Governors, all of whom are popularly elected, serve as the chief executive officers of the fifty states and five commonwealths and territories.

Of the 78 Americans who have served as President, Vice President or both since the nation was formed, 27 had been governor of a state. With the first being Thomas Jefferson and the last George W. Bush.

Today there are just nine female governors in the United States — six Democrats and three Republicans — despite women representing a slight majority of the population. None of the women are Black, but at least six women hope to change this situation in 2022.

Danielle Allen (D-MA)
Allen is an academic; graduated from Princeton, Cambridge, and Harvard; and worked in the nonprofit sector.

Connie Johnson (D-OK)
Johnson is a former state senator from Oklahoma City and this is her second bid.

Deidre DeJear (D-IA)
The Drake University graduate was nominated for secretary of state in 2018.

Mia McLeod (D-SC)
McLeod has been a state lawmaker for a decade, including stints in both the state House and state Senate. She is a seventh-generation South Carolinian and small business owner.

Deirdre Gilbert (I-TX)
Gilbert is running as an Independent and worked on the denial of voting rights in Missouri City elections.

Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Her rematch against the current governor is widely regarded as one of the marquee races of the 2022 election cycle. She just released a children’s book, “Stacey’s Extraordinary Words.”