This is a brief review of some of the available evidence on what transpired on November 3, 1998, when the black vote was critical to the outcome of a number of closely contested elections. This review focuses on two aspects of the election: (1) the behavior and significance of African American voters in the 1998 midterm elections; and (2) the changing numbers and profile of black candidates for both federal and statewide office, as well as their performance at the polls.

National turnout in the 1998 midterms was down from 1994. According to the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate, overall turnout declined from 38.8 percent in 1994 to 36.1 percent this year. African American voters turned out at somewhat lower rates than in 1994, principally reflecting the overall decline among the general population. According to exit polls, the black share of the 1998 vote was 10 percent, the same share as in 1994. Thus, there was no decline in the black share of the vote nationally.