The 2026 midterm elections will put more than control of Congress on the line. For Black voters, the Nov. 3 election could determine whether the number of Black lawmakers grows, shrinks or remains relatively stable after redistricting battles, court decisions and a wave of candidates seeking historically significant statewide offices.
The gubernatorial contests are especially notable: Only three Black Americans have ever been elected governor, but eight Black major-party gubernatorial candidates will appear on November ballots this year, a record according to the Associated Press.
From Florida to Wisconsin, these races could change who has a seat at the table when lawmakers make decisions about voting rights, education, health care, the economy and other issues that affect Black communities.
Florida Governor: Byron Donalds vs. David Jolly
Republican Rep. Byron Donalds will face Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who later switched parties. Donalds, who represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House after serving in the Florida Legislature, won the Republican nomination Aug. 18 with President Donald Trump’s backing.
Why It Matters: If elected, Donalds would become Florida’s first Black governor, making the race one of the most consequential statewide contests for Black political representation in the country. At the same time, the contest will test whether a Black Republican can build a statewide coalition in one of the nation’s most conservative large states.
Florida U.S. Senate: Angie Nixon vs. Ashley Moody
Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 primary season. She beat former lieutenant colonel and National Security Council Alex Vindman for the Democratic Senate nomination. Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, a former Florida attorney general who was appointed to the Senate after Marco Rubio became Secretary of State, won the Republican nomination.
Why It Matters: Nixon could become Florida’s first Black U.S. senator. She is running as a progressive in a state where Republicans have grown stronger through new voting maps and recent statewide wins. A win for Nixon would be a breakthrough for Democrats in a state where they have struggled historically.
Georgia Governor: Keisha Lance Bottoms vs. Rick Jackson
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic nomination for governor. She will face Republican businessman Rick Jackson. The winner will replace term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp. Bottoms became Atlanta’s 60th mayor in 2018 after serving on the Atlanta City Council. She later worked in the Biden administration as a senior adviser and led the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Why It Matters: If Bottoms wins, she will be the first Democrat elected governor of Georgia since 1998. She would also become one of the most prominent Black women ever elected governor. Georgia has a large Black electorate, and turnout in Atlanta and nearby counties will matter. The race could shape voting rights, education, jobs and criminal justice policy across the state.
Georgia U.S. Senate: Jon Ossoff vs. Mike Collins
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is running for a second term against Republican Rep. Mike Collins. Ossoff won his Senate seat in 2020, becoming Georgia’s first Jewish senator. Collins represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District and has focused his campaign on veterans’ issues, the cost of living and conservative policies.
Why It Matters: This race could help decide which party controls the U.S. Senate. Black voters have helped power recent Democratic wins in Georgia, and both parties are competing for their support this year. The outcome could affect voting rights, judicial appointments, federal spending and civil rights laws.
Michigan Governor: Jocelyn Benson vs. John James
Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican U.S. Rep. John James will compete to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Benson has run Michigan’s elections as secretary of state since 2019. James is a former Army officer and businessman who has served in Congress since 2021.
Why It Matters: James could become Michigan’s first Black governor, while Benson would keep Democrats in charge of a key swing state. James is also one of eight Black candidates running for governor nationwide this year, contributing to a broader test of how far Black candidates from either party can go in statewide races.
Wisconsin Governor: David Crowley vs. Tom Tiffany
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly beat state Rep. Francesca Hong to win the Democratic nomination. He will face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Trump ally, in November. Crowley had briefly dropped out of the race before returning with support from Gov. Tony Evers.
Why It Matters: Crowley would become Wisconsin’s first Black governor, if elected. His run puts Milwaukee’s Black voters at the center of a statewide race in a key presidential swing state. The outcome could shape abortion policy, voting rules, education and the balance of power between the governor and the Republican-led Legislature.
Nevada Governor: Aaron Ford vs. Joe Lombardo
Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford will challenge Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. Ford has served as attorney general since 2019 and previously served in the state Senate. He became Nevada’s first Black attorney general when he was elected in 2018. Lombardo is seeking a second term after winning in 2022.
Why It Matters: Ford is among the eight Black major-party gubernatorial nominees making history in 2026 and could become Nevada’s first Black governor. The race also gives Black voters in a rapidly diversifying Western state an opportunity to influence policies involving education, economic opportunity, abortion and voting access.
South Carolina Governor: Jermaine Johnson vs. Alan Wilson
Democratic state Rep. Dr. Jermaine Johnson won his party’s nomination for governor. He will face Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson. He won a primary that also included Billy Webster and Mullins McLeod.
Why It Matters: Johnson is part of the historic group of Black candidates running for governor across the country this year. His run is especially notable because it gives Black voters in the Deep South a candidate for the state’s highest office, at a time when few governors nationwide have been Black.
Mississippi U.S. Senate: Scott Colom vs. Cindy Hyde-Smith
Democratic prosecutor Scott Colom is challenging Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. Colom, who is Black and grew up in a Republican family in Mississippi, has focused his campaign on jobs and health care. Hyde-Smith, a Trump ally, is seeking a second full term.
Why It Matters: Mississippi has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1989, which makes Colom a clear underdog. Black residents make up about 37% of the state’s population, which gives Black turnout real influence on the outcome, though turnout alone won’t decide the race, since Colom would also need support from white voters to win statewide. A win would make him Mississippi’s first Black U.S. senator.
Michigan U.S. Senate: Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike Rogers
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed beat U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary. He will face Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers. El-Sayed is a physician and former Wayne County health director who campaigned on Medicare for All and lowering health care costs. Rogers is a former congressman and FBI agent who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 2024.
Why It Matters: This race could help decide control of the Senate. It also carries a history of its own: El-Sayed could become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. His primary win also showed the importance of Black voters to Michigan’s Democratic Party, especially in Detroit and nearby communities.
North Carolina U.S. Senate: Roy Cooper vs. Michael Whatley
Former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper will face Republican Michael Whatley, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee. They are running for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Cooper served as governor from 2017 to 2024 and was North Carolina’s attorney general before that. Whatley has been a close Trump ally and party official.
Why It Matters: This could be one of the most expensive Senate races in the country, and it may help decide which party controls the chamber. For Black voters in North Carolina, the race will test how much influence a large Black electorate has on a statewide outcome, even as Republicans work to win over more Black support.
Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District: Shomari Figures vs. Rhett Marques
Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures is running for reelection against Republican state Rep. Rhett Marques in Alabama’s newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District. Figures won the seat in 2024 after a court ordered new district lines to create a second district where Black voters made up most of the population. Marques won the Republican nomination in an August special primary with Trump’s backing.
Why It Matters: This race has become a national test of Black political representation after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened a major part of the Voting Rights Act. The new map cut the district’s Black voting-age population from about 48% to about 40% and eliminated one of Alabama’s two Black-majority districts. That shift makes the seat more competitive for Republicans, though fundraising, name recognition and the national political mood will also shape the result. A Republican win would undo one of the biggest gains from earlier redistricting lawsuits.
Michigan’s 13th Congressional District: Donavan McKinney vs. Taras Nykoriak
Democratic state Rep. Donavan McKinney beat incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar in the Democratic primary. He will face Republican Taras Nykoriak in November. McKinney, a lifelong Detroit resident, was elected to the Michigan House in 2022. He campaigned on restoring stronger Black representation for Detroit.
Why It Matters: Because the district leans heavily Democratic, McKinney is likely to give Detroit its first Black member of Congress since 2022, when redistricting and other changes broke a decades-long streak of Black representation. His likely win would mean more than a new name in office; it would bring Black congressional representation back to a majority-Black city with deep roots in the civil rights and labor movements.
Florida’s 20th Congressional District: Debbie Wasserman Schultz vs. Brent Andersen
Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz won a tough primary in Florida’s newly redrawn 20th District. She will face Republican Brent Andersen in November. Wasserman Schultz has represented South Florida in Congress for more than two decades. She moved into this district after Florida Republicans redrew her old district to favor the GOP. Andersen is a local businessman who won the Republican nomination.
Why It Matters: The race turned into a national debate over who should represent historically Black congressional districts. Black lawmakers held this district for 34 years. Several Black candidates challenged Wasserman Schultz in the primary, including former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Dale Holness and Elijah Manley. Now, voters will decide in November whether the district’s long history of Black representation continues.
Georgia’s 13th Congressional District: Jasmine Clark vs. Jonathan Chavez
Democratic state Rep. Dr. Jasmine Clark won the Democratic nomination for Georgia’s 13th District. She will face Republican Jonathan Chavez in November. Clark is a microbiologist and Emory University lecturer who has focused on science and public policy in the state Legislature. Chavez ran unopposed for the Republican nomination and previously challenged the late Democratic Rep. David Scott in 2024.
Why It Matters: If Clark wins, she will add another Black woman to Georgia’s congressional delegation. The district leans heavily Democratic, so the central question in November is not which party wins; it’s who will carry on Black political leadership in a district Scott represented from 2003 until his death in April.