Keisha Lance Bottoms, Byron Donalds and 2 Other Black Leaders Make History in 2026 US Elections
- Keisha Lance Bottoms, Byron Donalds, David Crowley and Stacey Plaskett recorded historic wins in the 2026 elections across the United States on Tuesday, November 3
- Bottoms is the first Black woman elected governor of a US state, while Donalds and Crowley become the first Black governors of Florida and Wisconsin
- Before the elections, only three Black people had ever been elected governor of a US state, namely L. Douglas Wilder, Deval Patrick and Wes Moore
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Four Black leaders, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Byron Donalds, David Crowley and Stacey Plaskett, made history in the 2026 elections held across the United States on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Source: UGC
Before the latest elections, only three Black people had ever been elected governor of a US state. Douglas Wilder became the first when he won the state’s governorship in 1989.
Deval Patrick followed in Massachusetts in 2006, while Wes Moore was elected governor of Maryland in 2022. In 2026, three more names have joined that list, alongside a historic win in a US territory.
Media outlets, including NPR, Axios and NBC News, have since reported on the milestones.
Keisha Lance Bottoms makes history in Georgia
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has been elected governor of Georgia, defeating Republican Rick Jackson. Her win makes her the first Black woman elected governor of any US state.
According to NBC News, her victory also flipped the governor’s office for the Democrats. Bottoms previously served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022. Several outlets, including NPR, have described her win as historic.
The Instagram post by NWE, in which it lists the four historic firsts from the 2026 elections, is below.
Byron Donalds becomes Florida’s first Black governor
Republican Byron Donalds won the Florida governor’s race, defeating David Jolly. CBS Miami reported that he is the first Black person elected governor in the state’s 180-year history.
According to NWE, he is also the first Black Republican elected governor of a US state. Donalds, a congressman, was backed by US President Donald Trump during the race.
His win adds to a night of historic firsts across the country.
David Crowley wins Wisconsin governorship
Democrat David Crowley defeated Republican Tom Tiffany to win the Wisconsin governor’s race. NPR reported that he will become the first Black governor of the state.
Crowley has served as Milwaukee County Executive. His victory was also reported by outlets including the Wisconsin Examiner and WPR.
Out of the four leaders, he is one of three Democrats who recorded historic wins.
Stacey Plaskett makes history in Caribbean territory
Democrat Stacey Plaskett has been elected governor of the US Caribbean. Local outlet The St. Thomas Source reported that she won the race comfortably.
Her victory makes her the first woman elected governor of the Caribbean US territory. Plaskett has represented the territory as a delegate in the US Congress.
NWE described the four wins as electoral milestones across three states and one territory.
Adrian Boafo, Gabe Amo among African-origin candidates
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that seven candidates of African origin were contesting seats in the US Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
Among them were Ghanaian-American Adrian Boafo, who was running for the Maryland House seat vacated by Steny Hoyer, and Rhode Island Representative Gabe Amo, who has a Ghanaian father and a Liberian mother. Somali-American Ilhan Omar and Eritrean-American Joe Neguse were also seeking re-election in Minnesota and Colorado.
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Ethiopian-born Melat Kiros and Nigerian-American Ndidiamaka Okpareke completed the list.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
