To determine if the majority vote requirement disadvantages blacks, a set of runoffs for county offices is analyzed. For the period 1970-1984, blacks who led in the initial primary but faced a white in the runoff were less successful than were white primary frontrunners who faced another white in the runoff. Since 1977, however, black primary frontrunners do about as well as whites. The magnitude of the difference in the share of the vote polled by the two leading candidates and facing an incumbent are variables related to a stronger performance by black candidates. Black plurality leaders more often win nominations in more affluent counties.
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