The Continuing Significance of Race: African American and Hispanic Mayors, 1968–2003

This chapter presents data on African American and Hispanic mayors from 1968 through 2003 in all US cities that had a population of at least 200,000 by 1990. The data show an increasing number of minority mayors as well as a consistently high percentage of minority mayors being elected from cities with majority-minority populations. We then discuss two variables that continue to significantly shape the election of minority mayors: the nature of political party competition and the size of the minority population. Overall, despite the election of a handful of white mayors in a few of the nation’s largest cities, we find little evidence of race becoming less significant in mayoral election outcomes.