With nearly 250,000 Black residents in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha, which candidates win the 2022 midterm elections for U.S. Senate, governor and other statewide offices could very well hinge on how these Wisconsinites turn out and vote on Nov. 8.

The Milwaukee-based community group Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, which has worked to encourage voters in the state’s largest city since 2016, is expanding its efforts in 2022 to the neighboring cities of Racine and Kenosha.

In an interview, UW-Milwaukee political science professor Paru Shah details the recent history of Black voter turnout in Wisconsin and impacts Black voters can have on statewide elections.