In Mississippi Senate Race, the Suburbs Won’t Save Democrat Mike Espy

Democrats swept back control of the U.S. House this month due to dominance in suburban districts. But in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate runoff Tuesday, Republicans have two big advantages. Not only is Mississippi one of the country’s least suburban states, it’s also sharply divided by one of the few factors that […] Read more »

Across South, Democrats Risk Speaking Boldly and Alienating Rural White Voters

When Mike Espy, the Democrat challenging Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, faced his opponent at a debate ahead of this Tuesday’s runoff election, he had to make a choice: confront Ms. Hyde-Smith over her comments about attending “a public hanging,” which evoked the state’s racist history, or take a milder […] Read more »

Which Americans support the Second Amendment? The answer depends on whether whites or blacks have the guns.

… Much political science research has found that attitudes about racial groups influence public opinion on a wide range of topics and can inform voters’ decisions at the polls. Decades of research have also shown that the public finds it easier to extend free-speech rights to popular groups. Our findings […] Read more »

Black Voters Propelled Blue Wave, Study Finds

Democratic wins in the 2018 midterms were driven largely by African American voters — particularly black women — who increasingly associate the GOP with President Trump’s perceived hostility toward people of color and immigrants, according to an analysis released Monday. The report by the NAACP, the racial justice nonprofit Advancement […] Read more »