MundoOne by one: all the milestones left by the Democratic victory in the United StatesMDZ Mundo•04/11/2026 – 18:01hs
The Democratic victory in the United States midterm elections left a series of historic results. Deb Haaland, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Abdul El-Sayed and Chris Pappas, among other leaders, reached positions that until now had not been held by people from their communities.
The elections left a political map with advances in terms of representation. For the first time, an indigenous woman was elected governor, an African-American woman took office, and a Muslim won a seat in the Senate. There were also milestones for the Latino community and for women in different states.
Deb Haaland, the first indigenous woman governor
Democrat Deb Haaland won the election for governor of New Mexico after beating Republican Gregg Hull. With this result, she became the first indigenous woman to occupy a governorship in the United States.
Haaland belongs to the Laguna Pueblo community. Before competing for the state Executive, she had been a congressman and had served as Secretary of the Interior during the presidency of Joe Biden. He was the first indigenous person to hold that position in the US cabinet.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, first African American woman governor
In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the governorship against Republican Rick Jackson. Her victory made her the first African-American woman elected to lead a state and the first person of color to reach that position in Georgia.
According to the agency’s survey APthe 83 previous governors of that state had been white men. Bottoms’ victory expanded African American political representation in state governments.
Byron Donalds and David Crowley, other milestones for African Americans
Florida also recorded an unprecedented result with the election of Republican Byron Donalds as governor. He became the first African-American man to hold that office in the state.
One of his first messages as governor was to Donald Trump, whom he assured would continue the state’s Republican legacy. “Mr. President, I want you to hear from Florida that we are still red,” he said.
In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley reached another milestone by becoming that jurisdiction’s first African-American governor. Their victories were added to that of Bottoms and the re-election of Wes Moore in Maryland, in a scenario with a greater presence of African-American leaders at the head of state governments.
Gina Hinojosa and Xavier Becerra, two advances for Latin representation
Democrat Gina Hinojosa was elected governor of Texas after defeating Republican Greg Abbott. With her victory, she became the first Latina woman to hold that position in the state.
In California, former Attorney General Xavier Becerra defeated Republican Steve Hilton to become the first Latino governor since Romualdo Pacheco, who took office in 1875. The results marked two advances for Latino representation in key states in American politics.
Abdul El-Sayed, the first Muslim to reach the Senate
In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won the Senate election against Republican Mike Rogers. In this way, he became the first Muslim to occupy a seat in the United States upper house.
During the campaign, he received attacks from Republican leaders and Donald Trump himself, who described him as radical and extremist. He was also mentioned with references to his religion. El-Sayed and his followers considered that these messages had an Islamophobic and racist component.
Chris Pappas, the first openly gay senator
Democrat Chris Pappas won the New Hampshire Senate election against John E. Sununu. His victory made him the first openly gay United States senator.
During the campaign, Pappas had signaled that he was not running to make history. However, his arrival in the Senate represented an unprecedented precedent for the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in that chamber of Congress.
Juliana Stratton and the representation of women in the Senate
In Illinois, Democrat Juliana Stratton defeated Republican Don Tracy and won the seat that Senator Dick Durbin will vacate. With her arrival and the continuity of Tammy Duckworth, Illinois will be represented by two women of color in the Senate.
The result is also part of a scenario of greater female participation in the legislative elections. According to the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics, nearly 300 women ran for positions in the Senate and House of Representatives, including lawmakers seeking to renew their terms.
Marsha Blackburn, the first elected governor of Tennessee
Tennessee also recorded a historic result with the victory of Republican Marsha Blackburn against Jerri Green. Blackburn became the first woman elected governor of that state.
Her victory expanded the list of women who reached the highest executive position in their states for the first time. Overall, the results of the midterm elections left a series of changes in American political representation and marked new precedents at different levels of power.
