{"id":10790,"date":"2023-10-18T11:56:26","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T15:56:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jointcenter.org\/?p=10790"},"modified":"2023-11-16T15:13:16","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T20:13:16","slug":"joint-centers-new-data-shows-senate-top-staff-racial-diversity-increased-since-2020-but-most-groups-of-color-underrepresented","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jointcenter.org\/joint-centers-new-data-shows-senate-top-staff-racial-diversity-increased-since-2020-but-most-groups-of-color-underrepresented\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint Center\u2019s New Data Shows Senate Top Staff Racial Diversity Increased Since 2020, but Most Groups of Color Underrepresented\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
\n<\/b>Oct. 18, 2023
\n<\/span>Contact<\/b>: Chandra Hayslett, chandra@jointcenter.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Joint Center\u2019s New Data Shows Senate Top Staff Racial Diversity Increased Since 2020, but Most Groups of Color Underrepresented\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

African American top staff representation declined from 2020 to 2023<\/i><\/center>
\n 
\nWASHINGTON<\/b> \u2014 Today, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies<\/b> published data on \u201cRacial Diversity Among Top Staff in Senate Personal Offices<\/a>\u201d and found that only 15.8 percent of all Senate personal office top staff are people of color, despite people of color making up 41.1 percent of the U.S. population; that Senate personal offices representing states with large populations of Black or Latina\/o residents hire relatively few Black or Latina\/o top staffers; and that African American top staff is the only diverse group that decreased over the three-year period.<\/p>\n

\u201cRacial Diversity Among Top Staff in Senate Personal Offices,\u201d which was exclusively covered by The Hill, provides evidence regarding the need for more racial diversity among U.S. Senate personal office top staff. The Joint Center report considers top staff as chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications directors in the Washington, DC personal offices of U.S. senators as of June 30, 2023.<\/p>\n

The research shows that the lack of racial diversity among top staff is not a partisan issue, but a challenge that the Senate, as an institution, must address.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the percentage of personal office top staff of color increased from 11 to 15.8 percent over the last three years, the proportion of diverse top staff remains well below the 41.1 percent of people of color in the U.S. During this same time period, the percentage of African American top staff decreased by one percentage point, demonstrating that there is more work to be done to recruit and retain Black top staff,\u201d said Dr. LaShonda Brenson, senior researcher for the Joint Center and co-author of the <\/b>report<\/b><\/a>. \u201cSenate personal office top staff occupy vital roles, wield significant influence, and sometimes act as surrogates for their bosses. Therefore Senators, especially those who represent diverse populations, should hire diverse top staff to be more responsive to the needs of all citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n

The data shows that states with large numbers of Black and Latina\/os have a disproportionately low number of Black and Latina\/os in top personal office staff in Senate offices.<\/p>\n

For example, African Americans account for 27.2 percent of the population in ten states (AL, DE, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, NY, SC, and VA), yet hold only 5.2 percent of the total top staff positions in these states\u2019 U.S. Senate personal offices. Latina\/os account for an average of 30.3 percent of the population in ten states (AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, NJ, NM, NV, NY, and TX), yet hold 20.7 percent of the top staff positions in these states\u2019 U.S. Senate personal offices.<\/p>\n

The research also shows that Senate Democrats hire a higher percentage of personal office top staff who are people of color than their Republican counterparts. People of color make up 14.0 percent of Republican voters and 7.1 percent of Republican Senate personal office top staff. In comparison, people of color account for 36.0 percent of Democratic voters, and 24.0 percent of Democratic Senate personal office top staff. African Americans tend to disproportionately vote Democratic but are gravely underrepresented among personal office top staff in Senate Democratic offices. In particular, African Americans are 17.0 percent of Democratic registered voters, but only 4.0 percent of Democratic Senate personal office top staff.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cHiring diverse top staff is not just a matter of fairness and representation; it is also a practical and strategic decision that can lead to better governance, improved decision-making, and stronger connections with constituents, said Kimberly Victor, research associate at the Joint Center and co-author of the <\/b>report<\/b><\/a>. \u201cWhen individuals from different backgrounds are present in leadership roles, it sends a message that all voices are valued, fostering a more inclusive culture where constituents feel respected and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

The topline findings include that almost all groups of color are underrepresented among Senate personal office top staff:<\/p>\n