Joint Center Releases 1999 National Count Of Black Elected Officials
Washington
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies last month released its 1999 count of Black elected officials, showing a net increase of 68 for a total of 8,936 between January 1998 and January 1999. With this increase, the representation of Black elected officials among all elected officials remains 1.7 percent. Black Elected Officials: A Statistical Summary, 1999 encompasses federal, state, municipal and local officials, including those in law enforcement and education. The Joint Center has been tracking the number of Black elected officials since 1970 when they numbered 1,469.
“The conduct of redistricting over the next two years will be a significant factor in determining the number of African Americans holding elected office around the country,” says Eddie N. Williams, president of the Joint Center.
There were increases of Black elected officials in 19 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in the U.S. Virgin Islands. There were no change in 15 states and decreases in 16. The top five states remained unchanged from 1998: Mississippi, 850; Alabama, 725; Louisiana, 714; Illinois, 627; and Georgia, 584. Of the top 10 states in 1999, five reached historically high numbers of Black elected officials: Arkansas had 504 while Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas had 479. Ohio, with 284, replaced Virginia as the state with the 10th largest number of Black elected officials.
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