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Electoral and Biracial Coalition

African Americans comprise approximately 30% of the population in Louisville, Kentucky. In other cities with relatively small Black populations, African American candidates have won mayoral races by stressing deracialized platforms and by forming biracial coalitions. This article analyzes the factors that most adversely affected the candidacies of serious Black contenders in Louisville elections. It also examines the possibility of a Black candidate winning a mayoral election through the use of the strategy of deracialization and through a biracial coalition. Specifically, this article examines the campaigns of 1985 mayoral candidate Darryl Owens and 1990 congressional candidate Al Brown. Owens was the first and only serious Black candidate for the mayor's office in Louisville history. Despite vigorous efforts for Black mobilization, he was defeated by White candidate and current mayor Jerry Abramson in the primary election of May 1985. In 1990, Black Republican Al Brown had strong funding and support from White Republicans. This included active campaigning on his behalf by members of the Republican National Committee. Yet Brown only defeated White candidate Timothy Hardy by 394 votes to win the Republican nomination to Congress from Kentucky's third district.! Also, despite massive Republican aid, Brown lost the November election for U.S. representative to incumbent Romano Mazzoli.