*Democrats swept to control of both chambers of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and a wave of candidates made history along the way. Seven winners broke barriers in races for governor, the U.S. Senate and the New York State Legislature.
According to NBC News, Democrats clinched the House first, then picked up the Senate seats needed to take control of that chamber. The shift gives the party new power to investigate President Donald Trump’s administration during his final two years in office. Across social media, the fringe leftists are now calling for his impeachment.
The night’s biggest milestone came in Georgia. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson to become the first Black woman ever elected governor in the United States. Her win also returns the office to Democrats for the first time in more than two decades.
In her victory speech, Bottoms honored her ancestors, including a great-great-grandmother born before emancipation. “I know I am standing on shoulders made of steel,” she said, according to TheGrio.
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New Mexico voters chose Deb Haaland, the first Native American woman to serve as a U.S. governor. The former Interior secretary previously made history as the nation’s first Native American Cabinet secretary. “I stand here tonight because of the many generations who came before me,” she said, the Daily Lobo reported.
In Texas, Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa unseated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. She is now the state’s first Latina governor and its first Democratic governor since Ann Richards. “The trust you have placed in me tonight is not a blank check,” she told supporters, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Two Senate races also produced firsts. Physician Abdul El-Sayed beat Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim elected to the chamber. His religion had been a target of attacks during the campaign. “You chose hate. Michigan chose hope,” El-Sayed said of Rogers, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In New Hampshire, Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated Republican John Sununu, becoming the first openly gay man elected to the Senate. “Tonight, voters in New Hampshire and all across the country simply have had enough and are demanding a change in direction,” Pappas said, The Guardian reported.
In Queens, organizer Aber Kawas won New York’s 12th State Senate District. She is the first Palestinian American woman in the New York State Legislature, according to Sinar Daily. “We made history,” she wrote on social media.
Republicans claimed a milestone in Florida. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Trump ally, defeated Democrat David Jolly to become the state’s first Black governor. According to the Associated Press, he is also the first Black Republican elected governor in U.S. history. He succeeds Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Trump had urged supporters to vote as if his name were on the ballot. Instead, NBC exit polls found that 43% of voters said opposition to him factored into their choice.
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