Punching above our population weight in California, for the just-completed election, though African Americans comprise only 6.5 percent of California’s overall population, it is estimated that Black candidates contested for 11.5 percent of California’s U.S. House seats, 23.8 percent of California State Assembly seats and 30 percent of state Senate seats. For the California Legislative Black Caucus, it started off this year with 12 members—10 members of the Assembly and two State Senators. The final vote counting left three Black State Senators (two brand new ones, as one—Steve Bradford, had termed out) and nine Assembly members who had retained their seats: still 12 in all.
In the U.S. House of Representatives (Congress) Black representative Lateefah Simon (D) District 12 (Oakland) replaced long-time Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who had resigned her seat to run for U.S. Senator. Sydney Kamlager (D), who has become an outstanding representative for her Los Angeles constituents, retained her District 37 seat (Los Angeles), and venerable Maxine Waters was re-elected in District 43 (South Los Angeles).
In the California State Senate, Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D), won in District 39 (San Diego), while Laura Richardson (D) won in District 35 (Inglewood), replacing termed-out Senator Steven Bradford (D). Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (Ladera Heights) was re-elected in District 28.
There will be three Black female California State Senators at the same time, a distinct rarity.
Also interesting, in the United States Senate, there will be two new Black women as U.S. Senators. Lisa Blunt-Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland will represent the first time in U.S. history that two Black women have served in the U.S. Senate at the same time. Amid the chaos, some progress is still discernible after all.
Professor David L. Horne is founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan African Public Policy and Ethical Institute, which is a new 501(c)(3) pending community-based organization or non-governmental organization (NGO). It is the stepparent organization for the California Black Think Tank which still operates and which meets every fourth Friday.
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