The grandson of slaves, Mr. Wilder was the first black elected to a state Senate in 1969. In 1985, he was the highest ranking black elected state official as Virginia’s lieutenant governor. Then, on January 13, 1990, he was sworn in as Virginia’s new governor and became the first black elected to a state governorship in U.S. history. Mr. Wilder’s comments focused on his career in politics and drug control and education efforts in his state.