By Tamia Booker and Kevin Harris
Afro
https://afro.com/
The 2024 election was a major disappointment for many Democrats, particularly Black women. And now that the party has decided to not release its “autopsy” analyzing our shortcomings from 2024, we will miss an opportunity to discuss our treatment of the first Black woman to lead a major party’s ticket and the subsequent impacts that had on Black women as our most loyal voting bloc. We don’t know if this would’ve been included at all in the party’s autopsy – change to longer – but the impact was real as well as the opportunities that exist for the party to do a better job supporting Black women in the upcoming midterms.
Harris’ defeat unleashed panic and alarm within the Democratic Party. Unresolved tensions from a feeling of undervaluing Black women came to the forefront. After first fighting to ensure a Black woman was chosen to run alongside Joe Biden, Black women then spent four years defending Harris against unfair attacks and double standards never before placed on a vice president.
The fight continued as some Democrats brazenly sought to deny Harris the Democratic nomination after Biden ended his re-election bid. They attacked Harris despite her being the best positioned to assume a national campaign less than 100 days before Election Day. It didn’t matter that Harris’ resume towered above all potential contenders given her experience as vice president, u.s. senator, california attorney general and district attorney. The whole saga remains a great indignity to the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituency.
Barely a year later, a tide may be turning. At least five Black women have launched U.S. Senate bids and another is the current front runner for the gubernatorial nomination in her state. Congresswomen Jasmine Crockett and Robin Kelly have launched bids for the U.S. Senate in Texas and Illinois. Illinois Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton is also vying for her state’s senate seat.
These campaigns and others provide Democrats another opportunity to show up better for Black women than we did for Harris and by extension the Black women who are the cornerstone of our coalition. If Democrats show they value Black women we could see an energized and enthusiastic base of Black women leading and organizing across the country.
This isn’t to suggest Democrats should support candidates simply because they are Black women. However it’s important for Democrats to learn from our mistakes following Harris’ treatment in 2024 and the subsequent impact on Black women as a critical pillar of the Democratic Party. Democrats must allow Black women space to campaign without endless double standards that have more to do with race and gender than experience and qualifications. Their candidacies deserve serious consideration for investment instead of being arbitrarily labeled as “risky” by a status quo that too often looks to Black women for votes but not leadership.
And while Harris’ loss was a setback, Democrats would be wise to remember that Black women have continued showing up and winning elections.
The same year Harris lost the presidency two Black women, Senators Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, were elected to serve in the United States Senate. Their elections mark the first time two Black women have simultaneously served in the Senate. This is a significant milestone as only five Black women have ever served as Senators.
There are currently 31 Black women serving in Congress and data indicates Black women outpace all other groups in winning their congressional campaigns. Further underscoring their electability, Black women are winning campaigns with majority white electorates. Oregon Congresswoman Janelle Bynum flipped a predominantly white district and Ohio Congresswoman Emilia Sykes has consistently prevailed even as Republicans redraw her district.
Black women are also winning at the state level. 2025 saw record state legislative representation from Black women and Black women led eight of America’s 100 most populous cities this year.
And yet there is still much ground left to cover. A majority of states have never elected a Black woman to any statewide executive office, including governor. Georgia’s Stacey Abrams came painfully close in 2018 following an election with rampant voter suppression and intimidation. Even in defeat, her candidacy and organizing helped lay the groundwork that ultimately resulted in Democrats winning the state at the presidential level for the first time in 20 years in 2020 as well as the elections of two U.S Senators. One of those senators, Raphael Warnock, is the first Black senator in Georgia history. His path was made easier due to the dedication and contributions of Black women like Abrams to the Democratic Party.
A critical point that the Democratic autopsy should’ve made is that Harris’ loss should not discredit the legitimacy of Black women’s leadership or their credibility to win elections. Instead, the progress we’ve seen since Harris’ defeat ought to serve as a moment of recommitment to Black women as the most consistent voters and organizers in the Democratic coalition.
Black women candidates provide the Democratic Party with a much needed do-over as we position ourselves for the midterms and beyond.
Democrats must reaffirm our commitment, deepen our support, and build a politics that truly reflects the potential and power of Black women and the value they bring to our party and democracy.
