SNN Newsroom | October 12, 2026

Eight Black major-party candidates are on ballots for governor across the United States this November, a historically unusual field that spans both political parties. But with Election Day approaching on November 3, the public-opinion surveys tell different stories in each of their states.

Five of the nominees are Democrats and three are Republicans. The group includes Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, the country’s only currently serving Black governor, and seven other candidates seeking to add to a short list of Americans who have won a governor’s election. Only three Black Americans have been elected governor in U.S. history: L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and Moore. Others have served through succession.

The presence of Georgia Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Minnesota Republican Lisa Demuth also raises the possibility of the nation’s first Black woman elected governor. Both are seeking office against candidates from the opposite party. The Associated Press has documented the historic slate.

What recent polls show

The following are individual survey results available as of October 12, not estimates of election outcomes. All figures represent percentages of respondents in each survey.

  • Florida — Byron Donalds (Republican): A St. Pete Polls survey conducted October 5–7 put Donalds and Democrat David Jolly at 45% each among 836 likely voters. Other recent surveys have shown different margins; the tie should not be treated as a polling average.
  • Georgia — Keisha Lance Bottoms (Democrat): A Wedgewood Polls survey conducted October 2–3 reported Republican Rick Jackson at 51% and Bottoms at 49% among 600 likely voters. The polling compilation did not supply a margin of error or detailed methodology for that survey.
  • Maryland — Wes Moore (Democrat): A University of Maryland, Baltimore County survey conducted September 22–27 found Moore at 51% and Republican Dan Cox at 24% among 776 likely voters. The poll reported a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
  • Michigan — John James (Republican): A YouGov survey included in recent polling compilations put Democratic candidate Jocelyn Benson at 48% and James at 45% among 3,949 likely voters, with fieldwork ending in early October. Other recent Michigan surveys have recorded wider differences.
  • Minnesota — Lisa Demuth (Republican): A Morning Consult survey for The Daily Agenda, conducted October 2–7 among 1,000 registered voters, reported Democrat Amy Klobuchar at 48% and Demuth at 39%, with a reported margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 points.
  • Nevada — Aaron Ford (Democrat): A Noble Predictive Insights poll, conducted September 22–26, put Republican incumbent Joe Lombardo at 42% and Ford at 40% among 708 likely voters. Independent candidate Danielle Ford received 7%, with 9% undecided. The likely-voter margin of error was plus or minus 3.68 points.
  • South Carolina — Jermaine Johnson (Democrat): A Resonance Media survey ending October 3 reported Republican Alan Wilson at 45% and Johnson at 35% among 638 registered voters; the polling compilation lists a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 points. These are general-election figures, not Republican-primary polling.
  • Wisconsin — David Crowley (Democrat): A Marquette University Law School survey conducted September 16–23 reported Crowley at 49% and Republican Tom Tiffany at 46% among 692 likely voters, with 5% undecided. The survey’s likely-voter margin of error was plus or minus 4.8 points.

Eight states, different political circumstances

The surveys underscore why the eight candidacies cannot be assessed as one national race. Moore is seeking reelection in Maryland; other Black nominees are running for open seats or challenging an incumbent. Recent Florida and Georgia surveys found little separation between the two major-party candidates, while individual polls in Maryland and South Carolina recorded larger gaps. Wisconsin and Nevada polls reported differences smaller than their stated margins of error.

The nomination of eight Black candidates is a historical milestone regardless of the eventual results. Whether voters elect additional Black governors—and whether a Black woman wins a governor’s election for the first time—will be determined state by state on November 3.

Polling note: Surveys were conducted on different dates using different samples, including registered voters and likely voters. Margins of error, sampling methods and sponsorship disclosures vary. A two-point difference in one survey does not establish which candidate will win. Poll results may change before Election Day. Street News Now has linked the polling releases or public compilations used for each set of figures.