Much has been made about the senator’s success in getting African-Americans to vote for him. But lost in this discussion is the fact that the majority of these voters had surely voted for Cochran in prior elections. Take a look at Precincts 22 and 24, two predominately African-American precincts in Hinds County, the center of the Jackson metro area.
In the 2008 general election, Cochran received 80 votes in Precinct 22 (McCain got 9; Obama, 1,170.) On June 24, Cochran received 83.
In Precinct 24, Cochran received 63 votes in 2008. On June 24, he received 26.
In those two precincts, Cochran received a net decrease of 54 votes from 2008. So African-American voters had voted before for Cochran and were doing so again, albeit in reduced numbers from a larger turnout general election.
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