A political blackout: gubernatorial candidates hoping to break the color barrier. (Washington Report).

In the last two decades Roland Burris has been attorney general, director of central management services, and comptroller for three different terms. While he may be qualified to be governor of Illinois--the position he's hoping to fill in November--his being African American could represent his biggest challenge of all.

For decades, African Americans campaigning for statewide offices have had to face a series of difficulties that have all but eliminated them from serious contention in these elections. In fact, in the history of the U.S., only one African American--former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder--has ever successfully run for a governorship. But this year, a group of black candidates think that they have the right tools to win the keys to the governor's mansion in several states.

Along with Burris are Florida State Sen. Daryl L. Jones; New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall; Wisconsin State Sen. Gary George; former Oregon State Treasurer Jim Hill; and Michigan State Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith.

There are 36 gubernatorial races and 34 seats in the U.S. Senate up for grabs this year, and while a few African Americans have won statewide races, most have been for positions such as secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller, or lieutenant governor.

"On paper, I am the most qualified person for governor and that includes the incumbent," says Jones, who has to get past former Attorney General Janet Reno and two other Democrats in order to face Gov. Jeb Bush. Even though the Republican Party controls Florida politics, Jones pulled off an upset in Miami's Dade County in 1990 when he beat the white candidate without much support from African Americans. "I lost the black vote [in the primary, but won it in the general election]," he says, with a chuckle. But the question remains whether such an upset can occur on a statewide basis.

Win or lose, Ronald Walters, professor in government and politics at the University of Maryland, calls the 2002 gubernatorial election an unprecedented event for African Americans. "There hasn't been another time when so many blacks have run for a statewide office at the same time."

But simply running isn't the objective--winning is. To do that, these candidates must overcome a plethora of challenges. David Bositis, senior researcher for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, points out that Americans tend to vote along racial lines in many states, noting that the African American population is concentrated in about 22 of them. "You are still talking about a relatively small number of offices. You don't expect Wyoming to elect a black governor," he says. "In recent years, there has been a lot of growth in statewide elected black officials in the South--Georgia, North Carolina, Texas. But you have to remember there is an element of luck involved in getting elected."

Another challenge is the changing political environment. With a Republican in the White House and the Republican-controlled Senate, power has shifted from the left to the right. "The irony is that all these candidates for governor are coming along when the tide has created more Republican governors than ever before," Waiters says. "The winds are simply not in their direction, so they have to have the kind of agenda that really comports with a far more conservative constituency. But if they do, then they're out of sync with the black community."

To overcome these challenges, black candidates for governor must follow the model of ex-Virginia Gov. Wilder, says Earl Ofari Hutchinson, a Los Angeles-based African American political analyst. "You have to solidify your black base and really get enthusiasm there for your campaign and candidacy," he explains. "Then you have to broaden your campaign. That means you have to stress the issues, [such as] healthcare, budgetary issues, and taxation that have broad appeal across [party] lines." Hutchinson recommends candidates reach out to other ethnic groups as well. "You have to forge coalitions with the other groups and leaders and the growing voting constituency."

Today's candidates, however, may find that their uphill climb is even steeper than their sole predecessor. "Wilder had a number of things going for him. For one, he had been lieutenant governor," points out Walters. "Virginia isn't a huge state -- it's more of a club. And he had bean in the club for such a long time that a lot of people knew him." So Walters parlayed that familiarity into the democratic nomination and became a front-runner in the then-heavily-democratic state, according to Walters.

Jones is confident about his chances for success because, with three other Democrats in the race, he believes a split of the democratic votes will work in his favor. Both he and Burris say another challenge is raising campaign funds. Both are trying to amass more than $2 million each for their campaigns and describe their progress as "doing well."

Walters, however, is most optimistic about Burris and McCall's chances since both candidates have held statewide positions for a considerable period of time, which can be leveraged during fund-raising efforts. "The cards have to fall right in the state of Illinois because it's another one of those [strongly Republican] states where it'll be very tough for [Burris]," Walters points out. "And, though New York has a Republican governor, here you had a Democrat [Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton] winning a statewide election. Even though she was the former first lady, it means H. Carl McCall might have a better look than most people think."

According to Hutchinson, these candidates have to walk a "very fine political tightrope" between appeasing their African American constituents and being perceived as a candidate representing only the interests of African Americans. Those who can manage this will have a shot at breaking the gubernatorial color barrier.

African American Gubernatorial Candidates for 2002

Candidate        State/         Occupation         Website
                 Affiliation

Roland Burris    Illinois (D)   Fmr. State
                                Attorney General   www.rolandburris.com

Gary R. George   Wisconsin (D)  State Senator      www.george2002.org

Jim Hill         Oregon (D)     Fmr. State
                                Treasurer          www.jimhill2002.com

Daryl L. Jones   Florida (D)    State Senator      http://senatorjones-
                                                   forgovernor.com

H. Carl McCall   New York (D)   State Comptroller  www.mccall02.com

Alma Wheeler
Smith            Michigan (D)   State Senator      www.alma2002.com

SOURCE: B.E. RESEARCH