From the U.S. Senate to the governors mansion, dozens of Black women are on the ballot across the country.
Dr. Ndidiamaka Okpareke, a pharmacist and Republican newcomer seeking a New Mexico congressional seat, is one of them.
We need adequate representation at the table so that we can pull our communities forward, Okpareke told Scripps News.
The daughter of Nigerian immigrants and a mother of three, Okpareke would be the first Black woman to represent New Mexico in Congress if she wins her long-shot bid against a three-term incumbent.
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Some 1,500 miles away, 25-year-old Courtney McClain is making a similar bid. The Gen Z Democrat is running in South Carolinas 4th Congressional District in the Upstate, one of the states most conservative districts. She is seeking to become the first Black woman the state has sent to Congress.
McClain told Scripps News that many people doubted her candidacy at the start.
Now that we are so close to the finish line and with the support that weve been able to get people now realize that we can win this race, McClain said.
STILL CONTINUING TO RUN
Okpareke and McClain are part of a larger group challenging assumptions about Black womens electability. There are 72 Black women on the midterm ballot, according to data from Rutgers Universitys Center for American Women and Politics and Higher Heights. Near majority are Democrats.
Four Black women are running for the Senate while 40 Black women nominees are in the running for the lower chamber, two are in the running for governor and 26 are running for other statewide offices.
University of Florida professor Sharon Austin told Scripps News these were once officer that women didn’t tend to run for, especially women of color.
Now it seems the sky’s the limit and more women of color are seeking all offices at all levels, Austin said.
Austin, who has studied Black women in politics, said Black women candidates know the climb to the ballot, let alone victory, is steep.
These are women who know that when they decide to run for office it isnt going to be easy. Theyre going to have to deal with a lot of biases and a lot of bigotry. But many of them are able to overcome it, and theyre still continuing to run, she said.
There definitely has been progress. There always is going to be bigotry, unfortunately, and theres always going to be barriers, Austin added. But I think there are people in todays society who are a lot more willing to look beyond race and gender when they cast their votes.
TAKE YOURSELF OUT OF THE BOX
McClain said she doesnt want her campaign defined by history-making alone.
Representation isnt just about what the person looks like, but its about what that person can actually bring and do for the community, McClain added.
For Okpareke, a medical professional who says shes bringing firsthand experience to policy that impacts different communities, representation goes beyond race or gender.
There are boxes that are built for us on both sides of the aisle, Okpareke said. We’ve seen that so often where you align yourself with a certain ideology or a certain way to think and you get boxed in and you can never come out of that.
So take yourself out of the box, be true to who you are, and stand for the people, she added.
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Kelly Dittmar, director of research at CWAP, told Scripps News the election story this year goes beyond the firsts. Some Black women are leaving Congress, so the overall number may not rise sharply, she said. But the new candidates include younger women and those from different backgrounds who clear new paths and bring complex perspectives to office.
“We found in our own research that what that means is they’re often bringing not only their own voices but also voices from their communities, Dittmar said. Theyre diversifying the representation among the Black women who are serving.
She said voters are also looking for something new, and women can use the fact that they havent been part of the status quo to their advantage.
I think this year we will see a number of cases of success to further prove the case that women can and do win some of the toughest races, that Black women can and do win in majority-white electorates, which has been a bias in a lot of the discussions around when and where Black women should run, Dittmar said.
McClain said thats the message she is carrying into Election Day.
That excitement. That want for change, she said. “Not just on being the first Black woman but running on being a candidate that is truly going to represent the Upstate and is truly going to bring change.
I hope to see a version of America that works for all people, and a version of America that is truly going to be representative of the least of us, McClain said.
Win or lose Tuesday, Okpareke said she hopes to change the conversation about where and when Black women can run for office.
I would just want to inspire anyone from different backgrounds to let them know you can do it, she said. You too can stand for and guard and protect and nurture the American dream because it’s not going to end with you.