Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith’s remark to a colleague that “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row” puts the Magnolia State at center stage for Black voters in the 2018 mid-term elections.
In the 240-year history of the United States, four African American men have presided as the chief executive of a state or commonwealth. Only two were elected in their own right – Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, in 2006, and Douglas Wilder of Virginia, in 1989. David Paterson of New York was elevated to the office upon the resignation of Eliot Spitzer in 2008
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum upset a crowded field of well-funded candidates in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary Tuesday, a step away from becoming the state’s first black governor. His surprise victory sets up a November showdown with Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis, a favorite of President Donald Trump.
Former NAACP President Ben Jealous won the Maryland Democratic nomination for governor on Tuesday, giving him a shot at becoming the state’s first black governor and setting up a battle between the progressive candidate and a popular Republican incumbent.
Former NAACP president asks school to rescind DeVos invite
Sanders says Jealous has had a lifetime of courageous activism and can speak to every community.
Former NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous, also former Black press executive, is now launching a political career.