Black Power on the Ballot: The Midterm Races You Need to Watch
The November 2026 midterms are just as much about Black political power as they are about which party will control Congress. Black candidates across the country are gearing up to make history, proving that representation and who gets a seat at the table matter, too.
From the potential firsts of Keisha Lance Bottoms and Byron Donalds to vulnerable incumbents and redistricting battles in the South, these races could reshape policy and opportunity for Black America. Here are some of the many key Black midterm races to watch.
Aaron Ford
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is looking to turn Nevada’s attorney general’s office into the governor’s mansion, with affordability, public education and defending residents against federal overreach central to the fight. His challenge is convincing voters that his record can deliver beyond the courtroom. Ford is term-limited as attorney general and running for governor, so this is an open-seat contest rather than a reelection bid.
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is chasing a breakthrough that would make her Georgia’s first Black woman governor, but history alone will not win this race. Her pitch centers on lowering household costs, strengthening schools and expanding Medicaid as she faces a tough statewide political landscape. Bottoms emphasizes kitchen-table issues over identity as she seeks to win a state where Democrats face a formidable Republican electorate.
RELATED: National Black Voter Day: What Black Voters Need to Know Before the Midterms
Maxwell Frost
Incumbent Rep. Maxwell Frost is running for reelection completely unopposed. That makes him one of the safer names on this list, but his campaign is a reminder that younger Black and Latino progressive leadership is part of the fight over Congress’s future. Frost’s focus on gun violence, climate action and economic justice speaks to voters demanding more than symbolic representation. Florida’s shifting political map makes district boundaries worth watching.
Byron Donalds
MAGA Republican Byron Donalds is campaigning to become Florida’s first Black governor, but the historic possibility comes with a sharp ideological question: who benefits from his version of conservative leadership? We previously told you that Donalds is promising tax cuts, insurance reform and greater health-care transparency. On the other hand, Democrat David Jolly offers a contrasting pitch, setting up a consequential test of whether Florida voters want continuity with the DeSantis era or a change in direction.
Priscilla Williams-Till
Priscilla Williams-Till, who is the cousin of Emmett Till, is bringing an education, public-health and community-advocacy background to Mississippi politics. After losing the Democratic nomination for Senate, Williams-Till has entered the governor’s race, where the stakes for Black families are enormous. Her message emphasizes justice, opportunity and making government work for communities too often left behind.
Christian Menefee
Texas Rep. Christian Menefee’s path to Congress has already involved a high-stakes Democratic showdown, defeating longtime incumbent Rep. Al Green in a runoff after Texas redistricting reshaped the political terrain, we reported. Now the focus shifts to the general election and whether he can defend the seat against Republican Ronald Whitfield. For Black Texans, this contest is about representation, voting power and who gets to speak for Houston’s historic Black political stronghold.
Everton Blair
Everton Blair brings an educator’s lens to Congress, highlighting teacher pay, student services and working families as he builds a political identity beyond the classroom. His special-election victory following the death of David Scott gave him a place in Washington, but the larger question is whether voters will reward his leadership with a full term. For Black Georgians, his rise also expands the conversation about representation, LGBTQ+ inclusion and whose experiences shape federal policy.
Wes Moore
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s reelection fight is about proving that historic representation can coexist with measurable results. He is campaigning on affordability, public safety, jobs and stronger schools, while Republican Dan Cox offers a sharp ideological contrast. Moore is the only current Black governor in the country.
Don Davis
North Carolina Rep. Don Davis is fighting for his political survival in one of the clearest examples of how redistricting can threaten Black representation. The Root told you that Republican lawmakers reshaped his district to make it more favorable to the GOP, setting up another showdown with Laurie Buckhout. Davis narrowly defeated Buckhout in 2024. The new district leans substantially more Republican, making this a genuine toss-up-style fight rather than a safe incumbent seat.
Jermaine Johnson
Rep. Jermaine Johnson is trying to make South Carolina history while campaigning on economic opportunity and support for working families. The state representative and former professional basketball player is running to become the state’s first Black governor, a breakthrough that would carry significance far beyond one election. But Republicans hold a powerful statewide advantage, so Johnson must persuade voters that his agenda offers a credible alternative–not just a historic candidacy.
Angie Nixon
Angie Nixon is taking a grassroots, working-class message into a Florida Senate race where Democrats face steep statewide headwinds. Her focus on rent, gas prices and housing costs puts everyday economic pressure front and center, while her challenge to party insiders raises questions about whose voices get prioritized. A win would make her Florida’s first Black U.S. senator, we also told you.
David Crowley
Adding to the growing list of Black gubernatorial candidates is Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in Wisconsin, who’d make history as first Black governor in the state. His race has been shaped by crime, affordability and the state’s deep partisan divide. Republican Tom Tiffany is attacking Crowley’s record on public safety and taxes, while Crowley is challenging Tiffany’s ties to Trump, we previously told you. Fact-checks have pushed back on some of the sharpest crime claims, but the contest remains close– and the outcome could reshape Wisconsin’s political future.
N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas
N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas is bringing a nurse’s perspective to Oklahoma’s Senate contest, emphasizing health care, accountability and the struggles of families navigating disability services and economic insecurity. Her candidacy offers a different voice in a state where Democrats face a steep uphill climb, we told you. The immediate question is whether her grassroots appeal can build enough support to compete in a Republican stronghold and turn lived experience into broader political influence.
Letitia James
Letitia James is seeking another term as New York’s attorney general, defending a record built on consumer protection, civil rights and high-profile legal battles with powerful interests. Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy is trying to turn public-safety concerns and criticism of James’s national profile into an opening. For Black voters, the stakes include how aggressively the state uses its legal power to defend civil rights and how it balances that mission with everyday concerns about safety and accountability.
Juliana Stratton
Juliana Stratton is trying to turn her tenure as Illinois lieutenant governor into a seat in the U.S. Senate, with affordability and health care at the heart of her campaign. She is promising a $25 federal minimum wage, Medicare for All and stronger protections for working families, The Root also reported. Her fiery anti-Trump ads energized the primary, but the general election against Republican Don Tracy will test whether that message can hold a broad coalition together.
