's ticket. [9]
Taylor's campaign in 1904 was unsuccessful. The party was unable to gather 300 speakers to support his candidacy nor to field 6,000 candidates for local offices. No newspaper endorsed this party. State laws kept the party from listing candidates officially on election ballots. The party was unable to get Taylor's name added to any state ballot. The votes he received were not recorded in state records. William Scott later estimated that the party had received 65,000 votes nationwide, a number that could not be verified. [10]
At the 1968 Democratic National Convention, held in Chicago, Channing E. Phillips, a minister and civil rights leader, was placed in nomination for President of the United States. He received 67.5 votes. [11]
At the same convention, Julian Bond was nominated for vice president, the first African America to be nominated for that office by a major party. Bond, ineligible on account of being under the required age (35), withdrew. [12]
In 1972, Shirley Chisholm, U.S. Congresswoman from New York, was a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination and participated in the Democratic primaries in numerous states. [13] She campaigned in 12 states and won 28 delegates. [14] In the balloting at the 1972 Democratic National Convention, she gained additional votes from disaffected Democrats and ended with a total of 152 delegates. [13]
In the 1984 presidential election and 1988 presidential election, Jesse Jackson was the first major-party black candidate to run nationwide primary campaigns and to win individual states' primaries or caucuses. He competed as a Democrat. [15] In 1984, he garnered around 3 million votes in the primaries and 1988, about 7 million. [16]
In 1992, Alan Keyes received a vote for the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention. [17] He did not campaign for President (he was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Maryland that year). He became the first African-American candidate to run in the Republican presidential primaries in 1996, but he did not win any state's primary or caucus. [18]
Barack Obama was born to an American mother of European descent (except for at least one African ancestor in the colonial period - Punch) and an African father. His mother, Ann Dunham (1942–1995), was born in Wichita, Kansas; she was mostly of English descent, [19] with some German, Irish, Scottish, Swiss, and Welsh ancestry. [20] His father, Barack Obama Sr. (1936–1982), [21] was a Luo Kenyan from Nyang'oma Kogelo. [22] [23] His parents had met and married in Hawai'i. They separated and divorced when he was a child.
Obama was identified as a potential candidate for president of the U.S. after his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. [24] A Democrat, Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. [25] The distinct possibility of an African American becoming elected was realized as the Democratic primary elections got underway in early 2008. Obama emerged as a serious contender for the nomination [26] and was the first African American to win the designation of a major party in a United States presidential election. As the Democratic Party's nominee, he won the general election on November 4, 2008. On January 20, 2009, he was sworn in as the first African-American president of the United States. He was re-elected to a second term as president on November 6, 2012.
Alan Keyes ran for president again in 2000 [27] and in 2008. [28]
In 2004, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton were unsuccessful candidates in the Democratic primaries.
"Tea Party" Republican Herman Cain staged a run for the presidency in 2012. He received a brief surge of attention and popularity but withdrew before any primaries were held. [29]
Neurosurgeon Ben Carson ran for the Republican nomination in the 2016 election. He polled well for a time in late 2015, but withdrew after the first Super Tuesday. [30] Carson received 857,039 votes during the Republican primaries; this total represented 2.75% of the votes cast. He was supported by seven delegates at the Republican National Convention. [31]
In early 2019, U.S. senators Kamala Harris [lower-alpha 1] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] and Cory Booker declared their presidential campaigns for the 2020 Democratic nomination within weeks of each other. Both withdrew from the race before any nominating contests were held. On December 3, 2019, Harris ended her presidential campaign, and Booker followed on January 13, 2020. [38] [39] Meanwhile, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick was a late entrant into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. [40]
On May 22, 2023, U.S. Senator Tim Scott announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election. [41]
 | This section is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic.(March 2023) |
The results of African-American presidential campaigns had ranged from winning the presidency to dropping out before primary voting began. However, all of the candidates have had a political impact by making sure their voices were a part of the national debate and gaining some attention from their party's establishment. Chisholm paved the way for African American and female candidates. Her goal was to make the Democratic Party more responsive to the people. When describing her reasons for running, Chisholm said, “I am not the candidate of black America, although I am black and proud. I am not the candidate of the women’s movement of this country, although I am a woman, and I am equally proud of that…I am the candidate of the people of America.” [42] In the 1972 primary, Chisholm won more than 430,000 votes [43] in fourteen states and 28 delegates at the Democratic Convention in Miami. [44] Chisholm provided a boost to George McGovern, the eventual Democratic nominee when she campaigned for him after the convention. Chisholm's candidacy inspired many women and African Americans to make a difference in politics. [43] As the first African American and woman to run for the nomination of a major party, Chisholm paved the way for Jesse Jackson Sr. who would be the next major African American candidate to run. For future candidates, Chisholm advised, “the next campaign by a woman or black must be well prepared, and well-financed; it must be planned long in advance, and it must aim at building a new coalition.” [45]
Jesse Jackson seemed to follow Chisholm's advice in his 1984 run for president. His 1984 campaign sought to bring together a “Rainbow Coalition” of African Americans, Hispanics, the poor, the elderly, family farmers, and women that would challenge the conservative policies of President Ronald Reagan. [46] Jackson placed third out of ten candidates for the Democratic nomination with more than 3 million primary votes. [47] He won primaries or caucuses in four states and the District of Columbia. Jackson's campaign made progress by building on Chisholm's legacy. His 1984 campaign registered nearly 2 million voters of all racial backgrounds. [48] By registering so many new voters, Jackson expanded the Democratic Party's base. He also inspired African American voters. Exit polls showed that nearly 12% of all Black voters were participating for the first time. [48] Jackson's campaign won him a speaking slot at the 1984 Democratic Convention, which provided a national platform for him to present his agenda. [47] In his 1988 campaign, Jackson increased his support to 6.9 million primary votes and won 9 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. [49]
Sharpton and Moseley Braun followed Jackson's campaign when they ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004. Moseley Braun, having already made history as the only African American woman elected to the United States Senate became the most visible female candidate to run for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. She advocated for expanding opportunities and encouraged women to seek positions of power. “Now is the time for Democrats to renew hope that we will leave [the American Dream] for the next generation in even better shape than we found it,” Moseley Braun said, “And a woman can lead the way.” [50] Though Moseley Braun ended her campaign in January 2004, she earned a speaking slot at the Democratic Convention in Boston where she had a national platform to advocate for equal rights. [51]
Sharpton's 2004 campaign also focused on equal rights. In describing why he was running, Sharpton said, “ I think if we stand up for workers’ rights, stand up for a peace plan worldwide, stand up for the constitutional rights of every American, those people will come back [to the Democratic Party], and those people are the majority of Americans.” [52] Like Moseley Braun, Sharpton's campaign allowed him to participate in the early nationally televised Democratic Party primary debates and earned him a speaking slot at the 2004 Democratic Convention, the same year future president Barack Obama gained national attention for his convention speech.
On the Republican side, Keyes first ran for the nomination in 1996 seeking to get his party to focus on social issues such as abortion. Keyes garnered a significant amount of free media during this campaign. [53] [54] The number of primary votes Keyes received increased from his 1996 campaign (471,716) to his 2000 campaign (914,548) but his vote total decreased in his 2008 primary run (58,977). [55]
African American candidates have a variety of reasons for running for president. Some candidates run because they think they can win. Others run to influence the national debate by advocating for specific policy proposals. Some run for a combination of these reasons. [56]
The 1832 United States presidential election was the 12th quadrennial presidential election, held from Friday, November 2 to Wednesday, December 5, 1832. Incumbent president Andrew Jackson, candidate of the Democratic Party, defeated Henry Clay, candidate of the National Republican Party.
The 1868 United States presidential election was the 21st quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1868. In the first election of the Reconstruction Era, Republican nominee Ulysses S. Grant defeated Horatio Seymour of the Democratic Party. It was the first presidential election to take place after the conclusion of the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery. It was the first election in which African Americans could vote in the reconstructed Southern states, in accordance with the First Reconstruction Act.
The 1904 United States presidential election was the 30th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 1904. Incumbent Republican President Theodore Roosevelt defeated the conservative Democratic nominee, Alton B. Parker. Roosevelt's victory made him the first president who ascended to the presidency upon the death of his predecessor to win a full term in his own right. This was also the second presidential election in which both major party candidates were registered in the same home state; the others have been in 1860, 1920, 1940, 1944, and 2016.
The 1908 United States presidential election was the 31st quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 1908. Republican Party nominee William Howard Taft defeated three-time Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan.
The 1932 United States presidential election was the 37th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 1932. The election took place against the backdrop of the Great Depression. The incumbent Republican President Herbert Hoover was defeated in a landslide by Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, the governor of New York and the vice presidential nominee of the 1920 presidential election. Roosevelt was the first Democrat in 80 years to simultaneously win an outright majority of the electoral college and popular vote, a feat last accomplished by Franklin Pierce in 1852, as well as the first Democrat in 56 years to win a majority of the popular vote, which was last done by Samuel J. Tilden in 1876. Roosevelt was the last sitting governor to be elected president until Bill Clinton in 1992. Hoover became the first incumbent president to lose an election to another term since William Howard Taft in 1912, and the last to do so until Gerald Ford lost 44 years later. The election marked the effective end of the Fourth Party System, which had been dominated by Republicans. It was the first time since 1916 that a Democrat was elected president.
The 1972 United States presidential election was the 47th quadrennial presidential election held on Tuesday, November 7, 1972. Incumbent Republican president Richard Nixon defeated Democratic U.S. senator George McGovern in a landslide victory.
The 1976 United States presidential election was the 48th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 2, 1976. Democrat Jimmy Carter, former Governor of Georgia, defeated incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford in a narrow victory. This was the first presidential election since 1932 in which the incumbent was defeated, as well as the only Democratic victory of the six presidential elections between 1968 and 1988.
The 1984 United States presidential election was the 50th quadrennial presidential election held on Tuesday, November 6, 1984. Incumbent Republican president Ronald Reagan defeated Democratic former vice president Walter Mondale in a landslide victory.
The 2008 United States presidential election was the 56th quadrennial presidential election, held on November 4, 2008. The Democratic ticket of Barack Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, and Joe Biden, the senior senator from Delaware, defeated the Republican ticket of John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, and Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska. Obama became the first African American to be elected to the presidency, as well as being only the third sitting United States senator elected president, joining Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy. Meanwhile, this was only the second successful all-senator ticket since the 1960 election and is the only election where both major party nominees were sitting senators. This was the first election since 1952 in which neither the incumbent president nor vice president was on the ballot, as well as the first election since 1928 in which neither ran for the nomination.
The 1984 Democratic National Convention was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California from July 16 to July 19, 1984, to select candidates for the 1984 United States presidential election. Former Vice President Walter Mondale was nominated for president and Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York was nominated for vice president. Ferraro became the first woman to be nominated by either major party for the presidency or vice presidency. In another first, the 1984 Democratic Convention was chaired by the female governor of Kentucky, Martha Layne Collins. The Democratic National Committee Chairman at the time, Charles T. Manatt, led the convention.
From January 3 to June 3, 2008, voters of the Democratic Party chose their nominee for president in the 2008 United States presidential election. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois was selected as the nominee, becoming the first African American to secure the presidential nomination of any major political party in the United States. However, due to a close race between Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, the contest remained competitive for longer than expected; neither candidate received enough pledged delegates from state primaries and caucuses to achieve a majority, without endorsements from unpledged delegates (superdelegates).
The following is a timeline of major events leading up to and immediately following the United States presidential election of 2008. The election was the 56th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008, but its significant events and background date back to about 2002. The Democratic Party nominee, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, defeated the Republican Party's nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona.
A brokered convention, in US politics, can occur during a presidential election when a political party fails to choose a nominee on the first round of delegate voting at the party's nominating convention.
This is the electoral history of Barack Obama. Obama served as the 44th president of the United States (2009–2017) and as a United States senator from Illinois (2005–2008).
The 2012 United States presidential election was the 57th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Joe Biden, were re-elected to a second term. They defeated the Republican ticket of former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
The 2012 United States presidential election in North Carolina took place on November 6, 2012, as part of the 2012 general election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. North Carolina voters chose 15 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate, Vice President Joe Biden, against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan.
In July of 1971 Shirley Chisholm, Member of Congress from New York's Twelfth District, began to explore the possibility of running for President. When she formally announced her candidacy the following January 25, she became the first woman and the first African American to seek the nomination of the Democratic Party for the nation's highest office.
Whether or not he is elected President, whether or not he is even nominated for Vice President, whether or not he wins more primaries, the world is likely to remember 1988 as the Year of Jackson — the year when, for the first time in American history, a black made a serious bid for the White House and was taken seriously by the electorate.
