Midterm election results make for a night of historic firsts nationwide
A breakdown of the firsts to come from the 2026 midterm elections, including the country’s first Black woman governor, the first Muslim U.S. senator, and the first Gen-Z woman in Congress.
Midterm election results made for a wave of firsts, elevating members of historically underrepresented groups into higher office, bringing new generations into the political fold, and turning over longtime strongholds.
From the country’s first Black female governor to the first Muslim U.S. senator, the first Gen Z woman in Congress, and a first Black speaker of the House poised to take over soon, a mix of mostly Democratic victories and some GOP wins are collectively pushing the envelope and expanding the electorate.
Here is an overview of some of the major breakthroughs:
Governor’s races
In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms was elected the country’s first Black female governor. The Democrat and former Atlanta mayor beat a Republican billionaire in the governor’s race, overcoming scrutiny of her single term as mayor from 2018 to 2022. Bottoms is also the first Black person and woman to occupy Georgia’s top office.
The country will also see its first Native American governor, Democrat Deb Haaland, the former U.S. interior secretary, who won New Mexico’s gubernatorial race. She is a member of Laguna Pueblo.
California and Texas elected their first Latino and Latina governors, respectively, in Democrats Xavier Becerra and Gina Hinojosa. Florida and Wisconsin each elected their first Black governors with Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Crowley.
Ohio will see its first female governor in Amy Acton, the state’s first Democratic governor since 2011.
Big Senate firsts
The midterm elections brought another wave of firsts, including the country’s first Muslim senator, Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed won the highly contested Michigan race despite frequent attacks on his identity and religion by the Republican Party and President Donald Trump.
Chris Pappas, a New Hampshire representative, was elected to the U.S. Senate. That will make him the first openly gay man to serve in the chamber.
Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota’s lieutenant governor, became the first Native American woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate. She is Ojibwe and a member of the White Earth Nation.
The Democratic House and Senate flips mark the first time the party will hold the majority in both houses of Congress in 16 years. It also positions Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) to become the first Black speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Generational advancements
Democratic socialist Melat Kiros of Colorado won her race, making her the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress. She was born in 1997 and is 29 years old. In 2023, Rep. Maxwell Frost (D., Fla.) became the first member of Gen Z to join Congress. Frost was also born in 1997.
