As the number of people from ethnic minority backgrounds increases in the US, so does their importance in the US political system. Overall, minorities remain under-represented in US politics.
Historically, fewer black Americans and other minorities have turned out to vote than white people. Since 2008 the minority turnout has been increasing resulting in the minority vote becoming more important in elections.
In the 2020 election there was a dramatic rise in the number of voters who identify as Hispanic or Latino with this group overtaking black Americans, although both groups make up 11% of the total vote share each (or 22%, just over a fifth of all voters). White voters make up 69% of the vote share with the remainder being from other groups.
Minority representation in the US Cabinet
Joe Biden’s cabinet has been described as the most diverse ever. As well as having many cabinet secretaries from ethnic minority backgrounds, Biden also appointed the first openly gay cabinet secretary – Pete Buttigieg.
The Cabinet
Women
Non-white
White men
Obama
36%
45%
32%
Trump
18%
18%
73%
Biden
45%
55%
32%
Obama
Women
36%
Non-white
45%
White men
32%
Trump
Women
18%
Non-white
18%
White men
73%
Biden
Women
45%
Non-white
55%
White men
32%
Source:NPR
Minorities and the Political Process – the Supreme Court and elsewhere
There are nine Supreme Court justices. In 2024, three are from a minority group – Judge Clarence Thomas, Judge Sonia Sotomayor and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was nominated by President Biden and took her seat in June 2022.
There have only ever been three elected black state governors in US history. As of 2024, Democrat Wes Moore, elected in Maryland in 2022, is the only incumbent black governor. In January 2024, there was only one Hispanic governor – Michelle Lujan Grisham.
There are many people from ethnic minority groups who are city mayors or locally elected city officials. In 2023, the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston all had black mayors.
