Douglas Wilder

Lawrence Douglas Wilder (born January 17, 1931) is the first African-American to be elected governor of a U.S State. He became governor of Virginia on January 13, 1990 after being elected on November 7, 1989.

He was born in Richmond, Virginia. He briefly considered running for president in 1991 in the Democratic Party.

The first African-American governor of a U.S. State was P. B. S. Pinchback, who became governor of Louisiana in December 9, 1872 upon the removal from office of his predecessor.