Three Black Governors Elected in Maryland, Florida and Georgia Races
Wes Moore, Byron Donalds and Keisha Lance Bottoms will serve concurrently, a first in U.S. history.
By Adrian Parker ·
Elections held Tuesday across the country put three Black governors into office at the same time, a first for the United States. Democrat Wes Moore won reelection in Maryland, Republican Byron Donalds won the governor's race in Florida, and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won in Georgia.
Before this week, only three Black men had been elected governor in American history: Wes Moore in Maryland, Deval Patrick in Massachusetts in 2006, and Doug Wilder in Virginia in 1989. None of them held office at the same time as another. Donalds and Bottoms both won Tuesday night.
Five other candidates from the major parties are also running for governor this year. Democrats David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, is running in Wisconsin, and Aaron Ford, the state attorney general, is running in Nevada. In South Carolina, state representative Jermaine Johnson is running in a state that usually elects Republicans.
On the Republican side, state representative John James is running against Democrat Jocelyn Benson. In Minnesota, House Speaker Lisa Demuth is considered the candidate least likely to win.
Donalds spoke with NBC News last month about his campaign making history, calling it "very special." He said, "I feel honored to be in this position, but I think this says a lot more about the state of Florida than it does about me."
Donalds posted on X on Wednesday morning: "THANK YOU FLORIDA! I am humbled and grateful beyond measure. As your Governor, I will give you everything I have."
