Black women voters aren’t enthused by former president Donald Trump or President Joe Biden as candidates for the nation’s top office, a new survey finds.
Health policy research and news organization KFF (formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation) published a new analysis this week of its Survey of Women Voters, which polled 3,000 women voters of all ages and demographic groups – living throughout the nation, but with an emphasis on those in the battleground states of Michigan and Arizona – earlier this year. Through this effort, researchers discovered that a majority of Black women across various age groups are dissatisfied with their current options for president. While 90% of Black women voted for Biden in 2020, nearly a quarter now say they plan to vote for Trump (8%) or not vote at all (14%).
Furthermore, only about half (49%) of younger Black women ages 18 to 49 said they were “absolutely certain” they would vote in the upcoming election at all, versus 77% of Black women 50 and older who report planning to do the same.
Historically, most Black women have identified as Democrats — and that’s still an ongoing trend, with 67% of survey respondents naming themselves as such. Most Black women voters have said in the past the Democratic party looks after them, while the Republican party fails to do so. Yet today, more than half of Black women voters’ disapprove of President Biden’s handling of the economy. Inflation is a particular concern, with about a half of Black women respondents saying they worry “a lot” about affording utilities, food and healthcare.
Indeed, KFF’s poll shows that, now, one in three Black women feel neither the Democratic or Republican party “does a better job looking out for people like them.”
“Black women have consistently been a reliable voting base for Democratic Party, and have turned out to vote in large numbers,” KFF survey analyst Audrey Kearney told The Story Exchange in a statement. “A path to reelection for President Biden would need to include strong support from Black women voters once again.”
As November approaches, the Democratic party is working harder to appeal to voters, especially those in the Black community. But a recent NBC poll reveals Biden’s advantage over Trump with Black voters has decreased from 87% in 2020, to 71% in April 2024. The Biden campaign invested seven figures in Black media during May, but Black leaders say it’s not working, Politico reported.
While more Black women voters feel they were better off financially with Biden in office than with Trump, 50% say neither president made their financial situation better while in office.
And although a majority of Black women still do support President Biden’s reelection, Kearney says the ongoing lack of excitement “among such a key part of one of the party’s bases could tip the electoral balance in a race as close as this one.” Some Black women may decide to “sit this election out” if they do not feel that Biden is working to address inflation, she adds.
These issues follow past concerns Black women have had about the voting process overall, and the underrepresentation of Black women in current mainstream politics. And, they aren’t the only group that’s concerned about where we are as a nation. Women of all races reported feeling anxious and frustrated about the upcoming presidential election to KFF, and just over a quarter of them said that they’re less motivated to vote this year.
Candidates across the board would be wise to note their displeasure, Kearney notes. “Women are an especially important group of voters, as they constitute a majority of voters overall and have diverse opinions and experiences.”