Firsts for women and minorities in US midterm elections

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkNew Hampshire Democratic Senator-elect, Chris Pappas, speaks on November 3, 2026, in Manchester, New Hampshire, US [Joseph Prezioso/Getty Images via AFP]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 4 Nov 20264 Nov 2026There have been a number of firsts in these midterm elections in the United States, with candidates from underrepresented groups elected to office.In New Hampshire, voters elected Chris Pappas to the US Senate, making him the first openly gay senator in the country’s history.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Keisha Lance Bottoms makes history as first Black woman elected US governorlist 2 of 3Democrat Amy Acton beats Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio governor’s racelist 3 of 3Kansas elects first Democratic senator in almost a centuryend of listIn New Mexico, Deb Haaland was elected governor of the state, becoming the first Native American female governor of any state. Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, previously served as secretary of the interior under then-President Joe Biden.In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa was elected governor, becoming the first Hispanic woman to hold the office.Georgia elected Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, as governor. Bottoms is the first Black woman to serve as governor anywhere in the US.Amy Acton, a Democrat, won office, becoming Ohio’s first female governor.Three Black women will serve for the first time in the US Senate next term, all of them Democrats: Juliana Stratton from Illinois, Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware, and Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland.