Divine Nine Members Win Major 2026 Midterm Races
Several Black Divine Nine fraternity and sorority members claimed statewide and congressional victories in the November 3, 2026 midterm elections.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Elections
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Members of Black Divine Nine organizations won multiple races in the 2026 midterm elections held November 3, 2026. Several winners became the first Black officeholders in their states or cities.
Why it matters
The wins add to a record of Black representation in top state and federal offices, including first-time firsts in Georgia, New York, and Nevada. Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the country's first Black Speaker of the House if his party secures control.
Nineteen Divine Nine members were named among the winners in the November 3, 2026 midterm elections, spanning governor, U.S. Senate, House, and state executive offices. Final vote margins and the outcome of chamber control were not detailed in the source.
The players
Hakeem Jeffries
Hakeem Jeffries is a Democratic congressman from New York who was reelected to represent the Eighth Congressional District and is poised to become the first Black Speaker of the House.
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Keisha Lance Bottoms is a former Atlanta mayor who won the Georgia gubernatorial race as the first Black woman to win a gubernatorial contest in the state and nationally.
Wes Moore
Wes Moore is the governor of Maryland who was reelected in the 2026 midterm elections.
Adrienne Adams
Adrienne Adams is a former New York City Council speaker who won the lieutenant governor election alongside Kathy Hochul and became the state's first Black woman to hold the office.
Juliana Stratton
Juliana Stratton is an Illinois politician who won the 2026 U.S. Senate election in the state.
The details
Penny Brown Reynolds won the Georgia Secretary of State office and became the first Divine Nine member to hold it, while Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Georgia governor's race as the first Black woman to win a gubernatorial race there and nationwide. In New York, Adrienne Adams won the lieutenant governor election alongside Kathy Hochul, and Aaron Ford became Nevada's first Black governor.
Timeline
2020: David Crowley became the first Black Milwaukee County Executive.
November 3, 2026: Midterm elections were held and Divine Nine candidates won their races.
Roadmap
The 2026 wins extend a pattern of first-time Black officeholders in statewide executive posts that has developed since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Several winners, including Aaron Ford and Keisha Lance Bottoms, added names to that list in their states and nationally.
Voters in Georgia, New York, Nevada, and Illinois now have officeholders who took office through the 2026 midterm elections. The composition of state executive offices will shape policy decisions in those states in the coming term.
The takeaway
Election results show how individual races can produce multiple historic firsts in a single cycle. Readers interested in how these officeholders will govern can follow each state's legislative and executive announcements as terms begin.
Further reading
Track more results in the Elections section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Root.
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