US midterm elections deliver historic firsts for Senate and governors
The 2026 US midterm elections produced a series of historic firsts, including the first openly gay man and first Muslim elected to the Senate, alongside the first Black woman elected governor. Democrat Chris Pappas of New Hampshire will be the first openly gay man in the US Senate, while Michigan's Abdul El-Sayed is set to become the first Muslim senator. Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan will be the first Native American woman elected to the chamber, and Louisiana's Julia Letlow the first Republican woman senator for her state. In gubernatorial races, Georgia's Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in US history, and New Mexico's Deb Haaland the first Native American woman governor. Other firsts include Latino governor Gina Hinojosa in Texas and Black governors Byron Donalds in Florida and David Crowley in Wisconsin. Democrats won control of both the House and Senate, with President Donald Trump acknowledging the defeat and citing the war with Iran as a factor.