US midterms deliver historic firsts in state and federal races
The 2026 US midterms produced a historic wave of firsts, electing the first Black female governor, first Native American female governor, first Native female senator, and first openly gay male senator, alongside a Democratic sweep against President Donald Trump. Democrat Deb Haaland won New Mexico as the first Native American female governor, while Keisha Lance Bottoms won Georgia as the first Black female governor. Peggy Flanagan became the first Native American female senator, and Chris Pappas the first openly gay male senator, with Abdul El-Sayed set to be the first Muslim senator. Other milestones include the first Black governors in Florida and Wisconsin, the first Latina governor of Texas, and the first Latino governor of California since 1875. A record number of women ran for office, with Illinois becoming the first state represented by two female senators of colour.