It’s hard for a to become governor of a state or to become a . Very few Black people have served as governor in this country. None of them have been women. Only three of the six were elected.
Louisiana played a central role in that history.
Two of those men were Louisiana governors. It was the Reconstruction era. It wasn’t unusual for Black people to hold elected office.
In 1868, Oscar Dunn was the first Black man to be elected lieutenant governor anywhere. Dunn stepped up as acting governor when the governor left the state to recover from an injury. He served in that role for 39 days. Then he died.
Next up was the man whose name is better known: P.B.S. Pinchback, another Black man, who followed Dunn when the State Senate chose Pinchback, a Dunn rival, as governor after the sitting governor, whom Dunn temporarily replaced, was impeached and removed from office. Unlike Dunn, Pinchback took the oath of office and became governor. That lasted fewer than 40 days.
That was more than 150 years ago. Louisiana hasn’t had a Black governor since.
Showing how fickle politics can be, the Louisiana Legislature chose Pinchback to be a U.S. senator. That election was challenged. White Democrats protested. He was denied his seat.
It’s tough for Black people to become a governor or a U.S. senator.
U.S. Senator Cory Booker, center, shakes hands with U.S. Representative Cedric Richmond as they sit together at Xavier University in New Orleans on Friday, January 18, 2019.
Advocate Staff photo by CHRIS GRANGER
It wasn’t until 2008 that the United States got another Black governor after a sitting New York governor got embroiled in a sex scandal. He resigned. Lt. Governor David Paterson finished that term, without being elected.
There have been only three Black men elected governor: Virginia’s L. Douglas Wilder, 1990-1994; Massachusetts’ Deval Patrick, 2007-2015; and Maryland’s Wes Moore, 2023 and seeking re-election this fall.
Some have lined up to follow them.
Several Black Democrats want to be a governor: Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia; David Crowley in Wisconsin; Aaron Ford in Nevada; Jermaine Johnson in South Carolina. Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton wants to follow retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. In Florida, Black Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly have been bouncing up and down in the polls. Only days ago, Jolly was leading Donalds by 3 percentage points — 47%-44% — in a poll with a 2.8% margin of error and nine percent of respondents undecided.
Republican presidential candidate South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott speaks during a town hall meeting, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
AP Photo/ Charlie Neibergall
Donalds would prefer a lead, of course, but that’s darn close.
Three Black men are in the U.S. Senate: Democrat Cory Booker of New Jersey; Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Raphael Warnock of Georgia. In 2025, two Black women joined them: Democrat Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware.
As I watch political trends across the country, I wasn’t sure Louisiana Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jamie Davis could win. Still, I’m more certain he’ll be more than competitive — and that he can win. Just days ago, the started a campaign to get rural and Black voters in southern states to vote, and published a story about an energized Black electorate.
In Georgia, a recent poll had Republican Rick Jackson leading Bottoms 48%-45% with 7% undecided. The good news for Bottoms: The poll’s margin of error was 3% — and 16% of those who identified themselves as unaffiliated said they are undecided.
A lead would be better for Bottoms, but that looks pretty good to me right now.
According to a recent poll, the Mississippi U.S. Senate race is competitive. An average of three recent polls showed Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith leading Democrat Scott Colom 45.9%-39.4%, a 6.5% difference. The margin of error was 4% — and about 13% said they are undecided. Not bad in ruby-red GOP Mississippi.
A lead would be better for Colom, but that looks pretty good to me right now.
Davis would like to be among the Black candidates to be elected this fall. If that were to happen, he’d be the first Black person to be elected — and seated — as a U.S. senator.
How’s it looking?
A few weeks ago, Republican U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow was leading Davis 41%-37%. Darn close in our ruby-red voting state. But there’s more. About 22% said they were undecided.
A lead would be better for Davis, but that looks pretty good to me right now.
Times-Picayune columnist Will Sutton on Thursday, September 12, 2019.
STAFF PHOTO BY CHRIS GRANGER