FIVE BLACK GOVERNORS WILL SERVE SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE 2026 ELECTIONS MAKE AMERICAN HISTORY. A NEW RECORD BEGINS IN 2027.
For the first time in United States history, five Black governors are set to serve simultaneously following the November 3, 2026, midterm elections. The unprecedented milestone comes after voters elected Black candidates to lead four states and reelected Maryland Governor Wes Moore. The victories represent a historic expansion of Black representation in America's highest state executive offices. Four of the five governors are Democrats, while one is a Republican.
The five leaders are Wes Moore of Maryland, Keisha Lance Bottoms of Georgia, Byron Donalds of Florida, David Crowley of Wisconsin, and Aaron Ford of Nevada. Bottoms becomes the first Black woman elected governor of any U.S. state, while Donalds becomes the first Black Republican elected governor. Crowley and Ford also make history as the first Black governors elected in Wisconsin and Nevada, respectively.
Before the 2026 elections, only three Black Americans had ever been elected governor: Douglas Wilder of Virginia, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, and Wes Moore of Maryland. Although other Black governors previously entered office through succession, the country had never experienced five serving simultaneously. The previous record was two, when Patrick and former New York Governor David Paterson served during overlapping terms.
The historic election results mark a new chapter in American political representation, with Black leaders assuming executive authority across multiple regions and political parties. As the incoming governors prepare to take office in 2027, the milestone highlights a significant change in the nation's political history.
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