The black vote may have propelled Joe Biden to victory in the Democratic primary process, but his campaign still needs nearly record turnout from minority voters if he hopes to unseat President Trump in November.
On Wednesday, the presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee’s campaign announced the hiring of Karine Jean-Pierre as a senior adviser, signaling its focus on making sure black voters remain engaged.
“I am thrilled to announce that I will be joining the Biden campaign as a Senior Adviser. This is the most important general election in generations and I just could not sit this election out. I look forward to doing this work with @JoeBiden and the team!,” Jean-Pierre wrote on Twitter Wednesday evening.
Jean-Pierre, who resigned from her stint as an MSNBC analyst for the job, also worked as the chief public affairs officer for the progressive organization MoveOn. She was Barack Obama’s southeast regional political director in his 2008 presidential campaign and was in several roles with the then-president’s White House and reelection teams.
Black turnout dipped in the 2016 election from its historic highs under Obama, and many Democratic strategists partially blame this for Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump.
Just 59% of black voters participated in the 2016 election, down from 66% in 2012 and 65% in 2008. In comparison, white voters slightly increased their turnout by 1 percentage point to 65%.
Trump won a number of swing states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, with large black urban populations, by a margin of 1 point or less.
“Black voters, black women, have helped him get to this point,” Jean-Pierre told the Washington Post. “When everybody was counting him out, black voters spoke out. I am so proud and excited as a black woman watching how black women have exerted their power … we had to say loud and clear this (the actions of the Trump administration) is not OK.”
Trump is also focused on increasing his own black support from the dismal 8% he received in 2016. Some polls have shown his approval among blacks as high as 19%, which the Trump campaign says is evidence its multimillion-dollar black outreach program is working.
“The Trump campaign has a significant advantage because of our long-term investment in data and technological infrastructure. Because of those advantages, our Black Voices for Trump coalition has been able to quickly shift gears and jump right in to engaging with black voters and volunteers digitally,” said Ken Farnaso, the Trump campaign’s deputy press secretary.
In the last year, the Trump campaign has opened numerous urban field offices in swing states such as Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
“You’re never going to get the votes you don’t ask for,” Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser, told reporters on a call in February. “Last time, it was, ‘What the hell do you have to lose?’ Now, we’re going to show them what they’ve gained from President Trump and what more they can gain if they get four more years.”
