US midterms: The Jamaican connection

NEW YORK, United States — As Americans prepare to vote in midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at least four candidates in three states with Jamaican connections will face the electorate.

Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, is vying to be governor of that state; Democrat Wes Moore, the incumbent governor of Maryland, is seeking a second term; New York Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke is contesting that seat; while Denise Grant will be seeking a second term as mayor for the city of Lauderhill in Florida.

Donald’s mother, Meredith Brown, is the daughter of Jamaican immigrants; Moore’s mother, Joy Thomas Moore, is from Trelawny, and his maternal grandfather, James Thomas, also hailed from Jamaica.