Rev. Greg Lewis, an assistant pastor at St. Gabriel’s Church of God In Christ in Milwaukee, has been actively helping Black residents vote in Wisconsin’s upcoming Democratic primary through his nonprofit, Souls to the Polls. He has organized multi-church early voting campaign drives and personally assisted disabled parishioners to cast their ballots. However, there are signs that President Biden’s support among Black voters, who were key to his victory in 2020, has softened. A CBS News poll showed a decrease in support from likely Black voters for his reelection bid, leading to concerns about voter turnout in November.
Many Black voters and organizers in battleground states have expressed disappointment in the communication of President Biden’s policies and legislative record to voters. They feel that the administration needs to do more to effectively reach Black communities, including appearing in bigger, more accessible venues and meeting more frequently with Black groups and organizations. Concerns have also been raised about the representation of Black women in the Biden campaign’s leadership and surrogate roles, as well as the messaging of the administration’s achievements. The Biden campaign has responded by hiring Black women in key leadership positions and focusing on engaging directly with Black voters through targeted advertising.
In response to calls for more effective communication of the administration’s policies, a focus group organized by BlackPAC showed that initial sentiments toward President Biden were negative. However, after learning about policy changes such as student loan forgiveness and a cap on insulin prices, many participants shifted their perspective. Battleground state party officials and organizers emphasize the importance of highlighting the binary choice between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, as well as the White House’s record, to energize Black voters. Republicans, on the other hand, have sought to increase support among Black voters by targeting messaging on issues such as transgender policies and immigration.
President Biden’s campaign has ramped up its outreach efforts to Black voters, including launching multiple ads targeting Black voters in battleground states and making historic investments in engaging directly with Black communities. Despite a slight increase in support for Trump among Black voters, President Biden still captures the majority of Black voters in polling. As the campaign progresses, organizers believe that the choice between the two candidates will become clearer, with many expressing confidence that the Biden administration’s policies will ultimately resonate with Black voters.
