Andrea Benjamin is an Associate Professor in the Clara Luper Department of African and African American Studies at the University of Oklahoma and the Director of the Oklahoma Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program (OSLEP). She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2010. Her research interests include Race and Politics, Local Elections and Voting Behavior, and Public Opinion. Her first book, Racial Coalition Building in Local Elections: Elite Cues and Cross-Ethnic Voting, explores the potential for Black and Latino Coalitions. Using the Co-Ethnic Elite Cues Theory, the book shows that Blacks and Latinos rely on endorsements from co-ethnic leaders when casting their ballots. This is especially true when race and ethnicity are salient in the campaign. This book was published by Cambridge University Press in 2017. Dr. Benjamin is currently working on a project about coalitions, electoral representation, and policy representation in local politics. A majority of the data come from Durham, NC. Dr. Benjamin lives in Oklahoma City and she currently serves on the Boards of Sally’s List, North East Oklahoma City Renaissance, and the Oklahoma ACLU. From 2020-2022, she served as the co-chair of the Human Rights Commission Task Force in Oklahoma City.
