Jamaicans have long played important roles in politics across the diaspora, serving in elected offices at the local, state and national levels. The 2026 United States midterm elections were no exception, with several Jamaican-born and Jamaican-descended candidates securing victories across the country.
From governorships and congressional seats to state legislatures and municipal offices, these candidates were either elected to new positions or successfully secured another term in office.
Here are 11 elected officials with Jamaican roots who emerged victorious in the November 3rd, 2026, U.S. midterm elections.
Governors and Federal Officials
Byron Donalds – Governor of Florida (R)
Donalds was elected Governor of Florida, becoming the state’s first Black governor. A former U.S. congressman, he has Jamaican roots through his maternal grandparents, who emigrated from Jamaica.
Wes Moore – Governor of Maryland (D)
Moore, who made history in 2022 as Maryland’s first Black governor, secured a second term in office. His mother, Joy Thomas Moore, is Jamaican, with roots in Trelawny.
Yvette D. Clarke – U.S. House of Representatives, New York District 9 (D)
Clarke secured another term representing Brooklyn’s 9th Congressional District, a seat she has held since 2007. The daughter of Jamaican immigrants, including former New York City Council Member Una Clarke, she also serves as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, having previously served as its First Vice Chair.
State Officials and Legislators
Anthony G. Brown – Maryland Attorney General (D)
Brown secured another term as Maryland’s Attorney General, an office he first won in 2022. His father, Dr Roy Brown, emigrated from Kingston, Jamaica, while his mother was from Switzerland.
Leroy Comrie – New York State Senate, District 14 (D)
Comrie secured another term representing parts of Queens in the New York State Senate. Both his parents, Ruby Frith-Comrie and Leroy Comrie Sr., were Jamaican immigrants.
Monique Chandler-Waterman – New York State Assembly, District 58 (D)
Chandler-Waterman retained her seat representing parts of Brooklyn, having first entered the Assembly in 2022. She is the daughter of Jamaican and Barbadian immigrants.
Brian Cunningham – New York State Assembly, District 43 (Democrat) | Re-elected
Cunningham secured another term representing Brooklyn’s 43rd Assembly District. He was born and raised in New York City to Jamaican immigrant parents.
Alicia Hyndman – New York State Assembly, District 29 (D)
Hyndman retained her seat representing the 29th Assembly District in Queens. She was born in London to a Jamaican mother and Guyanese father before moving to New York.
Local Government Officials
Denise D. Grant – Mayor of Lauderhill, Florida | Re-elected
Grant, who was born in Christiana, Manchester, Jamaica, secured another term as Mayor of Lauderhill with approximately 85 per cent of the vote. She previously served as a city commissioner and vice mayor before assuming the mayoralty in November 2025. In 2026, she received a Recognition Award from the Government of Guyana for her public service and contributions to strengthening ties with the Caribbean diaspora in South Florida.
Richard Campbell – Lauderhill City Commissioner, Seat 4
Campbell secured another term on the Lauderhill City Commission, winning approximately 54 per cent of the vote. The Jamaican-American physical therapist previously served as the city’s vice mayor and founded the Caribbean-American Soccer Association.
Dr. Kicia Daniel – Tamarac City Commissioner, District 4, Florida | Re-elected
Daniel secured another term on the Tamarac City Commission with approximately 65 per cent of the vote. An educator and school principal, she was first elected in 2022 and made history in December 2024 when she became the first Black woman appointed vice mayor in Tamarac’s 61-year history. She also served on the 2024–2025 Broward League of Cities Board of Directors.
Jamaican Representation Across the Diaspora
The success of these candidates reflects the continued presence of Jamaicans and their descendants in public service across the United States. Whether representing communities in Congress, state legislatures or local government, they are part of a longstanding tradition of Jamaican diaspora involvement in American civic and political life.
