# Black Governors **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 11, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-governors/352186 "2006-04-11T03:51:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-governors/352186/1 "2006-04-11T03:51:29Z")
Has any US state elected a black person as governor? I think there may have been one or two during Reconstruction, but I don’t know of any since then. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-governors/352186/2 "2006-04-11T03:57:29Z")
[Douglas Wilder](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Wilder), the first and only black man elected governor of a U.S. State: Virginia, from 1990 to 1994. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-governors/352186/3 "2006-04-11T04:41:20Z")
Thanks Garfield, I remember that now. The reason I asked is that there’s a chance we may elect one here in Oregon this year and I was wondering if he’d be the first ever. I guess he’ll have to settle for second. Of course, this is a bit premature, as the primary is still a month or so away. If he wins that, I’m sure this question will be repeated here. Just remember, I asked it first… ---
**Author:** ![PigBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@PigBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-governors/352186/4 "2006-04-11T05:01:19Z")
[QUOTE=dtilque] The reason I asked is that there’s a chance we may elect one here in Oregon this year and I was wondering if he’d be the first ever. I guess he’ll have to settle for second. [/QUOTE] And he’ll have to settle for a tie for second if Ken Blackwell is elected governor in Ohio this year (something which has a decent chance of happening). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-governors/352186/5 "2006-04-11T05:26:45Z")
[QUOTE=Garfield226] [Douglas Wilder](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Wilder), the first and only black man elected governor of a U.S. State: Virginia, from 1990 to 1994. [/QUOTE] Just from his picture, I would never have thought he was Black. The earlier poster of him running for the state Senate looks like a Black man, but not the more recent one. He didn’t happen to visit Michael Jackson’s doctor between then and now, did he? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-governors/352186/6 "2006-04-11T17:32:17Z")
😛 He’s definitely a light-skinned guy; [this](http://www.vuu.edu/alumni/LDouglasWilder.htm) looks a little more natural (less posed). ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-governors/352186/7 "2006-04-11T18:25:12Z")
In terms of other minorities, Hawaii has elected several “firsts” as governor: First Asian American: George Ariyoshi (1974-1986) First Native Hawaiian: John D Waihee III (1986-1994) First Filipino American: Benjamin J Cayetano (1994-2002) I am unsure whether Waihee would qualify as the person of indigenous extraction (i.e., including Native Americans as well as Hawaiian) to be elected governor of a US state. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-governors/352186/8 "2006-04-11T19:00:24Z")
[QUOTE=dtilque] Thanks Garfield, I remember that now. The reason I asked is that there’s a chance we may elect one here in Oregon this year and I was wondering if he’d be the first ever. I guess he’ll have to settle for second. Of course, this is a bit premature, as the primary is still a month or so away. If he wins that, I’m sure this question will be repeated here. Just remember, I asked it first… [/QUOTE] Yeah. I’m pretty sure that Hill has no chance against Kulongoski in the primary, though, despite his qualifications and endorsements. Unfortunate, as he’d get my vote in a heartbeat.