The 2026 midterms are pivotal for Black men and women running for public office. With many open seats, these potential candidates have a chance to change policies that have long affected Black communities. From voter rights under attack, to federal government programs being dismantled, and redistricting laws that could change Black representation in both local and federal governments, the stakes have never been higher for who sits in these positions.
National Public Office Day, observed every March 31, has been hosted by Run for Something Civics since 2018, according to its website. The organization launched the initiative to celebrate civic leadership and create representation at every level of government and in local offices. This year, a new wave of Black Americans is stepping up to represent their communities and create change.
Here are five candidates nationwide preparing to run for public office in 2026. From City Hall to Capitol Hill, these candidates are ready to make a difference. Here’s what you need to know about them.
Austin Edwards
Austin Edwards, 35, civil rights lawyer, activist, Trenton school board member and Trenton NAACP president, is preparing to run for Mayor of Trenton, New Jersey, according to The Trentonian and his official website.
Born and raised in the “Capital City,” Edwards said he was inspired to run for office because the city of Trenton has often been forgotten in policy decisions, funding discussions, regional planning and inaugural ceremony locations.
“I’m running so we can fix those problems,” Edwards said, per The Trentonian, “so that we can bring more jobs to Trenton. And we can make sure our small businesses have the resources they need to succeed. And we have a targeted workforce development plan. Our homeowners have a chance where they’re not going to be underwater all the time, or our renters can live in the Trenton that they deserve. That Trenton City Hall is clear and transparent to the people that they serve.”
Everton Blair
Everton Blair, 33, is running for Congress in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, challenging 80-year-old incumbent Rep. David Scott in the Democratic primary. He is one of several candidates running for Scott’s seat, according to the Advocate.
Blair was born and raised in the Georgia district with a background in secondary and higher education. In 2018, he was the youngest-ever member and first person of color elected to the Gwinnett County Board of Education, the largest school system in Georgia. If elected, he would be the first Black openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress from the South.
His key campaign areas include strengthening public education, affordable housing, health care, economic development, women’s reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and more, according to his website.
“We need a stronger set of Democrats who are willing to fight for their communities,” Blair said, per the Advocate. “We have to make sure we’re sending the strongest, most authentic, and surest fighter.”
Priscilla Williams-Till
Priscilla Williams-Till, cousin of 14-year-old Emmitt Till, who was abducted, brutally murdered and lynched by two white men in Mississippi, is running for U.S. Senate in the state.
Williams-Till will run as a Democrat against incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. A native of Mississippi, she was also inspired to delve into politics after Hyde-Smith’s 2018 remarks about public hangings in a video, according to the Mississippi Free Press.
“If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row,” she said in the video, referring to a rancher who showed up at a campaigning event to support her.
In August, Williams-Till spoke at a conference and called out Hyde-Smith over her comment, stating that “We will change the hate that’s come out of Mississippi,” per the Mississippi Free Press.
Williams-Till’s campaign issues include access to healthcare, quality education, climate change, strengthening the criminal justice system, and more, according to her website.
Jump Shepherd
Jump Shepherd, 35, is running for the U.S. Senate in Illinois, and he’s making it clear from the jump that he’s not your typical politician.
A self-described grassroots candidate, Shepherd comes from a working-class Chicago background, raised by his mother and grandmother, who worked tirelessly to provide for their family, according to his LinkedIn.
Shepherd, a former elementary school educator and astronomer, now works as a union electrician and is bringing these unique experiences to the race.
His campaign platform includes ending the “pink tax,” introducing landmark legislation to tax billionaires at a 92% incremental rate, eliminating student debt, building affordable housing on a national scale, and codifying reproductive freedom at the federal level
“It’s not red vs. blue,” Shepherd says. “It’s oligarchs vs. you,” Shepherd said.
N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas
N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas is a Black, white, and Native American (Chickasaw) citizen, nurse, and active-duty military spouse from Ardmore, Oklahoma, according to her website. Born and raised in the “Sooner State,” Thomas is running for U.S. Senate based on what she has witnessed and experienced firsthand.
As a nurse, Thomas has seen the strain on the healthcare systems, including burnout, inequalities and the racial discrimination she faced during her nursing education. She also had to challenge unfair healthcare and education systems for her two-year-old son with level 2 autism.
Her campaign issues include improving healthcare access and protecting women’s rights; investing in infrastructure; supporting farmers and ranchers; and ensuring quality education for all children, especially those with special needs. She also advocates for civil rights, including LGBTQIA+ equality, support for domestic violence survivors, and protection of tribal sovereignty and Native cultural heritage.
