Caffeinated Politics

It may seem odd to say that I was glad when Barack Obama was elected president in November 2008 because he looked like me. I knew someone in my age group (he is one year older than I am) would be in the White House shaping policy. That really mattered to me.

Our nation should elect people who mirror the voters and who then become the face of our government. That is why the primary season across the nation, as we head for the November midterm elections, has been elevated to something worthy of watching.

I am talking about the slate of African American gubernatorial nominees who have already made history by being nominated, and some who will continue making history as they become their state’s highest political official. In too many states, Black leadership as a governor was treated as an anomaly. But now, eight major‑party nominees are on the ballot, spread across regions that once had such disgusting racial barriers it was impossible to fathom a Black person elected as governor. This fall, several of these nominees will step over the racism and win.

The number of Black nominees is unprecedented. Maryland, Wisconsin, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, South Carolina, Minnesota, and Michigan will be watched in the 76 days to the elections. It is empowering to realize that a large cross‑section of the country is no longer reticent about having a Black governor. After the pure racism of the hate-filled MAGA movement demonstrating its hold on certain parts of the nation, we can be proud that a determined and healthy majority of party voters (both Democrat and Republican) cast ballots to nominate these Black candidates.

Here are their names and states:

• Wes Moore — Maryland (Democrat, incumbent)
• Byron Donalds — Florida (Republican)
• Keisha Lance Bottoms — Georgia (Democrat)
• Jermaine Johnson — South Carolina (Democrat)
• Aaron Ford — Nevada (Democrat)
• David Crowley — Wisconsin (Democrat)
• Lisa Demuth — Minnesota (Republican)
• John James — Michigan (Republican)

What makes this moment ring for me is the promise of normalization of Black representation at the state level. These campaigns aren’t framed as symbolic bids or long‑shot gestures. They are competitive, well‑funded, and taken seriously by parties, donors, and voters. That perception and perspective matter. I say that as only three African Americans have ever been elected governor in the history of the United States.

Wes Moore, Maryland, elected 2022. Douglas Wilder, Virginia, elected 1989. Deval Patrick, Massachusetts, elected 2006.

From the long arc of history, I suggest that these nominees are doing more than just seeking office. Their presence forces a reckoning with the distance between America’s stated ideals and its lived political reality. Big ideas to ponder in this angry and bombastic period in which we live. Watching these races in the closing months of the midterms will be viewing history in the making.