The Ball and The Ballot

A new report explores how pro athletes vote, based on polling data.

By Carron J. Phillips

The “great white hope” being a hero to Republicans who enjoy “Black sports” does not necessarily indicate racism, just as Democrats who want greater diversity in hockey and baseball aren’t inherently biased. It boils down to representation.

According to a new report, the perceived distinction between a “Black sport” and a “white sport” is closely linked to the racial breakdown of our two-party political system and the historical voting bases of each party.

(wildpixel/iStock)

Given the data, basketball is for Democrats, and hockey and baseball are for Republicans. And because America is addicted to football, it becomes clear why the game is this country’s most bipartisan sport.

VoteHub recently released findings on the partisan registration of professional athletes by league. It collected voter registration data from athletes in the MLB, NHL, WNBA, NBA, and NFL by reviewing public voting records from 24 states and Washington, D.C.

Assumptions can often be misleading. But, in this case, the findings were as expected:

• Major League Baseball: 53.7% Republican, 36.4% independent, 7.8% Democratic, 2.1% other;

• National Hockey League: 48.6% independent, 43.9% Republican, 5.6% Democratic, 1.9% other;

• Women’s National Basketball Association: 67.5% Democratic, 30.2% independent, 2.3% Republican;

• National Basketball Association: 45.9% independent, 42.9% Democratic, 10% Republican, 1.2% other;

• National Football League: 44.3% independent, 34.3% Democratic, 20.2% Republican, 1.2% other.

That athletes in baseball and hockey tend to vote Republican is not surprising when considering the demographic makeup of these sports. Conversely, most basketball players and many football players identify with the Democratic Party. The information correlates with the fact that over 70% of NBA players, approximately 64% of WNBA athletes, and more than 53% of the men in the NFL are Black. Those numbers are almost reverse when it comes to hockey and baseball. MLB Opening Day rosters last season were only 6.2% Black, and the NHL features fewer than 30 Black hockey players this season.

Though this might be uncomfortable or politically incorrect, the data indicates a clear distinction between “Black” and “white” sports at the professional level. This idea is further substantiated when political polls are examined. According to CNN, in the 2024 presidential election, 77% of Black men and 92% of Black women voted for Vice President Kamala Harris compared with 60% of white men and 53% of white women who cast their ballots for Donald Trump.

People lie. Numbers don’t.

Racism and socioeconomic factors have significantly influenced why certain demographics favor particular sports. Recent findings reflect this underlying reality, especially when considering how certain groups have historically viewed sports as a pathway to create generational wealth, rather than simply loving the game.

“Me, being a baby in my family and having so much responsibility, I don’t know if I seen my life in any different way. It’s easy to say now, because looking at the results of it. It’s just a lot,” former NBA star Lou Williams recently said on a podcast on the matter. “We do that in our community with Black people. I had white teammates. They don’t have the pressure of buying their mother a crib. Their money is literally their money. So, they’re coming in with a different playing field than a lot of us, because they just get to enjoy that sh*t. They don’t have the pressure of, ‘You gotta save everybody.’”

With the data being what it is, the results take on a larger meaning in moments like this one. “We’re so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of ‘Abolish ICE,’ which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence,” two-time WNBA MVP and Unrivaled co-founder Breanna Stewart said after she held up an “Abolish ICE” sign during player introductions. The same weekend, however, new LSU football head coach Lane Kiffin posted a photo of purple and gold hats that read “Make Baton Rouge Great” and tagged President Donald Trump in the post. Regardless of Kiffin’s assumed political affiliations, the timing of the post was proof of his willful insensitivities.

“Following the news of yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a city that has been on the forefront of the fight against injustices, NBA players can no longer remain silent,” a statement from the NBA’s players’ association and its executive committee said.

“NBA players can no longer remain silent.”

This line highlights how quiet athletes have become, especially considering how loud their actions used to be. Taking a stand stopped being the trend, and many athletes seemed happy to walk away from the fight against injustice.

A decade ago, Colin Kaepernick started a new era of activism. During the pandemic, we watched athletes influence elections and bring sports to a halt. Things have changed. As we approach another pivotal moment where society will likely look to those with the largest platforms to effect change, it’s crucial to acknowledge that people of color aren’t the only ones who fit the description.

White athletes and white people must also correct course and prevent this country from going completely off the deep end. However, based on the data we’ve seen and America’s history, this moment we’re in suggests we are facing what some white athletes and their supporters hoped for when they went to the polls.

Carron J. Phillips is an award-winning journalist who writes on race, culture, social issues, politics, and sports. He hails from Saginaw, Michigan, and is a graduate of Morehouse College and Syracuse University.

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