I think we can all agree with these 9 wins from the midterm elections.
1. First openly gay man elected governor.
Jared Polis is Colorado's governor who is also the state's first Jewish governor and the first openly gay man to win a gubernatorial election. He was formerly a member of the Colorado State Board of Education and has plans to provide free, full-day preschool and kindergarten to every community in Colorado, holding the future generation's education as a top priority
2. First two Muslim women elected to Congress.
Rashida Tlaib previously served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives and most recently was won the seat for Michigan's 13th congressional district. She is the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress and, algonside Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, is one of the first two Muslim women elected.
3. First Somali-American congresswoman.
Along with being one of the two first Muslim women elected, Ilhan Omar is also the first Somali-American legislator elected to office. She is also the first Muslim refugee to be elected to the House and the first non-white woman to serve as a US Representative from Minnesota. Omar was born in Somali and fled the Civil War with her parents at 8 years old, eventually coming to America in 1997 where she would later start her political career.
4. Youngest woman elected to Congress.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest woman to ever be elected to House of Representatives. At 29 years old, Cortez was a trailblazer during the midterm elections and one that has been on many people's radar since she began campaigning in her home state of New York
5. First Lesbian Native American in Congress.
Sharice Davids is a daughter of a single mother Army veteran, a Native American woman, a former mixed martial arts professional, and a lawyer. But now she is making waves in America after becoming the first openly gay Native American in congress and the first openly LGBTQ member representing Kansas on the federal level.
6. First Native American woman in the House.
Deb Haaland is the first Native American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives and she will be representing New Mexico's 1st congressional district. Both of her parents were in the military and she was appointed as an Honorary Commander of Kirtland Air Force Base, helping strengthen her belief for taking care of our veterans.
7. New Hampshire's’ first openly gay man in Congress.
Chris Pappas is a small business owner and graduated Harvard in 2002, when he was elected State Representative of New Hampshire. Pappas' intent for running for Congress stemmed from bringing the understanding of local concerns and work ethic to Washington, DC. Most importantly, Pappas is the first openly gay person representing Congress for New Hampshire in the 1st district, one of the country's key swing districts.
8. Tennessee’s first female Senator.
Marsha Blackburn is a small business woman, mother, grandmother, and Member of Congress who has, in her personal experience, advocated for establishing a workforce focused on women. A previous Tennessee Senator, Blackburn defeated Tennessee's former governor in the race for US Senator in Tennessee.
9. Record number of women to be elected into Congress.
After Tuesday's elections, a record number of women will serve in Congress next year. At least 121 women will be serving in the 116th Congress, shattering the glass ceiling of the current number of 107 women out of the 435 seats. Thanks to women in this years election, many districts and even states were flipped from red to blue, as well. The women that ran this year were also so diverse, representing what America is truly about.
These are only the beginning of a long list of wins that truly excite me and make me hopeful for the future of our country, which is representing America's diversity and equality more than ever.
