List of African-American statewide elected officials
This is a list of African Americans who have served in statewide elected executive offices in the United States, whether they were elected, succeeded or appointed to such elected office. These state constitutional officers have their duties and qualifications mandated in state constitutions. This list includes those directly elected to state constitutional boards and commissions, whether statewide or by district. This list does not include those elected to serve in non-executive branches of government, such as justices of the state supreme courts or at-large members of the state legislatures. This list also excludes federal legislators, such as the two members of the United States Senate elected from each state or at-large members of the United States House of Representatives.
Governors
| Portrait | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| Republican | Louisiana | 27 6 1868 | 22 11 1871 | Elevated from lieutenant governor. Died in office. | ||
| Republican | Louisiana | 9 12 1872 | 13 1 1873 | Elevated from lieutenant governor. Term ended. | ||
| Democratic | Virginia | 13 1 1990 | 15 1 1994 | Term-limited. | ||
| Democratic | Massachusetts | 4 1 2007 | 8 1 2015 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | New York | 17 3 2008 | 31 12 2010 | Elevated to office from lieutenant governor. Retired. | ||
| Democrat | Maryland | 18 1 2023 | present |
Territorial governors
- Italics denotes acting governor
| Portrait | Name | Party | Territory | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| Democratic | District of Columbia | 7 11 1967 | 2 1 1979 | Appointed as Mayor-Commissioner before being elected in his own right Lost renomination | ||
| Republican | United States Virgin Islands | 01 07 1969 | 06 01 1975 | Appointed as civilian governor before being elected in his own right Lost election | ||
| Democratic | District of Columbia | 2 1 1979 | 2 1 1991 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | District of Columbia | 2 1 1995 | 2 1 1999 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | District of Columbia | 2 1 1991 | 2 1 1995 | Lost renomination | ||
| Democratic | District of Columbia | 2 1 1999 | 2 1 2007 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | District of Columbia | 2 1 2007 | 2 1 2011 | Lost renomination | ||
| Democratic | District of Columbia | 2 1 2011 | 2 1 2015 | Lost renomination | ||
| Democratic | District of Columbia | 2 1 2015 | present |
Lieutenant governors
- Italics denotes acting lieutenant governor
| Portrait | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| Republican | Louisiana | 27 6 1868 | 22 11 1871 | Died | ||
| Republican | 3 12 1870 | 7 12 1872 | Retired to run successfully for South Carolina's 2nd congressional district | |||
| Republican | Mississippi | 30 11 1871 | 29 3 1876 | Retired | ||
| Republican | Louisiana | 6 12 1871 | 9 12 1872 | Elevated to governor | ||
| Republican | South Carolina | 7 12 1872 | 14 12 1876 | Lost reelection | ||
| Republican | Louisiana | 22 5 1873 | 24 4 1877 | Lost reelection | ||
| Democratic | California | 6 1 1975 | 8 1 1979 | Lost reelection | ||
| Democratic | Colorado | 14 1 1975 | 10 1 1979 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | Virginia | 18 1 1986 | 12 1 1990 | Retired to run successfully for governor | ||
| Republican | Colorado | 12 1 1999 | 14 1 2003 | Retired | ||
| Republican | Ohio | 13 1 2003 | 5 1 2005 | Resigned to become Ohio Treasurer | ||
| Republican | Maryland | 15 1 2003 | 17 1 2007 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senator of Maryland | ||
| Democratic | New York | 1 1 2007 | 17 3 2008 | Elevated to governor | ||
| Democratic | Maryland | 17 1 2007 | 21 1 2015 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for governor | ||
| Democratic | New York | 7 1 2009 | 8 6 2009 | Resigned | ||
| Republican | Florida | 4 1 2011 | 12 3 2013 | Resigned | ||
| Republican | Maryland | 21 1 2015 | 18 1 2023 | Retired | ||
| Republican | Kentucky | 8 12 2015 | 9 12 2019 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | Virginia | 13 1 2018 | 15 1 2022 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor | ||
| Democratic | New Jersey | 16 1 2018 | 1 8 2023 | Died | ||
| Garlin Gilchrist | Democratic | Michigan | present | |||
| Democratic | Wisconsin | 7 1 2019 | 3 1 2023 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. senator | ||
| Democratic | Illinois | January 14, 2019 | present | |||
| Republican | North Carolina | January 9, 2021 | January 1, 2025 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for governor | ||
| Democratic | New York | 24 8 2021 | 9 9 2021 | New Lieutenant Governor appointed | ||
| Democratic | New York | 12 4 2022 | 25 5 2022 | New Lieutenant Governor appointed | ||
| Democratic | New York | September 9, 2021 | April 12, 2022 | Resigned | ||
Republican | Virginia | January 15, 2022 | present | |||
| Democratic | New York | May 25, 2022 | present | |||
| 80px | Democratic | Pennsylvania | January 17, 2023 | present | ||
| Democratic | New Jersey | September 8, 2023 | present |
Attorneys general
- Italics denotes acting attorney general
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes | Ref |
| Republican | Massachusetts | 3 1 1963 | 3 1 1967 | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate from Massachusetts | |||
| Democratic | Illinois | 14 1 1991 | 9 1 1995 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of Illinois | |||
| Democratic | Indiana | 13 1 1993 | 16 1 1997 | Retired | |||
| Democratic | Georgia | 1 6 1997 | 10 1 2011 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of Georgia | |||
| Democratic | Indiana | 8 6 2000 | 14 1 2001 | Lost reelection | |||
| Democratic | New Jersey | 16 6 2003 | 30 1 2006 | Retired. | |||
| Democratic | California | 3 1 2011 | 3 1 2017 | Retired to run successfully for U.S. Senate from California | |||
| Republican | Indiana | 9 1 2017 | 11 1 2021 | Lost renomination | |||
| Democratic | New York | 1 1 2019 | present | ||||
| Democratic | Illinois | 14 1 2019 | present | ||||
| Democratic | Nevada | 7 1 2019 | present | ||||
| Democratic | Minnesota | 7 1 2019 | present | ||||
| | Republican | Kentucky | 17 12 2019 | 17 12 2023 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor of Kentucky | ||
| 80px | Democrat | Maryland | 03 01 2023 | present | |||
| Andrea Campbell | Democrat | Massachusetts | January 18, 2023 | present |
Territorial attorneys general
- Italics denotes acting attorney general
| Picture | Name | Party | Territory | Term start | Term end | Notes | Ref |
| Democratic | District of Columbia | 2 1 2015 | 2 1 2023 |
Secretaries of state
- Italics denotes acting secretary of state
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes | Ref | - |
| Republican | Florida | 1868 | 1872 | Retired to run successfully for Superintendent of Public Instruction | - | |||
| Republican | Louisiana | 1872 | 1876 | Retired | - | |||
| Republican | Mississippi | 1869 | 1872 | Retired | - | |||
| Republican | Mississippi | 1872 | 1873 | Retired | - | |||
| Republican | Mississippi | 1873 | 1873 | Retired | - | |||
| M. M. McLeod | Republican | Mississippi | 1873 | 1873 | Retired | - | ||
| James Hill | Republican | Mississippi | 1874 | 1878 | Retired | - | ||
| Republican | South Carolina | 1868 | 1872 | Retired to run successfully for State Treasurer | - | |||
| Republican | South Carolina | 1872 | 1877 | Resigned | - | |||
| Democratic | Michigan | 1 1 1971 | 1 1 1995 | Lost re-election | - | |||
| Democratic | New York | 1 1 1979 | 1 1 1983 | Retired | ||||
| Democratic | Florida | 19 7 1978 | 2 1 1979 | Retired | - | |||
| Democratic | Wisconsin | 3 1 1979 | 3 1 1983 | Lost re-nomination | - | |||
| Democratic | Texas | 6 8 1984 | 26 1 1987 | Retired | - | |||
| Democratic | Oklahoma | 1987 | 1991 | Retired | - | |||
| Republican | Colorado | 1994 | 1999 | Died | - | |||
| Republican | New Jersey | 1994 | 1998 | Retired | - | |||
| Republican | New Jersey | 1 1 1999 | 1 1 2002 | Retired | - | |||
| Republican | Ohio | 8 1 1999 | 8 1 2007 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for governor | - | |||
| Democratic | Illinois | 11 1 1999 | 9 1 2023 | Retired | - | |||
| Democratic | New York | 2001 | 2005 | Retired | - | |||
| Democratic | New Jersey | 2002 | 2006 | Retired | - | |||
| Democratic | New Jersey | 19 1 2006 | 19 1 2010 | Retired | - | |||
| Republican | Georgia | 8 11 2018 | 14 1 2019 | Retired | - | |||
| Democratic | New Jersey | 16 1 2018 | present | - | ||||
| Democratic | California | 21 1 2021 | present | - | ||||
| Democratic | Connecticut | 04 1 2023 | present | - |
Labor commissioners
- Italics denotes acting labor commissioner
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes | Ref |
| Democratic | Georgia | 1990 | 1992 | Appointed by governor, lost special election primary | |||
| Democratic | Georgia | 11 1 1999 | 10 1 2011 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate |
Auditors and comptrollers
- Italics denotes acting auditor or comptroller
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| Republican | Kansas | 8 1 1883 | 10 1 1887 | Lost re-nomination | ||
| Democratic | Illinois | 8 1 1979 | 14 1 1991 | Retired to run successfully for Attorney General of Illinois | ||
| Democratic | New York | 7 5 1993 | 31 12 2002 | Retired to run unsuccessfully for Governor | ||
| Democratic | North Carolina | 3 1 1993 | 4 1 2005 | Lost re-election | ||
| Republican | Vermont | 3 1 2005 | 4 1 2007 | Lost reelection | ||
| Republican | Indiana | 19 8 2013 | 15 12 2013 | Resigned | ||
| Democratic | Connecticut | 31 12 2021 | 04 01 2023 | Retired | ||
| 75px | Republican | Pennsylvania | 19 1 2022 | present | ||
| Democratic | South Carolina | 12 5 2023 | present |
Superintendents of education
- Italics denotes acting superintendent
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes | Ref |
| Republican | Louisiana | 1872 | 1876 | Lost reelection | |||
| Republican | Mississippi | 1873 | 1875 | Lost reelection | |||
| Republican | Arkansas | 1873 | 1875 | Lost reelection | |||
| Republican | Florida | 1872 | 1874 | Died | |||
| Democratic | California | 1971 | 1983 | Lost reelection | |||
| Democratic | Florida | 1994 | 1995 | Lost reelection | |||
| Democratic | North Carolina | 1 9 2004 | 23 8 2005 | Retired | |||
| Democratic | Wisconsin | 7 1 2019 | 5 7 2021 | Retired | |||
| Democratic | California | 7 1 2019 | present | ||||
| Democratic | North Carolina | 1 1 2025 | present |
Treasurers
- Italics denotes acting treasurer
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
| 75px | Republican | Louisiana | 1868 | 1878 | Retired | |
| Republican | South Carolina | 1 8 1872 | 1 5 1877 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | Connecticut | 1963 | 1970 | Resigned | ||
| Democratic | Connecticut | 1974 | 1986 | Resigned | ||
| Republican | Michigan | 1978 | 1982 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | New Mexico | 1985 | 1990 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | New Mexico | 2007 | 2015 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | Connecticut | 4 1 1987 | 1 3 1993 | Resigned | ||
| Democratic | Oregon | 1 1 1993 | 1 1 2001 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | Connecticut | 3 3 1993 | 4 1 1995 | Lost election | ||
| Democratic | Maryland | 1996 | 2002 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | Connecticut | 3 1 1999 | 9 1 2019 | Retired | ||
| Republican | Ohio | 13 1 2005 | 5 1 2007 | Lost renomination | ||
| Democratic | New Jersey | September 2007 | January 2008 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | Delaware | 1 1 2009 | 1 1 2011 | Lost renomination | ||
| Democratic | Ohio | 7 1 2009 | 9 1 2011 | Lost reelection | ||
| Democratic | Delaware | 1 1 2011 | 1 1 2015 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | Connecticut | 3 1 2019 | 4 1 2023 | Retired | ||
| Democratic | Connecticut | 4 1 2023 | present | Incumbent |
Public utilities or railroad commissioners
- Italics denotes acting public utilities or railroad commissioner
| Picture | Name | Party | State | Term start | Term end | Notes |
David Burgess | Democratic | Georgia | 1998 | 1 1 2007 | Lost re-election | |
| Michael L. Williams | Republican | Texas | 3 1 1999 | 31 3 2011 | Resigned | |
| Democratic | Arizona | Lost re-election | ||||
| Democratic | Arizona | Lost re-election | ||||
| Fitz Johnson | Republican | Georgia | 2021 | present |