Policy · U.S.

Black candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot for governor in at least five states

Maryland's Wes Moore seeks a second term while Republicans and Democrats run in Florida, Minnesota, Michigan and Georgia, as early voting in Georgia wraps up.

October 28, 2026 at 4:24 PM ET · The Newsroom

Voters in at least five states will decide governor's races on Nov. 3 that include Black candidates. Only three Black candidates have ever been elected governor in the U.S.: Virginia's Doug Wilder in 1989, Massachusetts' Deval Patrick in 2006 and 2010, and Maryland's Wes Moore in 2022. All three were Democrats.

Moore is expected to win a second term. Maryland voters will also consider a ballot question that would let state Democratic leaders redraw congressional district lines to favor the party beyond the current 7-1 map. In Florida, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican, holds a slight lead over David Jolly, a Democrat. In Minnesota, Republican Lisa Demuth trails Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar by nearly 10 points in polling. In Michigan, Republican U.S. Rep. John James trails Democrat Jocelyn Benson, the secretary of state, by six points among likely voters, according to a Marist poll.

In the state of Georgia, Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms is on the ballot as early voting ends six days before Election Day. Former President Barack Obama appeared with her and Sen. Jon Ossoff at a rally at The Arena at Southlake in Morrow, in Clayton County.

Get help at a support center →

Source: Capital B, Atlanta Black Star