First Black woman elected governor; meet barrier-breaking candidates who made history in 2026 midterms

New Senate milestones

In New Hampshire, Pappas won election as the first openly gay male senator. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, is set to become the first Native American woman senator; Alaska’s Mary Peltola could also reach that milestone, but her race remains uncalled.

Iowa elected Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball. He will be the first senator who competed as a Paralympian and the first with spina bifida. In South Carolina, pediatrician Dr. Andrews became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from the state.

Governors break barriers

Bottoms won Georgia’s governorship, becoming the state’s first Black governor and first woman in the role. She is also the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. California elected former Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra as its first Latino governor.

Hinojosa became Texas’s first Latina governor and the state’s first Democratic governor in more than three decades. Haaland, formerly the U.S. interior secretary, will be the first Native American woman governor. Ohio elected Acton, the first woman to hold its governorship and the state’s first Jewish governor, after she defeated Vivek Ramaswamy.

Crowley is set to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor after rejoining the race following an earlier withdrawal at the outgoing Democratic governor’s urging. Former Senator Klobuchar will be Minnesota’s first woman governor. Nevada’s attorney general is poised to become the state’s first Black governor.

Historic House and Senate races

In Illinois, Stratton’s Senate victory means the state will have two women of color representing it for the first time in U.S. history. Kiros, 29, won Colorado’s first district, becoming the first Gen Z woman elected to the House and the state’s first Black woman representative.

Dr. Hamawy, a retired U.S. Army combat surgeon, will be New Jersey’s first Muslim representative. Valdez, a citizen of Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, is set to become New York’s first female Native American member of Congress.

Organizing behind the wins

Alexis Anderson-Reed, president and CEO of State Voices, told the AP that the milestones reflected a changing country. She credited years of organizing by people of color and LGBTQ+ communities, including voter outreach and conversations.

The election also shifted control of Congress: Democrats took both the House and Senate. The account described voters as rejecting President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidates and policies.