Firsts for women and minorities in US midterm elections

A series of historic wins in the US midterm elections put women and candidates from underrepresented groups into state and federal offices. The results mark firsts for Native American, Black, Hispanic, Muslim and openly gay politicians, and could reshape representation in government.

Deb Haaland became New Mexico’s first Native American woman governor, while Chris Pappas became the first openly gay US senator and Abdul El-Sayed the first Muslim elected to the Senate. Other firsts include Gina Hinojosa as Texas’s first Hispanic woman governor, Xavier Becerra as California’s first Latino governor, and Keisha Lance Bottoms as the first Black woman elected governor in the country. Alaska’s Mary Peltola could become the first Alaska Native senator, but her race remains too close to call; three Black Democratic women are also set to serve in the Senate, and Hakeem Jeffries could become the first Black House speaker if elected.