Winners and Losers in the 2013 Black Candidates' Ballot Box

How Black candidates fared in the 2013 election cycle.

Win Some, Lose Some - It was not a banner night for many African-American candidates, but two candidates were able to add a chapter to the history books. The good news is that in politics, if at first one doesn't succeed, he or she can always try, try again. —Joyce Jones  (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Win Some, Lose Some - It was not a banner night for many African-American candidates, but two candidates were able to add a chapter to the history books. The good news is that in politics, if at first one doesn't succeed, he or she can always try, try again. —Joyce Jones  (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Photo By Scott Olson/Getty Images

Toni Harp, Mayor, New Haven, Connecticut - State Sen. Toni Harp handily won election as New Haven's first female African-American mayor. (Photo: Courtesy of Toni Harp)

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Toni Harp, Mayor, New Haven, Connecticut - State Sen. Toni Harp handily won election as New Haven's first female African-American mayor. (Photo: Courtesy of Toni Harp)

Letitia James, New York City Public Advocate - Brooklyn councilwoman Letitia James, the new public advocate, became the first African-American woman to be elected to citywide office in New York. She succeeds Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio. (Photo: Courtesy of Letitia James)

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Letitia James, New York City Public Advocate - Brooklyn councilwoman Letitia James, the new public advocate, became the first African-American woman to be elected to citywide office in New York. She succeeds Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio. (Photo: Courtesy of Letitia James)

Kim Taylor, New Jersey General Assembly - Kim Taylor once again has lost her bid for a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly. Taylor received just 19 percent of the vote with 17,251 ballots cast in her favor. (Photo: Kim Taylor via Twitter)

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Kim Taylor, New Jersey General Assembly - Kim Taylor once again has lost her bid for a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly. Taylor received just 19 percent of the vote with 17,251 ballots cast in her favor. (Photo: Kim Taylor via Twitter)

Val Applewhite, Mayor, Fayetteville, North Carolina - Val Applewhite has not yet conceded the race to become Fayetteville's next mayor. The city councilwoman received 11,301 votes, or 49.34 percent, compared to her opponent's 11, 571 votes, or 50.52 percent. Provisional and absentee ballots, still to be counted, could take her over the edge to a victory. (Photo: Courtesy of Val Applewhite for Mayor)

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Val Applewhite, Mayor, Fayetteville, North Carolina - Val Applewhite has not yet conceded the race to become Fayetteville's next mayor. The city councilwoman received 11,301 votes, or 49.34 percent, compared to her opponent's 11, 571 votes, or 50.52 percent. Provisional and absentee ballots, still to be counted, could take her over the edge to a victory. (Photo: Courtesy of Val Applewhite for Mayor)

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Bill Randall, Mayor of Wake Forest, North Carolina - Navy veteran Bill Randall is running for mayor in Wake Forest, North Carolina. It is his first bid for elective office. "I have the proven leadership skills, personal integrity and business acumen to ensure that Wake Forest is moving in the right direction," says Randall, who will learn his fate on Nov. 5, 2013. (Photo: Courtesy of Bill Randall for Wake Forest Mayor)

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Bill Randall, Mayor, Forest, North Carolina - Republican Bill Randall, with 28 percent of the votes, lost his bid to unseat incumbent Mayor Vivian Jones by a wide margin. (Photo: Randall For Wake Forest Mayor) 

Photo By Courtesy ofBill Randall for Wake Forest Mayor

John Campbell Jr., New Jersey General Assembly - John Campbell Jr. was unsuccessful in his effort to win a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly, but the young Republican says, however, that he's just getting started. (Photo: Courtesy of John Campbell for New Jersey General Assembly)

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John Campbell Jr., New Jersey General Assembly - John Campbell Jr. was unsuccessful in his effort to win a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly, but the young Republican says, however, that he's just getting started. (Photo: Courtesy of John Campbell for New Jersey General Assembly)

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E.W. Jackson, Virginia Lieutenant Governor - Controversial from the start, E.W. Jackson predicted a stunning victory on Nov. 5. Instead, the socially conservative minister lost his lieutenant governor's bid to his Democratic opponent by about 11 points. (Photo: Courtesy of E.W. Jackson)

John James, Mayor, Midland, Texas - Midland, Texas, city council member John James will face off on Nov. 5 against Jerry Morales to become the city's first non-white mayor. A win for either man would be history making, but James, who owns an industrial coatings company, told the New York Times that he's "not running to be the first Black mayor of Midland." African-Americans make up less than 10 percent of the city's population. (Photo: Courtesy of John James for Mayor)

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John James, Mayor, Midland, Texas - John James lost his bid to make history as the first African-American mayor of Midland, Texas. He garnered just 3,663 votes, coming in second to Morales, who received 60.57 percent of the ballots cast. (Photo: Courtesy of John James for Mayor)

John Burnett, New York City Comptroller - Republican candidate John Burnett won some key endorsements for his bid to become New York City's next comptroller, whose duties include overseeing a $140 billion pension fund. He lost the race, however, to Democrat Scott Stringer, who received 80 percent of the vote. (Photo: Courtesy of John Burnett)

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John Burnett, New York City Comptroller - Republican candidate John Burnett won some key endorsements for his bid to become New York City's next comptroller, whose duties include overseeing a $140 billion pension fund. He lost the race, however, to Democrat Scott Stringer, who received 80 percent of the vote. (Photo: Courtesy of John Burnett)