Miller, a Democratic state representative and former prosecutor, defeated Republican state Sen. Brian Strickland by roughly 11 points — 2,316,898 votes (55.5%) to 1,855,529 — in the November 3 general election, per the Georgia Secretary of State’s unofficial results. The Associated Press called the race at 10:50 p.m. on election night. She succeeds Republican Chris Carr, who left the office to run for governor, and takes over Georgia’s Department of Law in January 2027.

The firsts are real. Miller is the first woman ever elected attorney general of Georgia and the first Black woman to hold the office. She is only the second Black attorney general in state history, after Thurbert Baker, and the first Democrat in the job since Baker left in 2011. She also ran ahead of the top of her own ticket — Miller and Secretary of State-elect Penny Brown Reynolds each drew roughly 50,000 more votes than Governor-elect Bottoms, whose own victory made her the first Black woman elected governor in American history.

A prosecutor’s résumé, not a politician’s

Miller’s path to the office runs through courtrooms, not campaign consulting firms. Born October 3, 1973, in Cleveland, Ohio, she was raised by a union-worker mother and started working a paper route at nine. She earned both her undergraduate degree (sociology and philosophy, 1996) and her law degree (1999) at Case Western Reserve University, where she was notes editor of the Law Review and president of the Black Law Students Association. In 2022 the law school inducted her into its Hall of Fame, its highest honor.

She began as a federal judicial law clerk, then served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, prosecuting international drug gangs, murders, and bank robberies. Back in Georgia, she spent 2005 to 2013 in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, rising to Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney — an undefeated homicide prosecutor who handled serious violent crime and crimes against women and children. She later built a private practice in Atlanta (the Law Office of Tanya F. Miller, LLC, from 2013) covering wrongful death, personal injury, civil rights, and criminal defense, and she is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Georgians elected her to the state House in 2022. Representing District 62 in Fulton County since January 2023, she rose to chair the House Democratic Caucus in 2024. She announced for attorney general in August 2025, won the May 2026 primary with nearly 85% of the vote against former House Minority Leader Bob Trammell, and won the 2026 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award from EMILY’s List along the way. Her campaign slogan was three words: “People first, always.”

Why Business Owners Should Watch Tanya Miller

Miller did not run as a generic down-ballot candidate. She ran on making the attorney general’s office what she called Georgians’ “law firm” — and her platform reads like an enforcement agenda aimed squarely at the cost of doing and living business in Georgia:

• Consumer protection, expanded. She pledged to expand the consumer protection division she says prior attorneys general underused, investigate the grocery supply chain for price gouging and anticompetitive practices, use the office’s “full antitrust authority,” and go after scams, robocalls, predatory lending, and identity theft.
• A Small Business Protection Unit. Miller proposed a dedicated unit in the AG’s office to serve as a resource and advocate for small businesses and to fight anticompetitive behavior against them.
• Rent and utilities. She promised to investigate landlord price-fixing and to challenge utility rate increases — two of the largest fixed costs facing Georgia’s small operators.
• Public safety with a business edge. Gang violence, human trafficking, and the businesses that enable trafficking are named priorities, alongside violent criminal networks and crimes against children.
• Open government. She wants clear guidance so local governments stop improperly withholding public records — and an Open Records Act that covers the Georgia Legislature itself, which is exempt today.

National law firm WilmerHale’s post-election analysis of the 2026 attorney general races reads Miller’s platform the same way: expect heightened scrutiny of pricing and market concentration in Georgia, and a more active consumer-protection hand than the office has shown in years.

The office she inherits

Georgia’s attorney general is the state’s chief legal adviser: the office represents Georgia in civil and criminal matters, advises state agencies, and enforces consumer-protection law for more than 11 million residents. Miller has said she would join multistate litigation against federal policies selectively — where it helps Georgians, not reflexively — and she framed the office’s loyalty in one sentence voters heard all fall: “When you are the attorney general, your fealty is to the law.”

She takes office in January alongside the most transformed leadership class in Georgia history — a sweep in which Black women won at least seven statewide offices, from the governor’s mansion to secretary of state, agriculture, labor, insurance, and the state school superintendency, as Black Business Review reported in its election-night coverage.

Black business owners in Georgia now have something they have never had: an attorney general who campaigned on protecting them by name. What Miller does with that mandate — and how quickly the Small Business Protection Unit becomes real — is a story Black Business Review will be following from her first week in office.

Join Orbit — where Black professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders connect, collaborate and turn opportunities into action. https://orbit.blackbusinessreview.net/

The November 3 vote was the formal finish. The race itself was won in June, when Ruff defeated Attar — the sitting senator — in the Democratic primary, one of the most contested races in Baltimore this cycle.

The Lawyer Behind Malcolm Ruff’s Campaign

Ruff, 42, was born and raised in Park Heights. He graduated from Gilman School in 2002 as a track and football standout, played football at Duke University, and earned his law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2012 — where he was one of only six students nationwide selected for the NAACP-Kellogg’s Law Fellow program.

He started as an assistant state’s attorney in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, then built a trial practice representing victims of negligence, police brutality, and wrongful death at Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, the firm led by civil rights attorney Billy Murphy Jr., who has backed Ruff at every step. His casework includes the Jordan McNair matter and the $20 million settlement in the fatal police shooting of William Green. He is also co-founder of the Pagya Project, a nonprofit serving underserved Baltimore communities.

Malcolm Ruff, born April 18, 1984, in Baltimore, earned a bachelor’s degree in African and African American Studies from Duke University in 2006 and was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 2012. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma, worships at Heritage United Church of Christ, and lives in Baltimore with his wife, Sydnee, and their four children.

The Road to the Senate Ran Through a Fight

Ruff’s path was not a coronation. Appointed to the House of Delegates by Governor Wes Moore in 2023, he first sought the District 41 Senate seat in January 2025, when Senator Jill P. Carter resigned. The Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee chose Attar instead, 5–3. Ruff announced his challenge that August and ran as the underdog, touting juvenile justice legislation, state funding he had delivered to the district — including for the Enoch Pratt Free Library and the Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park preservation project — and drawing endorsements from Governor Moore, Congressman Kweisi Mfume, and Mayor Brandon Scott. On June 23, 2026, he beat the incumbent. Attar’s federal extortion charges shadowed the race throughout.

In Annapolis he has served on the Appropriations Committee, and in January 2026 Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk named him Chairman of the Capital Budget subcommittee — the first line of review for the state’s capital spending. His legislative record includes the Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park preservation partnership, a mortgage fraud study law signed by Governor Moore, and the NyKayla Strawder Memorial Act, which would mandate services for young children whose actions resulted in someone’s death.

What Malcolm Ruff’s Win Means for the District

District 41 covers northwest Baltimore — neighborhoods that have waited decades for capital investment to match their need. Ruff now carries that fight to the Senate with a committee-tested hand on the capital budget and a trial lawyer’s instinct for the families behind the case files. His victory message promised “a stronger, safer, and more prosperous District 41 and Maryland.” The work starts January 13.

Malcolm Ruff’s win was one of the headline Maryland results in BBR’s election coverage — see our full 2026 Election Results: The Morning After roundup, and meet BBR’s 2026 Person of the Year, Alicia Wilson.

Join Orbit — where Black professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders connect, collaborate and turn opportunities into action. https://orbit.blackbusinessreview.net/

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From One Family’s Turnaround to More Than 30 Families

Buchanan’s discipline was forged long before Finvy existed. As a student-athlete at North Carolina A&T, he learned the perseverance that later carried him through one of the biggest challenges of his adult life: digging out of six figures of debt and building financial stability. Clearing his own balance sheet gave him a passion for helping others achieve the same result.

What started as conversations with friends and family grew into a commitment. Over time, Buchanan coached and mentored more than 30 families, helping them collectively eliminate over $375,000 in debt while improving their savings habits and financial confidence. That coaching work — years of sitting with real households and real budgets — is the research and development behind the Finvy platform.

It is also the kind of ground-up wealth work BBR has spotlighted before, from community financial literacy efforts like the Cassandra Cummings Rich Auntie Wealth Initiative to founders building financial tools for underserved families.

What the Finvy Platform Actually Does

Through his coaching, Buchanan recognized a common challenge: many people understand the importance of budgeting and debt reduction but lack the tools, structure, and accountability needed to act. Finvy was founded to close that gap. The platform combines budgeting tools, debt-payoff strategies, and personalized recommendations to help users make measurable, trackable financial progress — and it is built for employers as well as individuals, giving workers a financial wellness benefit with a plan attached rather than a pamphlet.

Today, Buchanan continues to advocate for financial literacy and financial wellness through community outreach, speaking engagements, employer partnerships, and media appearances. He is also authoring his first book, sharing the lessons that transformed his own financial journey and the principles that have helped dozens of other families do the same.

A Mission Shaped by Loss — and Built for Legacy

Buchanan’s mission was shaped by personal adversity. In 2012, he lost his mother, an experience that profoundly changed his perspective on life, purpose, and legacy. Years later, a mini-stroke reinforced the importance of pursuing meaningful work and making an impact while time allows. Those moments strengthened his belief that success should be measured not only by personal achievement, but by the lives we help improve along the way.

His stated goal for Finvy is simple: help people gain control of their money, create opportunities for their families, and build a legacy that lasts for generations. Learn more at FinvySmartBudgeting.com.

Join Orbit — where Black professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders connect, collaborate and turn opportunities into action. https://orbit.blackbusinessreview.net/

The book opens on a familiar scene: waiting for someone to commit, for a business deal to close, for the right moment to chase a goal that has been carried for years. Coates calls that waiting what it is — a negotiation, renewed daily, in which today is traded away for a promise about tomorrow. His argument is that patience has a line, and most people cross it without noticing: patience becomes postponement, and postponement becomes the life they meant to live, deferred.

A Book Built Like a Decision

Across ten chapters, Stop Negotiating with Tomorrow walks the reader through the places the bargain hides. Early chapters take on chasing outcomes that never arrive and giving effort a purpose instead of a hope. The middle of the book turns to relationships — keeping yourself in them — and to business, where Coates is blunt: a business deal is not your destiny, and no single closing should hold a life hostage. Later chapters deal with believing beyond the familiar, preparing while you wait, and beginning again after an ending, before closing on independence you can use and releasing the need for applause.

Each chapter pairs real-life case studies with practical exercises and reflection questions, so the reading turns into decisions. The book closes with “Your Next Thirty Days,” a structured action guide, and readers get access to a downloadable 30-Day Action Planner — choose one area of life that has been on hold, and spend thirty days taking concrete steps to change it.

From the Author of 12 Great Business Principles

Coates writes from the operator’s seat. He is the founder and publisher of Black Business Review, the media platform covering Black-owned business; the founder of Alexis Coates Consulting, where he advises small businesses on technology and AI adoption; and the author of 12 Great Business Principles, the book behind BBR’s Business Class series. His consulting career spans more than fifteen years, including a dozen years owning an IT company — a background that shows up in the book’s insistence on terms, deadlines, and decisions over motivation.

That insistence is the thread through everything he publishes: collected results over activity, ownership over waiting. Stop Negotiating with Tomorrow applies the same standard to a life that it applies to a business — stop renewing a bargain that costs you today and pays in promises.

The timing is deliberate. The book lands as Black Business Review closes its strongest year — an audience of more than 92,000 across Instagram and Threads, a twice-weekly Briefing, and a growing Orbit community — and it gives that audience the publisher’s own operating system in print: how he decides, what he refuses to wait on, and why he measures everything by what gets collected, built, and finished. For readers who know Coates through the magazine, the consulting practice, or the Business Class series drawn from his earlier book, Stop Negotiating with Tomorrow is the fullest statement yet of the philosophy behind all three — and a working manual, not a memoir.

How to Get It

Stop Negotiating with Tomorrow is available now in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon: get the book on Amazon. The audiobook edition, narrated in a digital voice, has been submitted to Audible and is expected this month. Readers can download the free companion 30-Day Action Planner referenced in the book here, hear Coates’s thinking on the BBR podcast, and get stories like this one in the free BBR Briefing every Tuesday and Friday.

Join Orbit — where Black professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders connect, collaborate and turn opportunities into action. https://orbit.blackbusinessreview.net/

A Maryland Number, A Personal Standard

Join Orbit — where Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders connect, collaborate and turn opportunities into action. https://orbit.blackbusinessreview.net/

In conclusion, Double SS Transportation Services is more than just a ride; it’s a promise of quality and reliability in Maryland’s transportation landscape. As the business continues to grow, the commitment to personal service and community engagement will remain at the forefront. Whether for business or pleasure, clients can trust that their transportation needs will be handled with the utmost care and professionalism.

To experience this level of service for yourself, call 667-657-8382 and discover how Double SS Transportation Services can elevate your travel experience.

Stewart’s approach is not just about providing a service; it’s about creating an experience that resonates with customers. His focus on building relationships leads to repeat business and referrals, which are crucial to the longevity of any small business. Each satisfied customer not only continues to use the service but also becomes a brand ambassador in their own right, spreading the word to friends and family.

The company’s 667 number puts it in Maryland, in a market where Black-owned transportation businesses compete on the oldest advantage in the service economy: reputation travels by word of mouth, and every ride is an audition for the next one. A small operator cannot outspend the platforms. It can out-serve them — Stewart answers his own phone, knows his repeat clients by name, and treats “on time” as the floor rather than the ceiling. This personal attention makes clients feel valued and ensures that their specific needs are always met, whether it’s a quick ride to the airport or a special night out.

As the business continues to grow, Double SS Transportation Services remains committed to its core values: quality, reliability, and respect. These principles guide every decision made and every interaction with clients. It’s this unwavering commitment that not only drives business success but also instills confidence in customers, ensuring they return for their future transportation needs.

In terms of marketing and outreach, Stewart emphasizes the power of community. By engaging with local businesses and organizations, he can establish a solid reputation grounded in trust and reliability. This approach not only helps build a loyal customer base but also fosters a sense of community support that is crucial for small businesses. Each ride serves as an opportunity to connect with customers, gather testimonials, and grow the business organically.

Double SS Transportation Services also recognizes that every client is unique. They offer customizable packages tailored to specific needs, which can include anything from corporate accounts for frequent travelers to special arrangements for family outings. This level of personalization ensures that every client feels valued and understood, which is often lacking in larger transportation services.

Furthermore, the dedication to customer service extends beyond just the ride. Each interaction with Double SS Transportation Services is designed to build relationships. This includes follow-up calls to ensure satisfaction and requests for feedback, which help improve services continuously. Such proactive engagement is vital in an industry where customer satisfaction can make or break a business.

In today’s fast-paced world, the need for reliable transportation is greater than ever. Individuals often juggle many responsibilities, and having a dependable service can alleviate some of that pressure. Double SS Transportation Services aims to be that trusted partner, ready to meet any transportation need at a moment’s notice. From corporate events to personal outings, the flexibility of the service allows it to cater to a wide range of clients.

The vehicle itself, a black Chevrolet Suburban, is not only a symbol of comfort and luxury, but also of safety. Passengers can feel secure knowing that they are being transported in a well-maintained vehicle equipped with all necessary safety features. This is a significant consideration, particularly for families or those requiring transportation for vulnerable individuals. The spacious interior allows for ease of movement, making it ideal for transporting multiple passengers or larger items such as luggage for airport trips.

Moreover, the appointment-based model offers a level of predictability that many riders appreciate. Imagine having a busy day filled with meetings or events; knowing exactly when your driver will arrive eliminates unnecessary stress and allows you to focus on what truly matters. Whether it’s an early morning flight or an important business meeting, having a reliable transportation service can make all the difference.

With the rise of technology-driven transportation solutions, it’s easy to forget the value of a personal touch. Double SS Transportation Services understands that while technology can facilitate connection, it cannot replace the human elements that make a service memorable. This means that every ride is not just a trip from point A to point B, but an experience where the client feels valued and cared for. This commitment to excellence is what sets Double SS apart in a crowded field.

The wins cut across every kind of community Black mayors serve: major cities, mid-sized regional centers, and small Southern towns where the mayor’s office is the center of daily life. For Black Business Review readers, the results matter beyond politics — mayors control the contracting, permitting, and small-business programs that decide whether Black-owned firms get a fair shot at city work. Our full coverage of the night’s results is in Election 2026: The Morning After.

The Big-City Anchors

In Newark, Ras Baraka — one of the most nationally visible Black mayors in America — won re-election, continuing a tenure that has made New Jersey’s largest city a proving ground for Black political and economic power. On the West Coast, Rex Richardson was re-elected in Long Beach, California, and Emma Sharif held Compton, California, keeping two Los Angeles County cities under experienced Black leadership.

In the South and Mid-Atlantic, Frank Scott Jr. won again in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Phillip Jones was re-elected in Newport News, Virginia — two mayors whose administrations have put supplier diversity and minority business participation on the city agenda.

The Small-Town Bench

Some of the night’s most telling results came from smaller communities, where Black mayors are often the backbone of local economic life:

• Ethan N. Dunbar — Lewisville, Arkansas
• Katrina Evans — Campti, Louisiana
• Roderick Hampton — Haynesville, Louisiana
• James “Spike” Harris — Jonesboro, Louisiana
• Derrick M. Rainey — Wrightsville, Arkansas
• Jaylen Smith — Earle, Arkansas
• Clarence A. Vappie — Baldwin, Louisiana
• Derrick Wood — Dumfries, Virginia

Earle’s Jaylen Smith remains one of the most remarkable stories in American local politics: first elected at just 18 years old, he has now won a second term from the voters who made him one of the youngest mayors in the nation.

Meet the Re-Elected Mayors

Graphics: African American Mayors Association (ourmayors.org).

Why It Matters for Black Business

Mayors sit closer to Black business than any other elected officials. They sign off on city contracts, run the permitting offices that can speed up or stall a new storefront, appoint the economic development teams that recruit employers, and set the tone for whether minority-owned firms are invited into public work or left outside it. A re-elected mayor is a known quantity — relationships built with local Black chambers, CDFIs, and business owners carry forward instead of starting over.

The African American Mayors Association, which represents more than 500 Black mayors across the country, celebrated the results as proof of durable trust between these leaders and their communities. As AAMA put it in recognizing the winners, these mayors earned continued confidence for “strengthening communities, advancing opportunity, and delivering results for the people they serve.”

With new terms secured, the work now turns to what these administrations deliver: contracts opened, main streets revived, and opportunities created in the cities they lead. Black Business Review will be watching — and reporting on the mayors who turn re-election into results.

Source: African American Mayors Association (ourmayors.org), 2026 election results.

Join Orbit — where Black professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders connect, collaborate and turn opportunities into action. https://orbit.blackbusinessreview.net/

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Top Line: 2026 Election Results

Senate: Democrats win control, as called by the Associated Press. Democrats entered the night in a 53–47 minority and needed a net gain of four seats. They flipped at least seven Republican-held seats — in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Kansas, Iowa and Maine — guaranteeing at least 51 seats.

House: Democrats win control, as called by the Associated Press. In AP’s count, Democrats had won 222 seats with more races still leading as counting continued, well past the 218 needed for a majority.

Still too close to call as of 7:30 a.m. ET: the U.S. Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi were listed by AP as too early to call. The governor’s races in Alaska and Kansas were also too early to call as of 7:30 a.m. ET. No winner is projected in this article from raw vote totals alone.

Big Wins

The night’s biggest stories reached well beyond Washington. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate — the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988 — and Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, ending more than three decades of Republican control of the Texas governor’s office. In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson to become the first Black woman elected governor in the United States, and the first Democrat to win Georgia’s governorship since 1998. In South Carolina, Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham for the Senate seat long held by Graham’s late brother, Lindsey Graham. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall — the first Democratic Senate victory in Kansas in 94 years. In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley won the governorship and will become the state’s first Black governor. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds won the governorship, becoming Florida’s first Black governor, in a Republican hold.

Michigan Spotlight

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, defeating Republican Mike Rogers, according to a race call by the Associated Press at 2:27 a.m. ET. El-Sayed led 52% to 46% when the race was called; in AP’s latest count he had 2,480,577 votes to Rogers’ 2,154,946, with about 96% of the expected vote counted. El-Sayed, 42, a former public health official, succeeds retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and holds a seat Democrats have held since 1979 — a seat widely viewed as essential to the party’s path back to a Senate majority. He will become the first Muslim American to serve in the U.S. Senate. Rogers, a former congressman, lost his second consecutive bid for the Senate. In Michigan’s governor’s race, Democrat Jocelyn Benson, the state’s secretary of state, won the open governor’s office, as called by AP.

State-by-State Senate Highlights

Flips to Democrats (AP-called): North Carolina — Roy Cooper defeated Michael Whatley. South Carolina — Annie Andrews defeated Darline Graham. Ohio (special election) — Sherrod Brown defeated incumbent Jon Husted, regaining the seat Brown lost in 2024. Texas — James Talarico defeated Ken Paxton. Kansas — Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Roger Marshall. Iowa — Josh Turek defeated Ashley Hinson in an open-seat race; this was the call that gave Democrats the Senate majority. Maine — Troy Jackson defeated incumbent Susan Collins, who had served nearly 30 years.

Key Democratic holds (AP-called): Georgia — Jon Ossoff won re-election, defeating Mike Collins. Michigan — Abdul El-Sayed held the open Peters seat (see above). New Hampshire — Chris Pappas defeated John Sununu for the open seat of retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Virginia, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Oregon also returned Democratic senators, as called by AP.

Key Republican holds (AP-called): Florida (special election), Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wyoming returned Republican senators, as called by AP.

Too close to call as of 7:30 a.m. ET: Alaska and Mississippi.

Governors: Winner → Loser, Flips Flagged

Thirty-six states elected a governor. Democrats won in states long controlled by Republicans, including Texas and Georgia, and AP reported the results put Democrats on course for a majority of governorships for the first time in two decades.

• Texas — FLIP to Democrat: Gina Hinojosa → Greg Abbott (incumbent Republican). AP called the race at 10:17 p.m. ET; Hinojosa is the state’s first Latina governor-elect.
• Georgia — FLIP to Democrat: Keisha Lance Bottoms → Rick Jackson. Bottoms is the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history.
• Ohio — FLIP to Democrat: Amy Acton → Vivek Ramaswamy.
• Iowa — FLIP to Democrat: Rob Sand → Zach Lahn.
• Maryland — Democratic hold: Wes Moore → Dan Cox (see Maryland block below).
• Florida — Republican hold: Byron Donalds → David Jolly. Donalds will be Florida’s first Black governor.
• Wisconsin — Democratic win: David Crowley → Tom Tiffany. Crowley will be Wisconsin’s first Black governor.
• Michigan — Democratic win: Jocelyn Benson won the open governor’s office.
• New Mexico — Democratic win: Deb Haaland won; AP noted she is the first Native American woman elected to lead a state.
• California — Democratic win: Xavier Becerra won.
• New York — Democratic hold: Kathy Hochul won re-election.
• Pennsylvania — Democratic hold: Josh Shapiro won re-election.
• Illinois — Democratic hold: JB Pritzker won a third term.
• Massachusetts — Democratic hold: Maura Healey won re-election.
• Colorado — Democratic win: Phil Weiser won.
• Connecticut — Democratic hold: Ned Lamont won re-election.
• Rhode Island — Democratic win: Helena Foulkes won.

Republicans held the governorships in states including Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont and Wyoming, as called by AP. Too close to call as of 7:30 a.m. ET: Alaska and Kansas.

Maryland

Gov. Wes Moore won re-election, defeating Republican Dan Cox in a rematch of 2022, as called by the Associated Press at 8:01 p.m. ET, one minute after polls closed. In AP’s count, Moore had 1,163,257 votes (62.7%) to Cox’s 616,821 (33.3%). Moore, Maryland’s first Black governor, returns with Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller for a second term. Attorney General Anthony Brown and Comptroller Brooke Lierman were also re-elected, each with about 67% of the vote, as projected by AP. Voters approved Question 3, the constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting backed by Moore, with about 60% in favor in AP’s count — a change that removes the state constitution’s compactness and contiguity requirements for congressional districts and could reshape Maryland’s House map in future cycles. In Baltimore, state Sen. Antonio Hayes — recently named chair of the Maryland Senate Finance Committee — remains a central figure in the state’s budget debate; read Black Business Review’s coverage: Antonio Hayes Takes the Gavel. All Maryland incumbents in the U.S. House won, and Del. Adrian Boafo won the 5th District seat long held by Steny Hoyer.

What It Means for Black Business

A Democratic House and Senate change the terrain for Black-owned businesses on the issues that decide who gets capital and who gets contracts. Committee control determines the oversight agenda for small-business lending, Community Development Financial Institutions, minority business development programs, and federal contracting and set-aside rules. A Democratic majority is more likely to defend and expand those programs — and to press regulators and large banks on lending disparities — while President Donald Trump retains the veto, so legislation will still require negotiation and, in the Senate, Republican votes to override. The governors’ results may matter sooner: new Democratic governors in Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Iowa control state contracting, supplier-diversity offices, and the state agencies that license, fund and buy from small businesses. In Maryland, a second Moore term plus Question 3 means continuity on state economic policy and a new congressional map fight ahead. The practical takeaway for owners is unchanged but sharper this morning: register as a vendor with your state, keep certifications current, and watch committee assignments in January — that is where the money decisions will be made first.

How Texas Could Flip All-Democratic

Start with what actually happened, because Texas is where the night’s map changed most — and where it did not change completely. AP called the U.S. Senate race for Democrat James Talarico over Republican Ken Paxton (5,266,242 votes to 4,115,458 in AP’s latest count, about 94% of precincts reporting): the first Democratic Senate win in Texas since 1988 and the first Democratic statewide win of any kind since 1994. AP called the governor’s race for Democrat Gina Hinojosa over incumbent Greg Abbott at 10:17 p.m. ET, with Hinojosa at about 57% to Abbott’s 41% when called; Abbott conceded on election night. Democrat Vikki Goodwin defeated incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for lieutenant governor, as projected by AP in its overnight reporting — the first Democrat in that office in 27 years — and Democrats led the rest of the statewide ballot, including state Sen. Nathan Johnson over Mayes Middleton for attorney general, in the Secretary of State’s count reported by AP. That is a genuine statewide breakthrough, driven by the big metros: Harris County (Houston), Dallas County, Travis County (Austin), Bexar County (San Antonio) and Tarrant County (Fort Worth) are now the state’s population and turnout engine, and sustained suburban movement toward Democrats in and around those counties is what turned a double-digit statewide deficit from 2024 into Democratic wins in 2026. Demographic trends point the same way — a younger, more diverse, more urban electorate, with more than 7.4 million Texans voting early.

But an all-Democratic Texas has not happened, and tonight’s numbers also show where it did not. In the U.S. House, AP’s Texas tally had Republicans leading in 24 districts (18 called) to Democrats’ 14 (13 called), with seven districts still too early to call as of 7:30 a.m. ET — so the congressional delegation remains majority-Republican in every called and leading race. The Texas Legislature also remains in Republican hands, which is why Goodwin will preside over a Republican-controlled state Senate whose members can vote to limit the lieutenant governor’s powers. A full flip would still require: winning the remaining statewide offices on a sustained basis, not in one wave year; flipping the state House and Senate through district-by-district organizing in suburbs that voted Democratic at the top of the ticket but Republican down-ballot; and holding the metro margins through a presidential cycle, when turnout is higher and the electorate is different. The timeline is therefore a cycle-by-cycle question, not a single night. Tonight, Texas moved decisively toward a flip at the statewide level — Senate, governor and lieutenant governor — and did not complete it in the House delegation or the Legislature. That gap, between a blue top of the ticket and a red map underneath it, is the story to watch in 2028 and 2030.

Results: Associated Press (AP). Race calls are AP projections; official results come only after state certification. Cross-checks: NBC News, CBS News and CNN projections for control of Congress.

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Senate committee chairs are appointed by the Senate President, and Bill Ferguson — who holds that authority — was the advertised special guest at Hayes’s Baltimore fundraiser the same evening, where the appointment was confirmed publicly before Hayes posted his own statement. Hayes succeeds Sen. Pamela Beidle of Anne Arundel County, who has chaired Finance since 2023 and is retiring at term’s end after withdrawing from her re-election race at the February filing deadline. There is no learning curve: Hayes has sat on Finance since 2019 and has been its vice chair since 2025.

“I am deeply honored to serve as the next Chair of the Maryland Senate Finance Committee, and I do not take lightly the responsibility of making decisions that affect families across our state,” Hayes wrote on Facebook Thursday evening. “Thank you to everyone who has believed in me and my leadership.”

A West Baltimore Path to the Gavel

Hayes was born in Baltimore and built his career in the city’s public life before he ever held office — legislative aide to Del. Salima Siler Marriott, director of legislative affairs for the City Council President, assistant deputy mayor, and a staffer at the city Department of Social Services. Voters in the 40th District, which runs through West and Northwest Baltimore, sent him to the House of Delegates in 2015 and to the Senate in 2019. He is now in his second Senate term, has served as Majority Whip, and has already chaired the Executive Nominations Committee. The Finance gavel is the biggest of his career.

A Record Built on Household Costs

Hayes’s committee work has run through working families’ wallets. In the 2026 session he carried the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund affordability bill — an effort to cut car insurance costs in a city where premiums are a barrier to getting to work — and it was signed into law. He has sponsored legislation to open alcoholic beverage licensing to food retailers — a food-access fight in underserved neighborhoods — and has backed reinvestment along West North Avenue through its state development authority.

Why This Gavel Matters for Black Business

Finance is not the money committee — spending and taxes run through Budget and Taxation. Finance decides something just as consequential: how private business is allowed to operate in Maryland. By the General Assembly’s own description, the committee’s jurisdiction covers financial institutions, credit regulation and consumer financing, commercial law and consumer protection, economic development, insurance, labor and employment, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, utility regulation, transportation and health care. Maryland’s cannabis laws move through Finance too, including the social equity licensing framework and the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, which steers cannabis tax dollars into the communities hit hardest by prohibition.

That means the issues Black business owners organize around — who gets a loan and on what terms, what insurance costs, what employers must pay, who gets a cannabis license and where the reinvestment money lands — are decided in this room, on this committee’s calendar. It is the same ground Maryland’s minority business community has worked for years, the work of advocates like Wayne Frazier. The chair decides which bills get hearings and which get votes — and that chair now belongs to a senator from the 40th District.

What to Watch

The 2027 session convenes January 13 — the first of a new four-year term — and Hayes heads into the November 3 general election as the Democratic nominee in the deep-blue 40th District, facing only a minor-party challenger. Watch for his vice chair pick, the next round of cannabis social equity and reinvestment bills, and whether insurance affordability stays atop his agenda. Maryland business owners who need a hearing in Annapolis now know whose door to knock on.

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Anderson, founder and CEO, launched Hire on the Spot as a faith-driven passion project and is now taking it nationwide. Job seekers register and browse openings from employers prepared to move quickly; businesses post jobs and connect with candidates directly. Same-day offers are possible — not guaranteed, and always subject to the employer’s own requirements — but the platform is designed to cut out the weeks of dead air that define most job hunts.

Hire on the Spot and the Numbers Behind the Mission

The urgency is in the data. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September 2026 Employment Situation report, unemployment for Black Americans stood at 7.0 percent, compared with 3.6 percent for White Americans. Among Black women age 20 and older, the rate was 6.8 percent; among Black men, 6.0 percent. For families living paycheck to paycheck, a slow hiring process is not an inconvenience — it is rent, groceries, and stability put on hold.

“Hire on the Spot has been a passion project and a true testament to my faith,” Anderson said. “I believe God gave me this business to help our community get back to work. Behind every resume is someone trying to provide for a family, regain stability, or find hope. This is bigger than building a company. It is about changing lives, one hire at a time.”

Two Decades in HR, One Consistent Frustration

Hire on the Spot is not Anderson’s first company. In 2009, she founded #1 HR Expert, a career development and HR consulting business she still runs alongside her executive career in corporate human resources. Across more than two decades in the field — hiring, recruiting, and leading HR departments — she kept hearing the same thing from candidates: the process made them feel like a number. Hire on the Spot is her attempt to build the system she always wished applicants had, one that treats speed as a form of respect.

The company is based in Wilmington, Delaware, and its platform is already live, with employers posting openings and candidates registering at HireOnTheSpot.com. For 2027, Anderson plans to take the model off the screen, expanding through in-person and virtual job fairs that put candidates in the same room — physical or digital — with employers ready to make decisions.

Building in the Open

Anderson is funding the growth the community way: Hire on the Spot has a live investment campaign on Wefunder, giving everyday supporters a way to own a piece of the mission. It is a fitting model for a company aimed at underserved workers — and it puts her in the company of a wider wave of Black founders building infrastructure for their own communities rather than waiting for someone else to build it.

For job seekers, the pitch is straightforward: register, apply, and be ready to interview. For employers tired of losing good candidates to slow processes, it is the same pitch in reverse. And for Anderson, every same-day offer is proof of the point she has been making her whole career — the talent was never the problem. The wait was.

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From Segregated North Carolina to Corporate America

Long before she became one of America’s most influential businesswomen, Janice Bryant Howroyd was a young girl growing up in the segregated South, where opportunities for African Americans, particularly Black women, were severely limited.

Born in Tarboro, North Carolina, Howroyd grew up in a large family that emphasized education, faith, discipline, and self-reliance.

The challenges of segregation shaped her understanding of opportunity and inequality. Rather than allowing those circumstances to define her future, she developed a determination to build something that could create opportunities for others.

That determination would eventually lead her to establish one of the most successful Black woman-owned businesses in American history.

Today, Howroyd is widely recognized as a pioneering African American entrepreneur who built a billion-dollar enterprise in an industry historically dominated by larger, established corporations.

Her story is more than a remarkable personal achievement. It represents a defining moment in the history of Black business ownership.

The $1,500 Beginning That Changed Everything

In 1978, Howroyd launched what would become ActOne Group in Beverly Hills, California.

Her initial resources were modest: approximately $1,500, a small office, basic equipment, and an unwavering belief that businesses needed better ways to identify and manage talented employees.

Of that initial investment, $900 reportedly came from a loan provided by her mother.

There were no major venture capital investors backing the operation, no multimillion-dollar financing rounds, and no established corporate infrastructure.

Instead, Howroyd relied on relationships, determination, and an understanding of what employers needed.

Her business model was straightforward: connect qualified people with companies seeking dependable talent while providing exceptional service to both.

As clients began recognizing the value of her services, referrals increased, relationships strengthened, and the company expanded.

What began as a small staffing operation gradually developed into a global workforce management enterprise.

Building ActOne Into a Billion-Dollar Enterprise

The defining milestone came in 2011, when ActOne Group surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue.

The achievement established Howroyd as a historic figure in American business and helped cement her reputation as the first African American woman to build a billion-dollar company.

Today, ActOne Group operates internationally, providing workforce management, staffing, employment services, and human resources solutions to businesses across multiple industries.

The company has been recognized as one of the largest privately held, minority-woman-owned staffing enterprises founded in the United States.

Its operations include several prominent business brands.

AppleOne Employment Services connects employers with qualified candidates and helps organizations address temporary, permanent, and specialized staffing needs.

A-Check Global provides employment background screening and related services that help organizations manage hiring requirements and workforce risk.

Through its broader network of services, ActOne has expanded beyond traditional staffing into workforce management and business solutions.

This diversification has allowed the enterprise to serve organizations with increasingly complex employment needs.

More importantly, it demonstrates how a company can grow from a focused service offering into a diversified business organization without abandoning its original mission.

Overcoming Barriers in Business and Banking

Howroyd built her company during a period when Black women entrepreneurs faced significant obstacles in accessing capital, securing corporate contracts, and gaining credibility within established business networks.

For many minority-owned businesses, traditional financing was difficult to obtain.

Howroyd responded by concentrating on delivering measurable value to customers.

Rather than allowing limited access to capital to stop her progress, she emphasized customer relationships, service quality, financial discipline, and sustainable expansion.

Her approach challenged a common assumption in entrepreneurship: that significant outside investment is always necessary to build a large enterprise.

ActOne’s growth demonstrated the power of developing a profitable business model, retaining customers, and reinvesting in operations.

The lesson remains relevant today, particularly for entrepreneurs building professional services companies.

A business does not have to begin with millions of dollars to eventually generate billions in revenue. It must begin with a problem customers are willing to pay to solve.

A Leadership Philosophy Built Around People

One of the defining characteristics of Howroyd’s business philosophy is her emphasis on people.

In the staffing industry, employees are not simply operational resources. Their abilities, ambitions, and professional development directly influence organizational success.

Howroyd recognized that businesses grow when they connect the right talent with the right opportunities.

That philosophy helped shape ActOne’s approach to workforce solutions.

Her leadership also emphasizes continuous learning, preparation, accountability, and adapting to changing market conditions.

As technology transformed recruiting and human resources, ActOne expanded its services to meet evolving business demands.

The company’s growth reflects an important principle: successful entrepreneurs must preserve their core values while remaining willing to modernize their operations.

Recognition Among America’s Most Successful Self-Made Women

Howroyd’s accomplishments have attracted national recognition.

She has appeared on Forbes’ rankings of America’s Richest Self-Made Women and has been celebrated for her contributions to entrepreneurship, business leadership, and economic opportunity.

Her achievements are especially significant because of the limited representation of Black women among the founders of America’s largest privately held companies.

Although Black women have consistently demonstrated entrepreneurial ambition, access to capital and opportunities to scale businesses remain persistent challenges.

Howroyd’s career illustrates what is possible when entrepreneurial vision is combined with disciplined execution over decades.

Her success also challenges traditional assumptions about who can lead a major American corporation.

She did not inherit a billion-dollar business.

She built one.

Five Business Lessons From Janice Bryant Howroyd

For entrepreneurs and business leaders, Howroyd’s journey provides five valuable lessons.

1. Start with the resources you have. Howroyd began with approximately $1,500. She focused on creating value rather than waiting for ideal financial circumstances.

2. Solve a problem businesses consistently face. Organizations will always need capable employees and effective workforce solutions. ActOne addressed a recurring business need.

3. Build relationships before chasing rapid expansion. Customer referrals, trust, and service quality helped create a foundation for sustainable growth.

4. Diversify without abandoning your core business. ActOne expanded into complementary workforce services while maintaining its focus on employment and human capital.

5. Think beyond the limitations of your starting point. Howroyd’s childhood circumstances did not determine the size of her ambitions or the ultimate scale of her enterprise.

Together, these principles offer a practical framework for entrepreneurs seeking to build companies that can survive, expand, and create lasting economic value.

Why Her Story Matters for Black Business Ownership

The significance of Howroyd’s achievement extends beyond the financial performance of ActOne Group.

Her company represents an example of Black ownership at scale.

In a business environment where minority-owned companies have historically faced obstacles in obtaining financing, securing large contracts, and entering major corporate markets, Howroyd demonstrated that Black entrepreneurs could compete internationally — a story BBR tells across Black entrepreneurship worldwide.

Her journey also reinforces the importance of ownership.

Building a successful career can create financial security. Building a successful company can create employment, institutional wealth, and opportunities that extend across generations.

Howroyd’s enterprise has helped connect countless individuals with employment opportunities while demonstrating the economic influence of minority-owned businesses.

For aspiring Black entrepreneurs, particularly women entering industries where they remain underrepresented, her success provides a powerful example of what sustained business leadership can accomplish.

From $1,500 to a Billion-Dollar Legacy

When Janice Bryant Howroyd opened her first office in 1978, there was little indication that her small staffing company would eventually become an international enterprise generating more than $1 billion in annual revenue.

Yet her journey demonstrates how extraordinary business outcomes can emerge from ordinary beginnings.

She identified a market need, developed a service customers valued, built long-term relationships, and expanded her organization over time.

Her achievement is not simply that she became a successful Black businesswoman.

It is that she built an enterprise capable of competing at the highest levels of American business.

Janice Bryant Howroyd did more than break a barrier. She helped redefine what was possible for Black women in business.

And for the next generation of entrepreneurs, her story offers a lasting reminder:

You do not need to start with a billion dollars to build a billion-dollar company. You need a vision, a market that needs your solution, and the discipline to keep building.

Black Business Review celebrates the entrepreneurs, executives, and innovators shaping the future of Black business ownership, economic opportunity, and generational wealth.

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