ORLANDO, Fla. — The November 3, 2026, elections brought historic victories for Black women in Florida and Georgia, while U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon’s competitive campaign demonstrated the changing political landscape in the Sunshine State.
In Orange County, Tiffany Moore Russell became the first Black woman elected county mayor, defeating Chris Messina with approximately 63% of the vote.
Moore Russell, who previously served as Orange County Clerk of Courts and a county commissioner, described her victory as an opportunity to inspire another generation of women to pursue public office.
Roberta Walton Johnson also won a decisive victory, capturing approximately 70% of the vote to become Orange County’s next Clerk of Courts. An attorney and former general counsel in the Clerk’s Office, Walton Johnson succeeds Moore Russell.
Angie Nixon Looks Toward 2028
Although Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon lost her U.S. Senate race to Republican incumbent Ashley Moody, the contest was closer than many of Florida’s recent statewide elections.
Moody received approximately 51% of the vote, compared with Nixon’s 48%, according to election-night reporting.
Nixon, who campaigned on housing affordability, healthcare and economic opportunity, indicated that her political work would continue through the next election cycle.
Speaking after the race, Nixon left open the possibility of another campaign in 2028 but did not make a formal announcement.
Stacey Abrams and a Historic Victory in Georgia
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams also brought her civic engagement work to Florida during the election season, including an October 30 visit to Florida A&M University in Tallahassee for a voter education event.
Abrams’ political legacy extends beyond her own campaigns. Her gubernatorial bids in 2018 and 2022, along with her voting-rights advocacy, helped expand the organizing infrastructure that contributed to Democratic political activity in Georgia.
That history took on new significance when Keisha Lance Bottoms won Georgia’s gubernatorial election, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of any U.S. state.
Bottoms’ achievement represents a milestone that generations of Black women in politics worked toward.
From Shirley Chisholm to Today’s Leaders
None of these historic gains of 2026 came easy. Other Black women created a path that challenged racial and gender barriers in American politics.
In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress. Four years later, she sought the Democratic presidential nomination, challenging traditional ideas about who could seek the nation’s highest office.
In 1992, Carol Moseley Braun became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate. Decades later, Kamala Harris became the Vice President of the United States and the first Black woman nominated for president.
Now, the elections of Moore Russell and Bottoms add new milestones to that history.
While their political experiences and election outcomes differ, these women share a place in the continuing story of Black representation in American government.
For Florida, the 2026 elections illustrated both the opportunities and the challenges that remain as Black women seek public office at every level of government.
