Eight African Americans Seek Governorship in 2026 Midterms

Eight African American candidates are currently running for governor in the 2026 midterm elections. This group includes five Democrats and three Republicans across various states. The candidates are Wes Moore in Maryland, Jermaine Johnson in South Carolina, John James in Michigan, Lisa DeMuth in Minnesota, Aaron Ford in Nevada, David Crowley in Wisconsin, Byron Donalds in Florida, and Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia.

Only three African Americans have been elected governor by popular vote in U.S. history. Douglas Wilder of Virginia was the first to achieve this milestone in 1989. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts followed in 2006, nearly two decades later. Wes Moore became the third in 2022, winning with 64.7 percent of the vote.

Wilder’s path to office was built on extensive experience. A lawyer by profession, he served fifteen years in the Virginia State Senate before winning the lieutenant governorship for four years. He used that final term to build financial resources and political connections. His victory in 1989 received global media attention.

The contest in Georgia is drawing particular attention. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is challenging Republican Rick Jackson for the governorship. The last Democrat to hold the office was Roy Barnes, who served nearly thirty years ago. Jackson, a healthcare executive and billionaire, has the endorsement of outgoing Governor Brian Kemp.

Bottoms won her primary in a crowded field. Jackson secured his nomination after a tightly contested Republican runoff. Despite initial support from Donald Trump for Republican Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Jackson has poured more than $200 million into his campaign. This substantial spending has not yet provided him with a decisive advantage.

Bottoms’ bid follows two previous attempts by Stacey Abrams. Abrams lost to Kemp in 2018 by 54,723 votes, the closest gubernatorial race in the state since 1966. She lost again in 2022 by a margin of 7.5 percent. Bottoms aims to win the seat that has eluded Abrams twice.

According to her campaign website, Bottoms entered the race to provide steady leadership during uncertainty. If she wins the election held on November 3, she will become the first African American woman to serve as a governor. Her potential victory is linked to the groundwork laid by Abrams, who helped elect Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the U.S. Senate.

Analysts note that the grassroots efforts of Abrams and her team over the past decade resemble the on-ground work done by Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. in Chicago in the early 1980s. That effort contributed to the election of Harold Lee Washington, the first African American mayor of that city.