Black Leadership Wins Across America: Historic Firsts, New Voices and Returning Public Servants

36m

4 min read

Pictured, top row from left: Keisha Lance Bottoms, Byron Donalds and Stacey Plaskett. Bottom row from left: Aaron Ford, Juliana Stratton and David Crowley. The six leaders are featured in The Chronicle’s examination of Black political leadership across America. Photo credits: Executive Office of the President; U.S. Congress; Office of Stacey Plaskett; U.S. Mission to Geneva; Trenton Fouche/Illinois National Guard; Office of U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Archival photographs via Wikimedia Commons; public domain.

Across the country, voters expanded the ranks of Black leadership in the November 3 election, choosing governors, members of Congress and statewide officials whose decisions will shape everyday life in their communities.

The results brought historic firsts and new faces alongside the reelection of established public servants. They also crossed party lines, underscoring that Black leadership encompasses different political beliefs, governing priorities and approaches to public service.

For communities watching these victories, the significance reaches beyond a photograph or a place in the history books. The next chapter will be measured in decisions about housing, schools, health care, public safety and economic opportunity.

A new chapter in governors’ offices

In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson to become the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state. The former Atlanta mayor will also be Georgia’s first woman governor, according to Reuters and Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Bottoms is also a graduate of Florida A&M University, the historically Black university in Tallahassee, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism in 1991. Her path from FAMU to public leadership adds an HBCU connection to the milestone.

Florida voters elected Republican Byron Donalds over Democrat David Jolly. Donalds will become Florida’s first Black governor and the first Black Republican elected governor nationally. The word “elected” is significant: Black Republican P.B.S. Pinchback briefly served as Louisiana’s governor during Reconstruction after succeeding to the office.

Democrat David Crowley defeated Republican Tom Tiffany to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor. In Nevada, Democrat Aaron Ford defeated Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo, becoming that state’s first Black governor, according to AP reporting.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat and the state’s first Black governor, won reelection. His victory brings continuity alongside the changes in other states.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Democrat Stacey Plaskett won the governor’s race alongside running mate Milton Potter. St. Thomas Source reported that Plaskett will become the territory’s first woman governor. Her victory is a separate milestone from Bottoms’ election in Georgia: the Virgin Islands is a U.S. territory, while Georgia is a state.

Black women advance in statewide leadership

Georgia’s results extended beyond the governor’s race. Democrat Tanya Miller won the attorney general contest, while Penny Brown Reynolds won the secretary of state race. Georgia Recorder reported that Miller will become the state’s first woman attorney general and Brown Reynolds its first Black person elected secretary of state.

Democrat Lydia Powell defeated incumbent Richard Woods for state school superintendent, setting her on a path to become the first Black woman to lead Georgia’s public school system. Democrats Nikki Porcher and Keisha Sean Waites also won the labor commissioner and insurance commissioner races, respectively, according to statewide election reporting.

In Michigan, Democrat Garlin Gilchrist won the secretary of state race, an office responsible for election administration and services residents use every day. In Oklahoma, Republican T.W. Shannon won election as lieutenant governor. Shannon previously became the first Black and Chickasaw speaker of the Oklahoma House, Oklahoma Voice reported.

Other returning statewide leaders include attorneys general Letitia James in New York, Anthony Brown in Maryland, Kwame Raoul in Illinois and Andrea Campbell in Massachusetts. California voters also reelected Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Controller Malia Cohen.

New and returning voices in Washington

Illinois voters elected Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton to the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Dick Durbin. In New Jersey, Democratic Sen. Cory Booker won reelection to his third full term. Capitol News Illinois and WHYY reported AP calls in those races.

The House will also welcome new Black members. Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney won the 13th Congressional District, succeeding Shri Thanedar. The result restores Black representation for Detroit in Congress, a particularly important development for Michigan readers.

Illinois elected Donna Miller in the 2nd District and La Shawn Ford in the 7th District, according to AP calls reported by WTTW. Pennsylvania elected Chris Rabb in the 3rd District, while Colorado elected Melat Kiros in the 1st District. Additional congressional winners include Oliver Gilbert III in Florida’s 24th District and Frederick Douglass Haynes III in Texas’ 30th District. Texas Rep. Christian Menefee won a full term in the 18th District after entering Congress through a special election earlier this year.

Returning House members include Hakeem Jeffries of New York; Shontel Brown, Joyce Beatty and Emilia Sykes of Ohio; James Clyburn of South Carolina; Valerie Foushee of North Carolina; Lauren Underwood of Illinois; Summer Lee of Pennsylvania; Ilhan Omar of Minnesota; and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts. Jeffries’ reelection is distinct from the selection of a House speaker. That leadership position requires a separate vote by members of the House.

Representation carries responsibility

At the local level, Democrat Janeese Lewis George won Washington, D.C.’s mayoral election, adding another prominent Black leader to the incoming class of elected officials.

These victories do not represent a single political platform. Donalds and Shannon are Republicans; many of the other winners are Democrats whose priorities also differ within their own party. Recognizing the milestones means reporting those differences clearly, along with the responsibilities attached to each office.

For The Chronicle’s readers, the follow-up questions are practical: What did these leaders promise? How will their budgets and policies affect working families, small businesses and community institutions? And how will residents hold them accountable? History deserves to be documented. The work that follows deserves to be covered.