5 leadership firsts for minorities after US vote

Updated / Wednesday, 4 Nov 2026 07:42

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The US midterm vote has ushered in a wave of historic leadership firsts across the country.

The first Black female governor, the first openly gay male senator and the first female Native American governor all won groundbreaking elections in the vote that racked up resounding wins for Democrats.

Bill Shiebler - chief strategy officer at the non-profit State Voices, a network of advocates for civic engagement and equity - said that the night was "a huge rebuke against hate and division."

"We're witnessing an electorate that increasingly sees itself in its leaders, and the leaders who come out of communities they now represent," he said.

"I think that's part of a multiracial democracy working as it's intended, not just a novelty."

First Black woman elected to top office in any US state

In the southern state of Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the race for governor, making her the first Black woman elected to the top office in any US state.

A former Atlanta mayor, Ms Bottoms defeated billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson, a win that returns the governor's office to Democrats after more than two decades of Republican control.

First openly gay man to serve in Senate

Democratic Representative Chris Pappas, meanwhile, will become the first openly gay man to serve in the US Senate after winning in New Hampshire.

He has served in the US House of Representatives since 2019.

"No one should be discriminated against because of who they are or who they love," he said on his website.

First Native American woman elected governor

In New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor, beating Republican Gregg Hull.

A member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, she had served as the Secretary of the Interior under former president Joe Biden, the first Native American to serve as a US cabinet secretary.

First Muslim elected to US senate

And in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed was in a tight, high-profile race aiming to become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.

The former medical administrator drew huge campaign crowds across Michigan with his promises to make healthcare free.

The sweeping midterm rebuke of Trump also saw a number of state-level electoral firsts, including the first Latina governor in Texas with Gina Hinojosa's victory.

Looking ahead, if the current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wins the speakership as expected in the new Congress, he would become the first Black speaker of the House in US history.

"This was a historic election where people decided to believe in themselves and really lean into the hope about the promise of this country, rebuking an effort to snuff out people's voices," Mr Shiebler said.