Tuesday’s elections bring historic first for Black governors

For the first time in U.S. history, multiple elected Black governors will serve at the same time — and it remains possible that voters will elect more this year than the four who have already won. That historic first is the result of Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s winning re-election in Maryland, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds’ prevailing in the Florida governor’s race and Georgia Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms’ winning in her state. Hours later, David Crowley won the race for governor in Wisconsin, making him the fourth Black governor to have won Tuesday night. Before those wins, the only elected Black governors in U.S. history had been Moore; Deval Patrick, a Democrat who was elected Massachusetts’ governor in 2006; and Doug Wilder, a Democrat who was elected Virginia’s governor in 1989. None served simultaneously. In an interview with NBC News last month, Donalds said the history-making aspect of his candidacy was “very special.” “From a larger perspective, there’s so much that has been talked about in politics over the last couple decades around race. Obviously, the country has had some real negative parts of our history surrounding race,” he said. “I’m humbled to be in this position, but I think it says a lot more about the state [of Florida] than it does about me.” Bottoms, Donalds, Moore and Crowley may not stay in such rare company for long: Four other Black major-party candidates for governor are on the ballot Tuesday. That includes state Attorney General Aaron Ford in Nevada, where he is running against incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. In South Carolina, another Black Democrat, state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, faces a more difficult path to victory in the traditionally red state’s race for governor. On the Republican side, Rep. John James is running in a competitive governor’s race against Democrat Jocelyn Benson, while Minnesota state House Speaker Lisa Demuth is seen as an underdog in Minnesota’s gubernatorial contest.