Tuesday’s elections bring historic first for Black governors

Adam Edelman, NBC

Multiple Black governors will serve at the same time for the first time U.S. history, after four wins in elections across the country.

For the first time in U.S. history, multiple elected Black governors will serve at the same time — and it remains possible that voters will elect more this year than the four who have already won.

That historic first is the result of Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s winning re-election in Maryland, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds’ prevailing in the Florida governor’s race and Georgia Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms’ winning in her state.

Hours later, David Crowley won the race for governor in Wisconsin, making him the fourth Black governor to have won Tuesday night.

Before those wins, the only elected Black governors in U.S. history had been Moore; Deval Patrick, a Democrat who was elected Massachusetts’ governor in 2006; and Doug Wilder, a Democrat who was elected Virginia’s governor in 1989. None served simultaneously.

In an interview with NBC News last month, Donalds said the history-making aspect of his candidacy was “very special.”

“From a larger perspective, there’s so much that has been talked about in politics over the last couple decades around race. Obviously, the country has had some real negative parts of our history surrounding race,” he said. “I’m humbled to be in this position, but I think it says a lot more about the state [of Florida] than it does about me.”

Bottoms, Donalds, Moore and Crowley may not stay in such rare company for long: Four other Black major-party candidates for governor are on the ballot Tuesday.

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Read about the election in Wisconsin and David Crowley becoming Wisconsin’s first Black governor. Consider reading about the first elected Black governor in US history.

ABHM Breaking News.