Women, LGBTQ candidates, and people of color are about to make representation in government more diverse and realistic.
Democrats may not have gotten the blue wave they were hoping for yesterday, but ripples were definitely made. Once the results were tallied democratic candidates broke the republican chokehold on Congress by taking back the majority in the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years.
Related | The Rainbow Wave Has Arrived
This year's midterm election - one of the biggest and most expensive in history - also heralded a change to the faces of politics in this country. Multiple historic firsts were made including the first openly gay male governor, the first Muslim woman in Congress, and the first Native American woman in Congress, marking a younger, more diverse generation of legislators headed to Capitol Hill. Scroll through to see the candidates that made history.
Jared Polis – The first openly gay man to be elected governor
While others have come out while if office and Kate Brown, a bisexual woman, won in 2016, Polis appeared on Colorado's ballot as an out and proud gay man.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – The youngest person ever elected to Congress
It may have taken an extreme shift to galvanize young people to partake in our election process, but Ocasio-Cortez, 29, is a shining example of future generations getting involved in politics and helping to shape our country.
Deb Haaland & Sharice Davids – The first Native American women in Congress
Haaland has been working with native tribes in New Mexico and in state politics for years and Davids will pull double duty as Kansas' first openly gay member of Congress after defeating Republican incumbent Kevin Yoder.
Ayanna Pressley – The first black woman from Massachusetts in Congress
Massachusetts is as older than the United States itself and Pressley's win is layered in symbolism.
Marsha Blackburn – The first woman from Tennessee elected to the Senate
Blackburn, a frequent Trump proponent and ally, will be replacing frequent Trump critic Bob Corker.
Jahana Hayes – The first black woman from Connecticut in Congress
The New England firsts continue with Hayes, a teacher who beat her opponent by 11 points.
Rashida Tlaib & Ilhan Omar – The first Muslim women in Congress
Tlaib is a former Michigan state legislator and Omar will translate her distinction as the first Somali American legislator in the entire country to the congressional level.
Veronica Escobar & Sylvia Garcia – The first Latinx women from Texas in Congress
Though Texas is nearly 40 percent Hispanic or Latino (per census data) it took until 2018 for Escobar, an El Paso County judge, and Garcia, a state senator, to represent their Latinx women from the state at the national level.
Kristi L. Noem – The first woman to be elected governor of South Dakota
Endorsed by Trump, Noem knew she carried history-making potential on the campaign trail, but focused on issues.
Janet Mills – The first woman to be elected governor of Maine
Mills served as Maine's attorney general before breaking through the gender barrier in the governor's mansion.
Cindy Axne & Abby Finkenauer – The first women from Iowa in the House of Representatives
Though Iowan women have been governor and senators, this marks the first time they've been sent to the U.S. House.
