Minnesota Legislature Ranks Near Bottom in Proportional Representation of African-Americans

Although Minnesota has the 4th highest percentage of women serving in state legislatures nationwide, the Gopher State only ranks 40th in the country in terms of proportional representation of African-Americans in St. Paul.

Out of the 201 legislators in the State House and Senate, only 2 members are black - DFLers Representative Bobby Joe Champion (58B-Minneapolis) and Representative Jeff Hayden (61B-Minneapolis).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 Statistical Abstract (based on 2007 data), African-Americans comprise 4.5 percent of Minnesota's population. With only 1 percent representation in St. Paul, blacks are underrepresented by 3.5 percentage points relative to their population throughout the state.

Overall, 12.9 percent of the U.S. population is African-American, with 628 of 7,382 state legislative seats nationwide held by blacks (8.5 percent).

Iowa, (2.6 percent), South Dakota (1.1 percent), and North Dakota (1.0 percent) have much smaller African-American populations, and currently do not have black legislators serving any house or senate districts.

Proportional Representation of African-Americans in State Legislatures, 2009

Rank	State	% Black Population	% Black Legislators	Difference
1	California	6.7	10.8	4.1
2	Nevada	8.0	11.1	3.2
3	Illinois	15.0	17.5	2.5
4	Ohio	12.0	14.4	2.4
5	Michigan	14.3	14.9	0.5
6	Florida	15.9	16.3	0.4
7	Oregon	2.0	2.2	0.3
8	Wisconsin	6.0	6.1	0.1
9	Wyoming	1.2	1.1	-0.1
10	Vermont	0.8	0.6	-0.3
10	Nebraska	4.4	4.1	-0.3
12	Montana	0.6	0.0	-0.6
13	Idaho	0.9	0.0	-0.9
14	New Hampshire	1.2	0.2	-1.0
14	Maine	1.0	0.0	-1.0
14	Indiana	9.0	8.0	-1.0
14	North Dakota	1.0	0.0	-1.0
18	New Mexico	2.9	1.8	-1.1
18	South Dakota	1.1	0.0	-1.1
20	Utah	1.2	0.0	-1.2
21	West Virginia	3.5	2.2	-1.3
21	New York	17.4	16.0	-1.3
23	Alabama	26.5	25.0	-1.5
24	Arizona	4.0	2.2	-1.8
24	Kansas	6.1	4.2	-1.8
26	Missouri	11.5	9.6	-1.9
27	New Jersey	14.5	12.5	-2.0
28	Colorado	4.2	2.0	-2.2
29	Washington	3.6	1.4	-2.3
29	Connecticut	10.3	8.0	-2.3
31	Massachusetts	6.9	4.5	-2.4
32	Alaska	4.1	1.7	-2.5
33	Iowa	2.6	0.0	-2.6
33	Kentucky	7.7	5.1	-2.6
35	North Carolina	21.7	18.8	-2.9
35	Hawaii	2.9	0.0	-2.9
37	Texas	12.0	8.8	-3.1
38	Tennessee	16.9	13.6	-3.2
39	Pennsylvania	10.8	7.5	-3.3
40	Minnesota	4.5	1.0	-3.5
41	Rhode Island	6.3	2.7	-3.7
42	Oklahoma	7.9	4.0	-3.9
43	Arkansas	15.8	10.4	-5.4
44	Maryland	29.5	22.9	-6.6
45	South Carolina	28.7	21.8	-7.0
46	Georgia	30.0	22.5	-7.6
47	Mississippi	37.2	28.7	-8.5
48	Virginia	19.9	10.0	-9.9
49	Delaware	20.9	8.1	-12.8
50	Louisiana	31.9	18.1	-13.8
	United States	12.9	8.5	-4.3

Source: compiled by Smart Politics with data from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 Statistical Abstract.

While African-Americans remain somewhat underrepresented in most states across the country, the nation's Latino population is underrepresented on a much larger scale. For example, African-Americans are represented in a greater percentage to their statewide population in eight states: California (+4.1), Nevada (+3.2), Illinois (+2.5), Ohio (+2.4), Michigan (+0.5), Florida (+0.4), Oregon (+0.3), and Wisconsin (+0.1). Latinos enjoy this advantage in none of the 50 states.

Moreover, African-Americans are proportionally underrepresented by 5 percentage points or more in just 9 states, while Latinos are proportionally underrepresented by this margin in more than half of the country (26 states).

All five states in the Upper Midwest, however, are not among that group, as Latinos constitute a very small percentage of the state populations in North Dakota (1.9 percent), South Dakota (2.3 percent), Minnesota (4.0 percent), Iowa (4.0 percent), and Wisconsin (4.9 percent). Still, only 3 Latinos serve in state legislatures out of the 729 seats in these states.

Overall, just 242 of the 7,382 state legislative seats nationwide are held by Latinos (3.3 percent), despite Latinos constituting 15.1 percent of the U.S. population.

Proportional Representation of Latinos in State Legislatures, 2009

Rank	State	% Latino Population	% Latino Legislators	Difference
1	New Mexico	44.4	43.8	-0.6
2	West Virginia	1.1	0.0	-1.1
3	Maine	1.2	0.0	-1.2
4	Vermont	1.3	0.0	-1.3
5	North Dakota	1.9	0.0	-1.9
6	Michigan	4.0	2.0	-2.0
7	Mississippi	2.1	0.0	-2.1
7	Montana	2.8	0.7	-2.1
9	Kentucky	2.2	0.0	-2.2
10	New Hampshire	2.5	0.2	-2.3
10	South Dakota	2.3	0.0	-2.3
12	Ohio	2.5	0.0	-2.5
12	Missouri	3.0	0.5	-2.5
14	Alabama	2.7	0.0	-2.7
14	Tennessee	3.5	0.8	-2.7
16	Minnesota	4.0	1.0	-3.0
17	Louisiana	3.2	0.0	-3.2
18	South Carolina	3.8	0.0	-3.8
19	Iowa	4.0	0.0	-4.0
20	Pennsylvania	4.5	0.4	-4.1
20	Wisconsin	4.9	0.8	-4.1
22	Maryland	6.3	2.1	-4.2
23	Indiana	5.0	0.7	-4.3
24	Delaware	6.5	1.6	-4.9
25	Wyoming	7.4	2.2	-5.1
26	Arkansas	5.3	0.0	-5.3
27	Massachusetts	8.2	2.5	-5.7
28	Alaska	5.9	0.0	-5.9
28	North Carolina	7.1	1.2	-5.9
28	Virginia	6.6	0.7	-5.9
31	Kansas	8.8	2.4	-6.4
32	Georgia	7.8	1.3	-6.5
33	Oklahoma	7.2	0.7	-6.6
34	Connecticut	11.5	4.3	-7.2
35	Washington	9.4	2.0	-7.4
36	Nebraska	7.5	0.0	-7.5
37	Utah	11.6	3.8	-7.7
38	New York	16.4	8.5	-7.9
39	Illinois	14.9	6.8	-8.2
39	Hawaii	8.2	0.0	-8.2
41	Rhode Island	11.3	2.7	-8.6
42	Idaho	9.8	1.0	-8.9
43	New Jersey	15.9	6.7	-9.2
44	Oregon	10.6	1.1	-9.5
45	Florida	20.6	9.4	-11.2
46	California	36.2	22.5	-13.7
47	Arizona	29.6	14.4	-15.2
48	Texas	36.0	20.4	-15.5
49	Colorado	19.9	3.0	-16.9
50	Nevada	25.1	7.9	-17.2
	United States	15.1	3.3	-11.8

Source: compiled by Smart Politics with data from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 Statistical Abstract.

At first blush, the data might suggest it should be less difficult for racial minorities to attain proportional representation in state legislatures in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest (and throughout the country), than for women to achieve the same.

For example, if just 17 more African-Americans are elected to state legislatures in Wisconsin (+8), Iowa (+4), Minnesota (+3), South Dakota (+1), and North Daktoa (+1), then blacks will achieve proportional representation in each state.

If 21 more Latinos are elected to legislatures in Minnesota (+6), Iowa (+6), Wisconsin (+5), South Dakota (+2), and North Dakota (+2), then they will achieve proportional representation in each state.

However, for women to reach 50 percent representation in state legislatures in the region, an additional 191 females would need to be elected in North Dakota (+49), Iowa (+41), Wisconsin (+37), South Dakota (+33), and Minnesota (+31).

Female candidates, however, are not a minority population; the challenge facing racial minorities is getting elected in districts beyond those with high percentages of residents comprising their racial group.

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UPDATE: Thanks to a reader who pointed out that the data provided by the National Black Caucus of State Legislatures and the National Conference of State Legislatures at the NCSL site for the State of Wisconsin was incorrect. The Badger State has 8 African-American legislators - two in the Senate and six in the Assembly. This data has been updated in the first table above.