While eight women currently serve as governors in the mainland United States (plus one in the territory of Guam), there’s never been a Black woman governor, ever, in the country.
In Virginia, three Black women are among those running for governor in the June 8 Primary Election, seeking to ascend to the Commonwealth’s highest office and potentially make history. Two Democrats— Jennifer Carroll Foy and Jennifer McClellan— as well as Liberation Party candidate Princess Blanding are in the race. Lt. Governor, Justin Fairfax, the state’s first Black man in that role is also running.
They are joined by Terry McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chair who served as Governor from 2014 to 2018, and Republican Glenn Youngkin, who has been endorsed by former president Donald Trump.