Meet Kevin Sparrow, 2026 Advancing Research Grants for Early Career Scholars Recipient

Kevin Sparrow is an assistant professor of political science at Georgia State University, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on American Politics, African American Politics, and Voting, Elections, and Public Opinion in the United States. His research centers on American political behavior, with a focus on race, electoral politics, and vote choice. He uses randomized experiments, large-N statistical analysis, and focus group interviews to examine how voters make decisions in electoral settings. His current book project, Strategy and Sincerity: How Black Voters Choose Candidates in Majority-Black Congressional Districts, shows how Black voters rely on both strategic cues and sincere ideological preferences to select candidates in congressional primaries. His other research explores political mobilization, candidate messaging, and descriptive representation in American elections.