Black voters are no longer Democrats’ safety net | Nia-Malika Henderson Mar 30, 2026 Mar 30, 2026 Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Two recent elections have Black voters, strategists and activists talking. Nia-Malika Henderson kAm~?6 :D E96 $6?2E6 s6>@4C2E:4 AC:>2CJ :? %6I2D[ H9:49 D2H &]$] #6A] y2D>:?6 rC@4<6EE =@D6 92?5:=J E@ y2>6D %2=2C:4@[ 2 H9:E6 42?5:52E6 2?5 DE2E6 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 H9@ :D 46?EC:DE :? 362C:?8 :7 ?@E :? A@=:4J]k^AmkAm%96 @E96C :D E96 $6?2E6 s6>@4C2E:4 AC:>2CJ :? x==:?@:D[ H9:49 D2H {E] v@G] yF=:2?2 $EC2EE@? 362E 2 4C@H565 2?5 5:G6CD6 7:6=5 E92E :?4=F565 2?@E96C q=24< 76>2=6 42?5:52E6] w6C AC:>2CJ G:4E@CJ 2=>@DE 46CE2:?=J AFED $EC2EE@? @? 2 A2E9 E@ 364@>6 E96 E9:C5 q=24< A6CD@? 6=64E65 E@ D6CG6 :? E96 FAA6C 492>36C 7C@> E96 {2?5 @7 {:?4@=?] W~?=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6HD@?6]4@>^A=2J=:DE^6G6CJ\3=24<\FD\D6?2E@C\2>6C:42?\9:DE@CJ^nFE>0D@FC46l492E8AE]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm`c q=24< A6@A=6k^2m 92G6 366? &]$] D6?2E@CD D:?46 `fgh]Xk^Am People are also reading… Flash Flood Warning from WED 8:52 PM CDT until THU 12:00 AM CDT Cheese shop owner following in family’s 100-year tradition Lake Geneva recommends $580,000 bid for street improvements Lake Geneva restaurant owner honored for quick response Wisconsin men's hockey lands defenseman hours into transfer portal period Lake Geneva considers speed bumps for slowing down traffic Lake Geneva BID presents awards during annual meeting City administrator presents update on Highway 50 project Tornado slams Juneau County, large hail hammers southern Wisconsin in second round of storms Tuesday Commission completes management plan for Geneva Lake New documentary explores possibility of serial killer near Omaha Dodge County sheriff sues woman who claims she was illegally detained Todd Krause re-elected to second term as Lake Geneva’s mayor Williams Bay approves to establish tourism commission Feels Like the First Time: Delavan park announces 2026 concert lineup Democrats can't take Black voters for granted, polling suggests. Morry Gash kAm%96 4@?E6DED =67E 7C6D9 :?EC2\A2CEJ 5:G:D:@?D[ H9:49 H:== 92G6 E@ 36 D@CE65 @FE 2D }@G6>36C 2AAC@2496D] $@>6 H@?56C :7 %2=2C:4@[ H9@ C2? DEC@?8 2>@?8 {2E:?@ 2?5 H9:E6 G@E6CD[ 42? C2==J q=24< G@E6CD E@ 9:D D:56 27E6C 2 3:EE6C 2?5 C24:2==J DEC2E:7:65 AC:>2CJ[ H9:49 =67E >2?J q=24< H@>6? 766=:?8 =:<6 E96 A2CEJ 92D 232?5@?65 E96>] $@>6 D2J $EC2EE@?[ H9@ H@? H:E9 E96 324<:?8 W2?5 7F?5:?8X @7 x==:?@:D v@G] yq !C:EK<6C[ :D?’E 86EE:?8 6?@F89 4C65:E 7@C 96C @H? G:4E@CJ[ H:E9 !C:EK<6C 86EE:?8 =@ED @7 9625=:?6D 2D E96 >FD4=6 369:?5 96C H:?]k^AmkAmp== @7 E9:D 4@>6D 2D 2 4@2=:E:@? @7 @C82?:K:?8 8C@FAD :D ECJ:?8 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE 9@H E@ 3@@DE ?@E @?=J q=24< C6AC6D6?E2E:@?[ 3FE q=24< A2CE:4:A2E:@?] xE 2=D@ 4@>6D 2D 86CCJ>2?56C:?8 2?5 2 H62<6?65 '@E:?8 #:89ED p4E 4@F=5 D9C:?< E96 ?F>36C @7 q=24< 6=64E65 @77:4:2=D[ H2E6C:?8 5@H? 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E96 A@DE\~32>2 J62CD]k^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Our endorsements for Dane County Board The Wisconsin State Journal is endorsing in all 13 competitive races for Dane County Board in the April 7 election. kAm~? E96 8C@F?5[ 24E:G:DED x DA@<6 H:E9 C646?E=J 92G6 366? 5:D4@FC2865 3J 5:D6?8286>6?E 2?5 5:D27764E:@? — H@CC:D@>6[ :7 ?@E 6?E:C6=J ?6H[ EC6?5D 8:G6? E96 DE2<6D] q=24< 76>2=6 =6256CD[ 25G@42E6D 2?5 @C82?:K6CD 82E96C65 :? (2D9:?8E@? 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 2D A2CE @7 E96 `dE9 p??F2= q=24< (@>6?’D #@F?5E23=6 (@>6? @7 !@H6C }2E:@?2= $F>>:E[ <66? 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E96 EH@ $6?2E6 AC:>2C:6D D@ 72C[ H9:49 92AA6?65 :? DE2E6D H:E9 D:K23=6 q=24< AC:>2CJ A@AF=2E:@?D[ @C82?:K6CD D66 D@>6 AC@>:D6 2?5 D@>6 AC@3=6>D] rC@4<6EE 5:5?’E D66 6?@F89 @7 2 DFC86 @7 J@F?8 2?5 q=24< G@E6CD[ H9@ >2<6 FA a_T @7 2 =:<6=J s6>@4C2E:4 AC:>2CJ 6=64E@C2E6] $@>6 92G6 3=2>65 G@E6C DFAAC6DD:@?[ @E96CD 2 H62< 8C@F?5 82>6 2?5 E96 :562 E92E rC@4<6EE H2D?’E 6=64E23=6 DE2E6H:56]k^Am kAm%6I2D :D 2 9F86 DE2E6[ H:E9 2 =2C86=J >@C:3F?5 s6>@4C2E:4 !2CEJ E92E 92D?’E D66? 2 s6>@4C2E H:? DE2E6H:56 D:?46 `hhc] rC@4<6EE 49@D6 E@ 6?E6C E96 C246 =2DE[ 3F:=E 2 D9@6DEC:?8 42>A2:8? E92E C6=:65 E@@ 962G:=J @? D@4:2= >65:2[ 423=6 9:ED 2?5 E96 FDF2= 42>A2:8? DE@AD] tG6? H:E9 E9@D6 >:DDE6AD[ D96 5:5?’E 5@ A@@C=J[ DF886DE:?8 E92E :7 D96 925 AFE >@C6 677@CE :?E@ 3F:=5:?8 2 C62= 42>A2:8?[ D96 4@F=5 92G6 H@?]k^Am kAm$EC2EE@? H@? 2 3C@25 32D6 @7 G@E6CD[ :?4=F5:?8 DH66A:?8 2== `f AC65@>:?2E6=J q=24< H2C5D :? r9:428@] %9@F89 D96 H2D BF:E6 A@=:D965[ D96 2=D@ 42>A2:8?65 H:E9 rC@4<6EE\6DBF6 7:C6 2?5 G:8@C] k^Am kAm(@@53FCJ 2?5 qFE=6C D2:5 E92E E96 >@DE AC6DD:?8 :DDF6 7@C q=24< G@E6CD :D E96 64@?@>J[ :?4=F5:?8 962=E9 42C6 2?5 65F42E:@? 4@DED[ 2?5 ?@H H@CC:6D 23@FE E96 H2C :? xC2?] (@@53FCJ D2JD 9:D 52E2 D9@H E92E 5676?5:?8 56>@4C24J :D 2=D@ 2 AC@>:D:?8 E9C625 2>@?8 q=24< G@E6CD]k^AmkAm“(6 92G6 E@ 4@??64E E96 5@ED @7 H92E E9:D 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E :D 5@:?8 2?5 9@H :E :D 9FCE:?8 q=24< A6@A=6 A6CD@?2==J 2?5 q=24< 4@>>F?:E:6D[” (@@53FCJ D2:5[ 6>A92D:K:?8 E96 ?665 7@C 42>A2:8?D E@ FD6 E96 G@:46D 2?5 DE@C:6D @7 2G6C286 A6@A=6] “|J H2C?:?8 E@ s6>@4C2ED :D ?@E E92E E96D6 G@E6CD 92G6 4@>6 324< 9@>6] %96J 2C6 AC@G:?8 E92E E96J 2C6 DH:?8 G@E6CD] %96J H6C6 %CF>A\4FC:@FD :? a_ac] x? a_ad[ E96J H6C6 %CF>A\7FC:@FD 2?5 2?8CJ 2E 9:D A@=:4:6D] x? a_ae[ :E :D J6E E@ 36 56E6C>:?65]”k^Am kAmxE H:== 36 FA E@ s6>@4C2ED E@ >2<6 E92E 56E6C>:?2E:@?] p?5 2D E96J A=@E E96:C H2J 7@CH2C5[ E96J 232?5@? 2?5 :8?@C6 E96:C 4@C6 G@E6CD 2E E96:C A6C:=]k^Am Henderson is a Bloomberg columnist and former senior political reporter for CNN and the Washington Post. Locations Madison Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Most Popular Revolt of the MAGAs? Weekly column from John Halverson questioning whether President Donald Trump is losing some his his supporters. He mentions how some of his pr… Riga-Tony’s serves Italian with style, fun and flair Column from Stephanie Klett and Bill Barth reviewing the food and services that Riga-Tony’s restaurant in the town of Delavan has to offer. 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