The first African-American to serve as governor of a state was P.B.S. Pinchback (R), who in 1872 served out the remainder of then-Louisiana Governor Henry Clay Warmoth's term when Governor Warmoth was impeached, convicted and removed from office.  Mr. Pinchback was at the time holding the position of Lt. Governor, having been elected by the state senate to fill the vacancy left by the sudden death of Lt. Gov. Oscar Dunn. Governor Pinchback's term was brief, lasting only 35 days until the inauguration of his successor on January 13, 1873.

The first state to elect an African-American governor was the Commonwealth of Virginia when, on November 8, 1989, Democrat Douglas Wilder defeated Republican Marshall Coleman for the seat of retiring Governor Gerald Baliles, whom he had served for four years as Lt. Governor. The first African-American elected governor of a state, Governor Wilder served a full four-year term, from 1990 until 1994.