The primary-within-the-primary for black support is underway.
On one side, there’s the Congressional Black Caucus, the preeminent group of African-American power brokers representing their districts in Washington. On the other, rank-and-file black voters across the country. And in a field with nearly two dozen contenders, only two candidates are leading in either camp.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is ahead by every conceivable national metric with black voters, a critical demographic essential to winning the Democratic nomination in 2020. But he has a direct competitor for support among Washington’s influential political class in Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), the only black woman competing for the White House who edged ahead of him this week with endorsements from the CBC.
ADVERTISEMENT
“What that should say to you is black support is going to be hard to get if you’re not one of those people,” Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), who endorsed Harris on Thursday, told The Daily Beast. “That is indicative of what people think. That bodes well for both of those people in the long run.”
Harris has 10 CBC endorsements to Biden’s seven, including Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) from her home state of California. But Fudge’s endorsement could play an oversized role for Harris—she hails from Ohio, exactly the type of key battleground where Fudge can see her beating President Trump in a matchup.
“Kamala’s the best person to make the case that America needs change,” she said. “She has the ability and skill and experience to really take him on.”
On her decision to support Harris over Biden, who Fudge said she also greatly respects, she said the choice was ultimately more personal. “I have my entire adult life promoted and supported women,” she said. “People like me have an obligation to stand up for what’s right.”
In state and national polls, Harris is lagging with African-American voters behind Biden. A recent Quinnipiac national poll found that 53 percent of black Democratic primary voters supported Biden, with 7 percent backing Harris. A separate poll conducted by NBC/WSJ in July noted that Biden earned 46 percent of support with that demographic, while Harris earned 17 percent.
“Neither Harris nor Biden need African-American validators, but what it does it verify the commitment,” Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), one of Biden’s most prominent surrogates and the co-chair of his campaign, told The Daily Beast about both candidates’ CBC endorsements. “The people who have worked with [Biden] the most and the longest are generally supporting him.”
Biden’s campaign often points to their significant advantage in South Carolina, the “first-in-the-South” early primary with a large population of African-American voters. Richmond, a former CBC chair, is especially close with House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC), who is considered a kingmaker in Southern Democratic politics.
There, Biden dominates in several state polls. The most recent Charleston Post and Courier survey shows that the former vice president leads among black voters in the state by 30 points with 45 percent. At a June event hosted by Clyburn in Columbia for 2020 hopefuls, his supporters were quick to wave off comments he made about working productively in the past with prominent segregationists, overwhelmingly saying they trust his record.
“The one thing that’s important with Biden is people know his authenticity,” Richmond said. “His commitment to civil rights and others, they don’t question it.”
At the NAACP convention in Detroit, Biden was one of 10 Democratic hopefuls to speak, often receiving stronger applause lines than other contenders. He has also received over 60 endorsements from black leaders, including former Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL), the first African-American woman to serve as a U.S. senator, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
But while Biden is still the Democratic primary’s current frontrunner in early polls, there are signs Harris is making inroads with black voters.
One recent survey conducted by POLITICO/Morning Consult showed Biden’s support among African Americans decreased by 7 points after the first Democratic debate in Miami, where Harris landed an attack on his record on bussing. Harris subsequently saw a 6-percent rise.
Acknowledging the potential for a competitive primary, Biden’s campaign said they’re making a key distinction from other 2020 rivals.
“The one thing we’re not going to do is to take the African-American community for granted,” Richmond said.
