Eight Black Candidates for Governor Could Make History on Election Day

Mimi Brown (0:05)

America has elected thousands of governors in its 250-year history. But only three have been Black, and now one has been a woman. Tomorrow, that could change. Eight Black candidates are running for governor across the country, including two women who could make history. We'll tell you who's running, where, and why these elections matter beyond making history.

It's Monday, November 2nd.

From the Black Effect Podcast Network, I'm Mimi Brown. This is Front Page, and here are the day's biggest stories. Stay with me.

We're just one day away from the midterm elections, and while so much attention is on what party will control Congress, there's another story that deserves our attention. Eight Black candidates are running for governor in eight different states, five Democrats and three Republicans. That's a record number of Black majority parties for governor in a single election. And to understand why that's significant, we have to look back at the history.

In 1989, Douglas Wilder of Virginia became the first Black American elected governor. It took another 17 years before voters elected the second, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts in 2006, and then another 16 years before Maryland voters elected Westmore in 2022

That's three Black governors elected in 250 years, all men, all Democrats. Now, other Black Americans have served as governors after taking over from someone who left office, but only those three won the election for the job. And tomorrow, voters could add several more names to that list. Let's start in Georgia, where former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is running against Republican businessman Rick Johnson.

If Bottoms wins, she would become the first Black woman elected to governor in American history. Bottoms says this election is personal. Her family has lived in Georgia for more than five generations, going all the way back to ancestors who were enslaved in the state. But she's also talking about what families are dealing with right now. The cost of groceries, higher gas prices, health care. She's calling for expanding Medicaid, which could help more low-income Georgians get health insurance. Her opponent, Rick Jackson, has also focused heavily on her record as Atlanta mayor, particularly crime and public safety. And there's another major factor in this race, money. According to advertising data cited by CNN, Jackson and his supporters have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on campaign ads, far more than Bottoms and her supporters. Former President Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris have both campaigned in Georgia during the final days of this election. And Bottoms says she hopes her candidacy shows young people what's possible.

Now, Georgia isn't the only state where a Black woman could make history. Minnesota Republican Lisa Demuth is also running against Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar. Demuth made history as the first Black speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. If elected governor, she would become the first Black woman to hold that office anywhere in the country and the first elected Black Republican governor. She's campaigning on lowering costs, including gas prices, and changing how the state spends taxpayer money. Klobuchar has challenged her on issues including health care and gun safety. What's interesting is that Minnesota has never elected a woman governor. So regardless of which candidate wins, the state will elect its first woman governor. And in Florida, Republican Congressman Byron Donalds is running against Democrat David Jolly. Donalds is closely aligned with President Trump. If elected, he would become Florida's first black governor and the country's first elected black Republican governor. But his candidacy also has raised an important conversation about representation and policy.

Donalds recently visited Florida A&M University, Historic Black College in Tallahassee. And students challenged him on everything from immigration and gun laws to education and voting rights. Some booed, others questioned whether his positions reflected their concerns. But Donalds stayed and answered questions for hours. One student told CNN that electing a black governor would be historic, but she was more concerned about the policies that person would put in place. And that's an important decision because making history doesn't mean every voter agrees with the candidate's positions.

And in Michigan, Republican Governor John James is running against Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. James is a West Point graduate and Army veteran who served as a helicopter pilot in Iraq. He previously ran for the US. Senate and is now serving in Congress. He's campaigning on economic issues, government spending and public safety.

Benson has emphasized her record overseeing Michigan elections and her plans for affordability and state government. Michigan has never elected a Black governor, and this is another state where voters are weighing the candidates' experience and competing ideas about the economy.

And over in Nevada, Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford is challenging Republican Governor Joe Lombardo. Ford has already made history as Nevada's first Black Attorney General, and if he wins, he would become the first Black governor elected west of the Mississippi River. Ford has emphasized civil rights, voting rights, and making life more affordable. Lombardo is running on his record as governor, including his approach to public safety and the economy. Former Vice President Kamala Harris recently campaigned with Ford, highlighting the possibility of Nevada making history.