List of African-American statewide elected officials facts for kids

This article is about African Americans who have held important leadership jobs in U.S. states. These jobs are called "statewide executive offices." People in these roles are usually elected by voters across the entire state. Their duties are set by the state's constitution. This list includes those who were elected, took over a position, or were appointed to these offices. It does not include judges or members of state legislatures or federal lawmakers like U.S. Senators.

States where African Americans have served as statewide executive officials:      African American statewide officeholders during the Reconstruction Era (1868–1887)      States with only African American Democrats in statewide office (1963–present)      States with only African American Republicans in statewide office (1963–present)      States with African Americans from both parties in statewide office (1963–present)

Governors: Leading Their States

Governors are the top leaders of a state. They are like the president of a state. African Americans have served as governors in several states.

     Denotes incumbent governor

• Italics denotes acting governor

Portrait	Name	Party	State	Term start	Term end	Notes
	Dunn, OscarOscar Dunn (1826–1871)	Republican	Louisiana	June 27, 1868	November 22, 1871	Became governor from lieutenant governor. Died in office.
	Pinchback, P. B. S.P. B. S. Pinchback (1837–1921)	Republican	Louisiana	December 9, 1872	January 13, 1873	Became governor from lieutenant governor.
	Wilder, DouglasDouglas Wilder (born 1931)	Democratic	Virginia	January 13, 1990	January 15, 1994	Served a full term.
	Patrick, DevalDeval Patrick (born 1956)	Democratic	Massachusetts	January 4, 2007	January 8, 2015	Served two terms.
	Paterson, DavidDavid Paterson (born 1954)	Democratic	New York	March 17, 2008	December 31, 2010	Became governor from lieutenant governor.
	Moore, WesWes Moore (born 1978)	Democrat	Maryland	January 18, 2023	present	Currently serving.

Territorial Governors: Leading DC

Some African Americans have also led U.S. territories, like the District of Columbia.

     Denotes incumbent governor

• Italics denotes acting governor

Portrait	Name	Party	Territory	Term start	Term end	Notes
	Washington, WalterWalter Washington (1915–2003)	Democratic	District of Columbia	November 7, 1967	January 2, 1979	First appointed, then elected.
	Barry, MarionMarion Barry (1936–2014)	Democratic	District of Columbia	January 2, 1979	January 2, 1991	Served multiple terms.
				January 2, 1995	January 2, 1999
	Pratt, SharonSharon Pratt (born 1944)	Democratic	District of Columbia	January 2, 1991	January 2, 1995	First African American woman to lead a major U.S. city.
	Williams, Anthony A.Anthony A. Williams (born 1951)	Democratic	District of Columbia	January 2, 1999	January 2, 2007	Served two terms.
	Fenty, AdrianAdrian Fenty (born 1970)	Democratic	District of Columbia	January 2, 2007	January 2, 2011
	Gray, Vincent C.Vincent C. Gray (born 1942)	Democratic	District of Columbia	January 2, 2011	January 2, 2015
	Bowser, MurielMuriel Bowser (born 1972)	Democratic	District of Columbia	January 2, 2015	present	Currently serving.

Lieutenant Governors: Next in Line

Lieutenant governors are usually the second-highest executive official in a state. They often step in if the governor cannot serve.

     Denotes incumbent lieutenant governor

• Italics denotes acting lieutenant governor

Portrait	Name	Party	State	Term start	Term end	Notes
	Dunn, OscarOscar Dunn (1826–1871)	Republican	Louisiana	June 27, 1868	November 22, 1871	Died in office.
	Ransier, Alonzo J.Alonzo J. Ransier (1834–1882)	Republican	South Carolina	December 3, 1870	December 7, 1872
	Davis, Alexander K.Alexander K. Davis	Republican	Mississippi	November 30, 1871	March 29, 1876
	Pinchback, P. B. S.P. B. S. Pinchback (1837–1921)	Republican	Louisiana	December 6, 1871	December 9, 1872	Later became governor.
	Howell Gleaves, RichardRichard Howell Gleaves (1819–1907)	Republican	South Carolina	December 7, 1872	December 14, 1876
	Antoine, CaesarCaesar Antoine (1836–1921)	Republican	Louisiana	May 22, 1873	April 24, 1877
	Dymally, MervynMervyn Dymally (1926–2012)	Democratic	California	January 6, 1975	January 8, 1979
	Brown, George L.George L. Brown (1926–2006)	Democratic	Colorado	January 14, 1975	January 10, 1979
	Wilder, DouglasDouglas Wilder (born 1931)	Democratic	Virginia	January 18, 1986	January 12, 1990	Later became governor.
	Rogers, JoeJoe Rogers (1964–2013)	Republican	Colorado	January 12, 1999	January 14, 2003
	Bradley, JennetteJennette Bradley (born 1952)	Republican	Ohio	January 13, 2003	January 5, 2005	Resigned to become State Treasurer.
	Steele, MichaelMichael Steele (born 1958)	Republican	Maryland	January 15, 2003	January 17, 2007
	Paterson, DavidDavid Paterson (born 1954)	Democratic	New York	January 1, 2007	March 17, 2008	Later became governor.
	Brown, AnthonyAnthony Brown (born 1961)	Democratic	Maryland	January 17, 2007	January 21, 2015
	Smith, MalcolmMalcolm Smith (born 1956)	Democratic	New York	January 7, 2009	June 8, 2009	Resigned.
	Carroll, JenniferJennifer Carroll (born 1959)	Republican	Florida	January 4, 2011	March 12, 2013	Resigned.
	Rutherford, BoydBoyd Rutherford (born 1957)	Republican	Maryland	January 21, 2015	January 18, 2023
	Hampton, JeneanJenean Hampton (born 1958)	Republican	Kentucky	December 8, 2015	December 9, 2019
	Fairfax, JustinJustin Fairfax (born 1979)	Democratic	Virginia	January 13, 2018	January 15, 2022
	Oliver, SheilaSheila Oliver (1952-2023)	Democratic	New Jersey	January 16, 2018	August 1, 2023	Died in office.
	Garlin Gilchrist (born 1982)	Democratic	Michigan	January 1, 2019	present	Currently serving.
	Barnes, MandelaMandela Barnes (born 1986)	Democratic	Wisconsin	January 7, 2019	January 3, 2023
	Stratton, JulianaJuliana Stratton (born 1965)	Democratic	Illinois	January 14, 2019	present	Currently serving.
	Robinson, MarkMark Robinson (born 1968)	Republican	North Carolina	January 9, 2021	present	Currently serving.
	Stewart-Cousins, AndreaAndrea Stewart-Cousins (born 1950)	Democratic	New York	August 24, 2021	September 9, 2021	Served as acting Lieutenant Governor.
				April 12, 2022	May 25, 2022	Served as acting Lieutenant Governor again.
	Benjamin, BrianBrian Benjamin (born 1976)	Democratic	New York	September 9, 2021	April 12, 2022	Resigned.
	Sears, WinsomeWinsome Sears (born 1964)	Republican	Virginia	January 15, 2022	present	Currently serving.
	Delgado, AntonioAntonio Delgado (born 1977)	Democratic	New York	May 25, 2022	present	Currently serving.
	Davis, AustinAustin Davis (born 1989)	Democratic	Pennsylvania	January 17, 2023	present	Currently serving.
	Way, TaheshaTahesha Way (born 1971)	Democratic	New Jersey	September 8, 2023	present	Currently serving.

Attorneys General: The State's Top Lawyers

The Attorney General is the chief legal officer of a state. They represent the state in legal matters and enforce laws.

     Denotes incumbent attorney general

• Italics denotes acting attorney general

Picture	Name	Party	State	Term start	Term end	Notes	Ref
	Brooke, EdwardEdward Brooke (1919–2015)	Republican	Massachusetts	January 3, 1963	January 3, 1967	Later became a U.S. Senator.
	Burris, RolandRoland Burris (1937–present)	Democratic	Illinois	January 14, 1991	January 9, 1995
	Carter, PamelaPamela Carter (1949–present)	Democratic	Indiana	January 13, 1993	January 16, 1997
	Baker, ThurbertThurbert Baker (1952–present)	Democratic	Georgia	June 1, 1997	January 10, 2011	Served for many years.
	Freeman-Wilson, KarenKaren Freeman-Wilson (1960–present)	Democratic	Indiana	June 8, 2000	January 14, 2001
	Harvey, Peter C.Peter C. Harvey (1952–present)	Democratic	New Jersey	June 16, 2003	January 30, 2006
	Harris, KamalaKamala Harris (1964–present)	Democratic	California	January 3, 2011	January 3, 2017	Later became a U.S. Senator and Vice President.
	Hill, CurtisCurtis Hill (1960–present)	Republican	Indiana	January 9, 2017	January 11, 2021
	James, LetitiaLetitia James (1958–present)	Democratic	New York	January 1, 2019	present	Currently serving.
	Raoul, KwameKwame Raoul (1964–present)	Democratic	Illinois	January 14, 2019	present	Currently serving.
	Ford, Aaron D.Aaron D. Ford (1972–present)	Democratic	Nevada	January 7, 2019	present	Currently serving.
	Ellison, KeithKeith Ellison (1963–present)	Democratic	Minnesota	January 7, 2019	present	Currently serving.
	Cameron, DanielDaniel Cameron (1985–present)	Republican	Kentucky	December 17, 2019	present	Currently serving.
	Brown, AnthonyAnthony Brown (1961–present)	Democrat	Maryland	January 3, 2023	present	First African American Attorney General of Maryland. Currently serving.
	Andrea Campbell (1982–present)	Democrat	Massachusetts	January 18, 2023	present	Currently serving.

Territorial Attorneys General

This section lists African Americans who have served as the top legal officer in U.S. territories.

     Denotes incumbent attorney general

• Italics denotes acting attorney general

Picture	Name	Party	Territory	Term start	Term end	Notes	Ref
	Racine, KarlKarl Racine (1963–present)	Democratic	District of Columbia	January 2, 2015	January 2, 2023

Secretaries of State: Keeping Records and Elections Fair

The Secretary of State often manages state records, oversees elections, and handles official documents.

     Denotes incumbent secretary of state

• Italics denotes acting secretary of state

Picture	Name	Party	State	Term start	Term end	Notes	Ref
	Gibbs, Jonathan ClarksonJonathan Clarkson Gibbs (1821–1874)	Republican	Florida	1868	1872	Also served as Superintendent of Public Instruction.
	Deslonde, Pierre G.Pierre G. Deslonde	Republican	Louisiana	1872	1876
	Lynch, James D.James D. Lynch (1839–1872)	Republican	Mississippi	1869	1872
	Rhodes Revels, HiramHiram Rhodes Revels (1827–1901)	Republican	Mississippi	1872	1873	Also served as a U.S. Senator.
	Carter, Hannibal C.Hannibal C. Carter	Republican	Mississippi	1873	1873
	M. M. McLeod	Republican	Mississippi	1873	1873
	James Hill	Republican	Mississippi	1874	1878
	Lewis Cardozo, FrancisFrancis Lewis Cardozo (1836–1903)	Republican	South Carolina	1868	1872	Also served as State Treasurer.
	Hayne, HenryHenry Hayne (1840–???)	Republican	South Carolina	1872	1877
	Austin, RichardRichard Austin (1913–2001)	Democratic	Michigan	January 1, 1971	January 1, 1995	Served for many years.
	Paterson, BasilBasil Paterson (1926–2014)	Democratic	New York	January 1, 1979	January 1, 1983
	McCrary, JesseJesse McCrary (1937–2007)	Democratic	Florida	July 19, 1978	January 2, 1979
	Phillips, VelVel Phillips (1923–2018)	Democratic	Wisconsin	January 3, 1979	January 3, 1983
	McDaniel, MyraMyra McDaniel (1932–2010)	Democratic	Texas	August 6, 1984	January 26, 1987
	Atkins, HannahHannah Atkins (1923–2010)	Democratic	Oklahoma	1987	1991
	Buckley, VikkiVikki Buckley (1948–1999)	Republican	Colorado	1994	1999	Died in office.
	Hooks, LonnaLonna Hooks (?–)	Republican	New Jersey	1994	1998
	Soaries, DeForestDeForest Soaries (born 1951)	Republican	New Jersey	January 1, 1999	January 1, 2002
	Blackwell, KenKen Blackwell (born 1948)	Republican	Ohio	January 8, 1999	January 8, 2007
	White, JesseJesse White (born 1934)	Democratic	Illinois	January 11, 1999	January 9, 2023	Served for many years.
	Daniels, RandyRandy Daniels (born 1950)	Democratic	New York	2001	2005
	Thomas, RegenaRegena Thomas (1957–)	Democratic	New Jersey	2002	2006
	Mitchell Wells, NinaNina Mitchell Wells (born 1950)	Democratic	New Jersey	January 19, 2006	January 19, 2010
	Crittenden, RobynRobyn Crittenden (?–?)	Republican	Georgia	November 8, 2018	January 14, 2019	Appointed to fill a term.
	Way, TaheshaTahesha Way (born 1971)	Democratic	New Jersey	January 16, 2018	present	Currently serving.
	Weber, ShirleyShirley Weber (born 1948)	Democratic	California	January 21, 2021	present	Currently serving.
	Thomas, StephanieStephanie Thomas (born 1969)	Democratic	Connecticut	January 4, 2023	present	Currently serving.

Auditors and Comptrollers: Watching the Money

Auditors and Comptrollers are state officials who check how state money is spent and make sure it's done correctly.

     Denotes incumbent auditor or comptroller

• Italics denotes acting auditor or comptroller

Picture	Name	Party	State	Term start	Term end	Notes
	McCabe, EdwardEdward McCabe (1850–1920)	Republican	Kansas	January 8, 1883	January 10, 1887
	Burris, RolandRoland Burris (born 1937)	Democratic	Illinois	January 8, 1979	January 14, 1991	Later became Attorney General.
	McCall, CarlCarl McCall (born 1935)	Democratic	New York	May 7, 1993	December 31, 2002
	Campbell, RalphRalph Campbell (1946–2011)	Democratic	North Carolina	January 3, 1993	January 4, 2005
	Brock, RandyRandy Brock (born 1943)	Republican	Vermont	January 3, 2005	January 4, 2007
	Sawyer, DwayneDwayne Sawyer (born 1966)	Republican	Indiana	August 19, 2013	December 15, 2013	Resigned.
	Braswell, NatalieNatalie Braswell	Democratic	Connecticut	December 31, 2021	January 4, 2023	Appointed to the office.
	DeFoor, TimothyTimothy DeFoor (born 1961)	Republican	Pennsylvania	January 19, 2022	present	Currently serving.
	Gaines, Brian J.Brian J. Gaines	Democratic	South Carolina	May 12, 2023	present	Currently serving.

Superintendents of Education: Overseeing Schools

Superintendents of Education are in charge of a state's public school system. They work to improve education for all students.

     Denotes incumbent superintendent

• Italics denotes acting superintendent

Picture	Name	Party	State	Term start	Term end	Notes	Ref
	Brown, William G.William G. Brown (1832–1883)	Republican	Louisiana	1872	1876
	Cardozo, ThomasThomas Cardozo (1838–1881)	Republican	Mississippi	1873	1875
	Corbin, JosephJoseph Corbin (1833–1911)	Republican	Arkansas	1873	1875
	Gibbs, Jonathan ClarksonJonathan Clarkson Gibbs (1821–1874)	Republican	Florida	1872	1874	Died in office.
	Riles, WilsonWilson Riles (1917–1999)	Democratic	California	1971	1983
	Jamerson, DougDoug Jamerson (1947–2001)	Democratic	Florida	1994	1995
	Willoughby, PatriciaPatricia Willoughby (?–present)	Democratic	North Carolina	September 1, 2004	August 23, 2005
	Stanford Taylor, CarolynCarolyn Stanford Taylor (born 1957)	Democratic	Wisconsin	January 7, 2019	July 5, 2021
	Thurmond, TonyTony Thurmond (born 1968)	Democratic	California	January 7, 2019	present	Currently serving.

Treasurers: Managing State Funds

State Treasurers are responsible for managing the state's money, including investments and payments.

     Denotes incumbent treasurer

• Italics denotes acting treasurer

Picture	Name	Party	State	Term start	Term end	Notes	Ref
	Dubuclet, AntoineAntoine Dubuclet (1810–1887)	Republican	Louisiana	1868	1878
	Lewis Cardozo, FrancisFrancis Lewis Cardozo (1836–1903)	Republican	South Carolina	August 1, 1872	May 1, 1877	Also served as Secretary of State.
	Lamb, GeraldGerald Lamb (1924–2014)	Democratic	Connecticut	1963	1970	Resigned.
	Parker, Henry E.Henry E. Parker (1928–2018)	Democratic	Connecticut	1974	1986	Resigned.
	Monroe, Loren E.Loren E. Monroe (1932–2019)	Republican	Michigan	1978	1982
	Lewis, James B.James B. Lewis (born 1947)	Democratic	New Mexico	1985	1990	Served two non-consecutive terms.
				2007	2015
	Borges, FranciscoFrancisco Borges (born 1951)	Democratic	Connecticut	January 4, 1987	March 1, 1993	Resigned.
	Hill, JimJim Hill (born 1947)	Democratic	Oregon	January 1, 1993	January 1, 2001
	Suggs Jr., Joseph M.Joseph M. Suggs Jr. (born 1940)	Democratic	Connecticut	March 3, 1993	January 4, 1995
	Dixon, RichardRichard Dixon (1938–2012)	Democratic	Maryland	1996	2002
	Nappier, DeniseDenise Nappier (born 1951)	Democratic	Connecticut	January 3, 1999	January 9, 2019	Served for many years.
	Bradley, JennetteJennette Bradley (born 1952)	Republican	Ohio	January 13, 2005	January 5, 2007
	Davis, MichelleneMichellene Davis (born 1971)	Democratic	New Jersey	September 2007	January 2008	Served as acting Treasurer.
	Jones-Potter, VeldaVelda Jones-Potter (?–present)	Democratic	Delaware	January 1, 2009	January 1, 2011
	Boyce, KevinKevin Boyce (born 1971)	Democratic	Ohio	January 7, 2009	January 9, 2011
	Flowers, ChipChip Flowers (born 1974)	Democratic	Delaware	January 1, 2011	January 1, 2015
	Wooden, ShawnShawn Wooden (born 1970)	Democratic	Connecticut	January 3, 2019	January 4, 2023
	Russell, ErickErick Russell	Democratic	Connecticut	January 4, 2023	present	Currently serving.

Images for kids

• 

  Al Scott, Labor Commissioner of Georgia (1990-1992)

• 

  Mike Thurmond, Labor Commissioner of Georgia (1999-2011)

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