The Democratic winners will become the first Black governors of their respective states following victories in the 2026 midterm elections.
Aaron Ford and David Crowley have won the Nevada and Wisconsin governor races, making history as the first Black governors-elect in their respective states.
Ford, Nevada’s Democratic attorney general, defeated Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo. In Wisconsin, Crowley, the Democratic Milwaukee County executive, defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany.
Aaron Ford elected Nevada’s first Black governor
Ford’s victory returns Nevada’s governor’s office to Democratic control and adds another milestone to his political career. He became Nevada’s first Black attorney general in 2019 after previously serving as the state’s first Black Senate majority leader.
Before entering public office, Ford worked as a math teacher and later became an attorney. Throughout his campaign, he discussed growing up in poverty and attending school hungry, connecting those experiences to the financial pressures facing Nevada families.
His campaign emphasized affordability, including housing costs, student loan debt and household expenses. Ford also criticized Lombardo’s vetoes of legislation addressing corporate homeownership and free school meals.
On healthcare, Ford pledged to revisit legislation allowing Nevada to adopt Medicaid-negotiated prescription drug prices, alongside proposals limiting the number of homes large corporations can purchase.
David Crowley elected Wisconsin’s first Black governor
Crowley’s win keeps Wisconsin’s governor’s office in Democratic hands. He will succeed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who chose not to seek a third term. It will be also the first time in the state’s 178-year history that Democrats will hold the governor’s office for more than eight consecutive years.
A Milwaukee native, Crowley was elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2016. He became Milwaukee County’s first Black county executive in 2020 and the youngest person elected to that position.
Crowley campaigned on lowering household costs, expanding affordable housing and homeownership assistance, and improving access to healthcare and childcare. His economic priorities also included apprenticeships, technical training and access to capital for small businesses.
