Byron Donalds, David Crowley and Wes Moore Win Gubernatorial Races
Published November 4, 2026 at 3:00 AM EST
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Florida’s governor-elect. (Justin Sullivan / Getty)
HOLLYWOOD, FL— Three Black men won governors’ races in the Nov. 3 midterms. Republican Byron Donalds won in Florida, Democrat David Crowley won in Wisconsin, and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore secured a second term in Maryland. The results mark a historic election for Black governors, as reported by NBC News in an article republished by America’s Black Holocaust Museum.
Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly to become Florida’s first Black governor-elect and the first Black Republican elected governor in U.S. history. Florida’s unofficial returns put Donalds at 49.92% and Jolly at 48.82%. Donalds, a former state lawmaker who worked in finance and insurance, will succeed Ron DeSantis.
Crowley defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor-elect. He grew up in Milwaukee, served in the Wisconsin Assembly and became the first Black person elected Milwaukee County executive in 2020. He campaigned for expanded Medicaid coverage and increased funding for public schools and child care. He succeeds retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor, defeated Republican Dan Cox for the second time in four years. The state’s unofficial returns put Moore at 62.29% and Cox at 33.45%. An Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, Moore has named affordability, energy costs and attracting business investment among his second-term priorities.
Before Tuesday, only three Black men had been elected governor of a U.S. state. Virginia elected L. Douglas Wilder in 1989, Massachusetts elected Deval Patrick in 2006, and Maryland elected Moore in 2022. When Donalds and Crowley take office, three Black men will serve as elected governors at the same time for the first time in U.S. history.
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