List of African-American statewide elected officials
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Reconstruction Era African-American statewide officeholders (all Republican) 1868–1887
States which have only elected/appointed African-American Democrats as statewide officeholders (1963–present)
States which have only elected/appointed African-American Republicans as statewide officeholders (1963–present)
States which have elected/appointed African-Americans from both parties (1963–present)
This is a list of African Americans who have served in statewide elected executive offices in the United States, whether they were elected, succeeded or appointed to such elected office. These state constitutional officers have their duties and qualifications mandated in state constitutions. This list includes those directly elected to state constitutional boards and commissions, whether statewide or by district. This list does not include those elected to serve in non-executive branches of government, such as justices of the state supreme courts or at-large members of the state legislatures. This list also excludes federal legislators, such as the two members of the United States Senate elected from each state or at-large members of the United States House of Representatives.
Summary
| State | Number of statewide executive officials | U.S. Senators | U.S. at-large Representatives | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 1 | 1 | |||
| Arkansas | 1 | 1 | |||
| California | 5 | 1 | 5 | Kamala Harris held office as Attorney General and later as U.S. Senator | |
| Colorado | 3 | 3 | |||
| Connecticut | 5 | 5 | |||
| Delaware | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Florida | 4 | 1 | 5 | Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs held office as Secretary of State and State Superintendent. | |
| Georgia | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Illinois | 4 | 3 | 6 | Roland Burris held office as Comptroller, Attorney General and U.S. Senator | |
| Indiana | 4 | 4 | |||
| Kansas | 1 | 1 | |||
| Kentucky | 2 | 2 | |||
| Louisiana | 5 | 5 | |||
| Maryland | 4 | 4 | |||
| Massachusetts | 3 | 2 | 4 | Edward Brooke held office as Attorney General and U.S. Senator | |
| Michigan | 3 | 3 | |||
| Minnesota | 1 | 1 | |||
| Mississippi | 7 | 2 | 9 | All of Mississippi's African American statewide officials and Senators took office during Reconstruction, as of 2022. | |
| Nevada | 1 | 1 | |||
| New Jersey | 8 | 8 | |||
| New Mexico | 1 | 1 | |||
| New York | 9 | 9 | |||
| North Carolina | 3 | 3 | |||
| Ohio | 3 | 3 | |||
| Oklahoma | 1 | 1 | |||
| Oregon | 1 | 1 | |||
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 1 | |||
| South Carolina | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 | Francis Lewis Cardozo held office as Secretary of State and State Treasurer. |
| Texas | 2 | 2 | |||
| Vermont | 1 | 1 | |||
| Virginia | 3 | 3 | |||
| Wisconsin | 3 | 3 |
Governors
Denotes incumbent governor
- Italics denotes acting governor
| Portrait | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Lieut. Governor Dunn, La - NARA - 527896.jpg | Oscar Dunn (1826–1871) |
Republican | Louisiana | June 27, 1868 | November 22, 1871 | Elevated from lieutenant governor. Died in office. |
| File:P. B. S. Pinchback - Brady-Handy.jpg | P. B. S. Pinchback (1837–1921) |
Republican | Louisiana | December 9, 1872 | January 13, 1873 | Elevated from lieutenant governor. Term ended. |
| File:Douglas Wilder 2003 NIH.jpg | Douglas Wilder[1] (born 1931) |
Democratic | Virginia | January 13, 1990 | January 15, 1994 | Term-limited. |
| File:Deval Patrick official photo.jpg | Deval Patrick (born 1956) |
Democratic | Massachusetts | January 4, 2007 | January 8, 2015 | Retired |
| File:David Paterson 2 by David Shankbone.jpg | David Paterson (born 1954) |
Democratic | New York | March 17, 2008 | December 31, 2010 | Elevated to office from lieutenant governor. Retired. |
| File:Wes Moore Official Governor Portrait.jpg | Wes Moore (born 1978) |
Democrat | Maryland | January 18, 2023 | present |
Territorial governors
Denotes incumbent governor
- Italics denotes acting governor
| Portrait | Name | Party | Territory | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Walterwashington.jpg | Walter Washington (1915–2003) |
Democratic | District of Columbia | November 7, 1967 | January 2, 1979 | Appointed as Mayor-Commissioner before being elected in his own right Lost renomination |
| File:Crop of Marion Barry Vincent Gray.jpg | Marion Barry (1936–2014) |
Democratic | District of Columbia | January 2, 1979 | January 2, 1991 | Retired |
| January 2, 1995 | January 2, 1999 | Retired | ||||
| File:Sharon Pratt Kelly.jpg | Sharon Pratt (born 1944) |
Democratic | District of Columbia | January 2, 1991 | January 2, 1995 | Lost renomination |
| File:Mayor Williams Anthony.jpg | Anthony A. Williams (born 1951) |
Democratic | District of Columbia | January 2, 1999 | January 2, 2007 | Retired |
| File:Adrian Fenty, Mayor of DC, November 5, 2007.jpg | Adrian Fenty (born 1970) |
Democratic | District of Columbia | January 2, 2007 | January 2, 2011 | Lost renomination |
| File:Vincentgray.jpg | Vincent C. Gray (born 1942) |
Democratic | District of Columbia | January 2, 2011 | January 2, 2015 | Lost renomination |
| File:Muriel Bowser 2 cropped.jpg | Muriel Bowser (born 1972) |
Democratic | District of Columbia | January 2, 2015 | present |
Lieutenant governors
Denotes incumbent lieutenant governor
- Italics denotes acting lieutenant governor
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Attorneys general
Denotes incumbent attorney general
- Italics denotes acting attorney general
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Edward brooke senator.jpg | Edward Brooke (1919–2015) |
Republican | Massachusetts | January 3, 1963 | January 3, 1967 | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate from Massachusetts | [6] |
| File:Sen Roland Burris.jpg | Roland Burris (1937–present) |
Democratic | Illinois | January 14, 1991 | January 9, 1995 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of Illinois | [7] |
| File:Pamela Lynn Carter (born 1949) at World Economic Forum Davos 2023.png | Pamela Carter (1949–present) |
Democratic | Indiana | January 13, 1993 | January 16, 1997 | Retired | [8][9] |
| File:Zell Miller and Thurbert Baker (cropped).jpg | Thurbert Baker (1952–present) |
Democratic | Georgia | June 1, 1997 | January 10, 2011 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of Georgia | [10] |
| File:Karen Freeman-Wilson (12617981394).jpg | Karen Freeman-Wilson (1960–present) |
Democratic | Indiana | June 8, 2000 | January 14, 2001 | Lost reelection | [11] |
| File:No image.svg | Peter C. Harvey (1952–present) |
Democratic | New Jersey | June 16, 2003 | January 30, 2006 | Retired. | [12] |
| File:Kamala Harris Official Attorney General Photo (cropped).jpg | Kamala Harris (1964–present) |
Democratic | California | January 3, 2011 | January 3, 2017 | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate from California | [13] |
| File:Curtis Hill DOJ panel (cropped).jpg | Curtis Hill (1960–present) |
Republican | Indiana | January 9, 2017 | January 11, 2021 | Lost renomination | [14] |
| File:Letitia James Interview Feb 2020.png | Letitia James (1958–present) |
Democratic | New York | January 1, 2019 | present | [15] | |
| File:Kwame Raoul RFCG.jpg | Kwame Raoul (1964–present) |
Democratic | Illinois | January 14, 2019 | present | [16] | |
| File:Aaron D. Ford.jpg | Aaron D. Ford (1972–present) |
Democratic | Nevada | January 7, 2019 | present | [17] | |
| File:Keith Ellison portrait.jpg | Keith Ellison (1963–present) |
Democratic | Minnesota | January 7, 2019 | present | [18] | |
| File:Attorney General Daniel Cameron - Official Portrait (cropped2).jpg | Daniel Cameron (1985–present) |
Republican | Kentucky | December 17, 2019 | present | Elected as Attorney General, but appointed early as acting Attorney by Governor Andy Beshear, the preceding state Attorney General who himself was elected Governor, and took office early. | |
| File:Anthony G. Brown (November 2023).jpg | Anthony Brown (1961–present) |
Democrat | Maryland | January 3, 2023 | present | Elected as Attorney General on November 8, 2022. Brown is the first black Attorney General of Maryland. | |
| File:AJC Headshot (3x4).jpg | Andrea Campbell (1982–present) |
Democrat | Massachusetts | January 18, 2023 | present |
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Territorial attorneys general
Denotes incumbent attorney general
- Italics denotes acting attorney general
| Picture | Name | Party | Territory | Term start | Term end | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Karl Racine (cropped).jpg | Karl Racine (1963–present) |
Democratic | District of Columbia | January 2, 2015 | January 2, 2023 |
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Secretaries of state
Denotes incumbent secretary of state
- Italics denotes acting secretary of state
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Labor commissioners
Denotes incumbent labor commissioner
- Italics denotes acting labor commissioner
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:No image.svg | Al Scott (born 1947) |
Democratic | Georgia | 1990 | 1992 | Appointed by governor, lost special election primary | |
| File:Michael Thurmond.jpg | Mike Thurmond (born 1953) |
Democratic | Georgia | January 11, 1999 | January 10, 2011 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate |
Auditors and comptrollers
Denotes incumbent auditor or comptroller
- Italics denotes acting auditor or comptroller
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:E P McCabe.png | Edward McCabe (1850–1920) |
Republican | Kansas | January 8, 1883 | January 10, 1887 | Lost re-nomination |
| File:Sen Roland Burris.jpg | Roland Burris (born 1937) |
Democratic | Illinois | January 8, 1979 | January 14, 1991 | Retired to run successfully for Attorney General of Illinois |
| Carl McCall (born 1935) |
Democratic | New York | May 7, 1993 | December 31, 2002 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor | |
| File:Ralph Campbell Jr.jpg | Ralph Campbell (1946–2011) |
Democratic | North Carolina | January 3, 1993 | January 4, 2005 | Lost re-election |
| File:Randy Brock for Vermont Lt Governor 2016 - 20151020-IMG 7818.jpg | Randy Brock (born 1943) |
Republican | Vermont | January 3, 2005 | January 4, 2007 | Lost reelection |
| File:No image.svg | Dwayne Sawyer (born 1966) |
Republican | Indiana | August 19, 2013 | December 15, 2013 | Resigned |
| File:No image.svg | Natalie Braswell | Democratic | Connecticut | December 31, 2021 | January 4, 2023 | Appointed to office; did not seek election |
| File:No image.svg | Timothy DeFoor (born 1961) |
Republican | Pennsylvania | January 19, 2022 | present | |
| File:Brian J. Gaines.png | Brian J. Gaines | Democratic | South Carolina | May 12, 2023 | present |
Superintendents of education
Denotes incumbent superintendent
- Italics denotes acting superintendent
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Treasurers
Denotes incumbent treasurer
- Italics denotes acting treasurer
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Public utilities or railroad commissioners
Denotes incumbent statewide public utilities or railroad commissioner
- Italics denotes acting public utilities or railroad commissioner
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irma Muse Dixon (born 1952) |
Democratic | Louisiana | 1992 | 2004 | ||
David Burgess (born 1959) |
Democratic | Georgia | 1998 | January 1, 2007 | Appointed to office and won subsequent election; lost bid for re-election | |
| File:Michael L Williams-headshot.jpg | Michael L. Williams (born 1953) |
Republican | Texas | January 3, 1999 | March 31, 2011 | Resigned |
| Lambert Boissiere (born 1965) |
Democratic | Louisiana | January 1, 2005 | January 1, 2023 | Lost re-election | |
| Sandra Kennedy | Democratic | Arizona | January 5, 2009 | January 7, 2013 | Lost re-election | |
| January 7, 2019 | January 2, 2023 | |||||
| Fitz Johnson (born 1963) |
Republican | Georgia | 2021 | present | Appointed to office | |
| Davante Lewis | Democratic | Louisiana | 2023 | present |
Elected State Boards of Education
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma Allen | Democratic | Texas | 1995 | 2005 | ||
Lawrence Allen Jr. (born 1959) |
Democratic | Texas | 2005 | 2023 | ||
| Aicha Davis | Democratic | Texas | 2019 | present | ||
| Staci Childs | Democratic | Texas | 2023 | present | ||
| LJ Francis | Republican | Texas | 2023 | present |
See also
- African-American officeholders during and following the Reconstruction era
- List of African-American officeholders (1900–1959)
- List of African–American Republicans
- List of African American firsts
- List of first African-American mayors
References
- ↑ Previously served as lieutenant governor.
- ↑ Later served as U.S. Representative from South Carolina's 2nd congressional district.
- ↑ "Not Even Past: Social Vulnerability and the Legacy of Redlining".
- ↑ Later served as U.S. Representative from California's 31st congressional district.
- ↑ Later served as Chair of the Republican National Committee.
- ↑ "The Honorable Edward Brooke's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ↑ "BURRIS , Roland | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ↑ Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 67, p. 12.
- ↑ Jennifer M. York, Who's Who Among African Americans. Gale, 2003.
- ↑ "Thurbert Baker's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ↑ "Our Campaigns - Candidate - Karen M. Freeman-Wilson".
- ↑ "The Honorable Peter C. Harvey, '79". www.alumni.morgan.edu. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ↑ "13 Trailblazing Facts About Kamala Harris". mentalfloss.com. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ↑ Walker, Kayla (November 13, 2018). "Curtis Hill Named Vice Chair of GOP Attorneys General Assoc". Nuvo. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ↑ Mays, Jeffery C. (December 31, 2018). "N.Y.'s New Attorney General Is Targeting Trump. Will Judges See a 'Political Vendetta?'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- ↑ "Illinois Attorney General Democratic nominee: Kwame Raoul". Chicago Sun-Times. October 14, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ↑ Lockhead, Colton (November 14, 2018). "Aaron Ford setting priorities for his time as Nevada attorney general". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ↑ Montemayor, Stephen (January 7, 2019). "Keith Ellison ushers in new era for Minnesota Attorney General's Office". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ↑ "MSU Libraries: Richard H. Austin".
- ↑ "Basil Paterson dead, trailblazing NY politician and former Gov. David Paterson's father was 87". Newsday. 2010-11-02. Retrieved 2014-04-17.
- ↑ "Pioneering civil rights leader Vel Phillips dies". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
- ↑ "Myra McDaniel". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
- ↑ "Victoria Buckley; Colorado Secretary of State, GOP Star". The Los Angeles Times. July 17, 1999. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ↑ "Loren Monroe, first black State Treasurer of Michigan, dead at 87". June 4, 2019.