Four Black Candidates Win Governorship Races in Historic Night

Four Black candidates won gubernatorial elections across the United States on Tuesday, reshaping the executive branches of four states. The victories include the first Black woman ever elected to a governorship and the first Black governor in Georgia and Wisconsin. These results increase the number of Black governors in office and expand the presence of women in the role.

In Georgia, Democrat Bottoms secured a win that marks a first for the state and the nation. She will be the first Black woman elected to a governor's office in U.S. history. She is also the first woman to hold that title in Georgia. Her election contributes to a national total of 17 women who will serve as governors.

Bottoms described the moment she learned of her victory to CBS News host Gayle King on Wednesday. She was wearing earbuds and working on her speech while her husband lay on the sofa nearby. He kicked her to signal the news. She initially asked what had been called. He then stated that the race was decided. This interaction confirmed her win.

In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds will become the state's first Black governor. He has represented Florida's 19th District in the U.S. House since 2020. In Wisconsin, Democrat Crowley defeated Republican challenger Tom Tiffany. Tiffany, a U.S. representative and a top ally of President Trump, lost in one of the country's most politically competitive states.

Maryland voters returned Democrat Moore to a second term as governor. He first took office in 2022 and became the state's first Black governor at that time. Moore noted to CBS News that he was previously the only Black governor in the country. He said he did not want to hold that distinction alone for long. He observed that the number of Black governors elected in this cycle has at least doubled the previous historical total.

Attention shifts to Nevada, where Democrat Aaron Ford holds a lead of more than 70,000 votes over Republican Governor Joe Lombardo. The race remains undecided according to CBS News estimates. Ford served as Nevada's attorney general starting in 2018. If he wins, he will be the state's first Black governor and the first Black governor elected west of the Mississippi River.