Amidst Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, voters across the country also made decisions in the House and Senate. Some of these races resulted in historic and groundbreaking victories. Now, several candidates set out to be the first in their office.
Here are the historic wins of the 2024 presidential election.
Sarah McBride
Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride made history and was elected as the first openly transgender member of the U.S. Congress on Nov. 5. McBride, 34, has served in the state Senate since 2021, and previously interned under former President Barack Obama. Her win, a resounding victory, comes as LGBTQ+ rights are under siege in multiple states in the U.S.—in 2024, state legislatures have passed or proposed nearly 700 bills that seek to restrict transgender rights. While McBride wants her presence in Congress to be a healing one, she also hopes to turn attention away from her identity though, and onto legislative issues she ran on, like healthcare, she said in an interview with TIME.
Andy Kim
New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim, a Democrat, is set to become the first Korean American Senator in the U.S. after winning the seat of former Sen. Robert Menendez, who was convicted on corruption charges earlier this year. Kim had been widely expected to succeed Mendendez prior to his win.
“I just have to say how incredible of an experience that this is and I want to ask you: are you proud of what we built?” Kim said to his supporters when celebrating his win Tuesday night. The crowd responded with a resounding cheer.
Angela Alsobrooks
Democrat Angela Alsobrooks has won the Senate race in Maryland, beating former two-term GOP Gov. Larry Hogan. Alsobrooks will now be the state’s first Black female Senator, and with fellow Senator-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester, the two will be the first Black women to serve at the same time in the upper chamber’s 235-year history.
Lisa Blunt Rochester
Eight years ago, Democratic Rep. Rochester made history as the first Black person and first woman elected to represent Delaware in Congress. Now, she’s done so again, as she is set to become Delaware’s first Black woman in the Senate after defeating Republican Eric Hansen. Rochester was expected to win the reliably blue state, and now with Alsobrooks, will be a part of the first pair of Black women to sit in the Senate at the same time.
“The people have spoken and we are bringing bright hope to the United States Senate,” Rochester told supporters Tuesday night.
Julie Fedorchak
Republican Julie Fedorchak is now set to become the state’s first woman in the House of Representatives. Member of the North Dakota Public Service Commission, Fedorchak defeated Democrat Trygve Hammer for the state’s 1st congressional district. After this win, Mississippi is the last state in the country to never elect a woman to the House of Representatives.
Bernie Moreno
Republican Bernie Moreno defeated Democrat and three-term incumbent Sherrod Brown to become Ohio’s first Latino, and first person of color period, in the U.S. Senate. Moreno, 57, is a Cleveland businessman who was endorsed by Trump back during the primaries, has won in the most expensive Senate race this year. His win was key in the GOP’s retaking of the upper chamber.
Kelly Ayotte
Kelly Ayotte, who served as a United States Senator from 2011 to 2017, is now set to become New Hampshire’s first elected Republican female Governor. Ayotte was up against another woman, Democrat Joyce Craig, and will now succeed fellow Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who declined to run for a fifth two-year term. Ayotte made history previously as the state’s first female Attorney General, and this win marks her political comeback after she lost her Senate re-election bid to Democrat Maggie Hassan, who still represents the state in the upper chamber.
Julie Johnson
U.S. Representative-elect Julie Johnson will make history as the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress to represent the state of Texas. Democrat Johnson beat out Republican Darrell Day and will succeed Rep. Colin Allred, who lost his race for a Senate seat against incumbent Ted Cruz.
“Tonight, Team Julie made history,” Johnson posted on X (formerly Twitter) after the results were official. “Together, we have shattered barriers and proven that representation matters.”
Josh Stein
North Carolina has elected their first Jewish governor in Democrat Josh Stein, who succeeds Democrat Roy Cooper after beating controversial Republican Lieutenant Gov. Mark Robinson. Stein has served as the state’s Attorney General since 2017, the same office that Cooper held before his stint as governor. Stein utilized Robinson’s recent media scandals to his advantage, referencing them in his own advertisements.
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