What leads racially resentful voters to choose black candidates?

Abstract

In studies of voting behavior, racial resentment has consistently been associated with decreased support for black candidates. In this article we bring together a unique collection of observational data and survey experiments to show how, in the certain contexts, exactly the opposite occurs: racially resentful voters prefer to vote for a black candidate over a white competitor. Higher levels of racial resentment do not imply an unyielding opposition to black candidates because such voters respond to partisan and ideological cues about the preferences of black candidates. Because the traditional measure of racial resentment captures more than just racial animus, some black candidates—most notably, Republicans with an individualist message—benefit electorally from higher levels of racial resentment in the electorate. These results highlight the importance of campaign context in shaping how voters respond to racial, partisan, and ideological cues.