Two years after Kamala Harris became the first woman and first person of color (she is Black and South Asian) to occupy the office of vice president, barriers have been broken on the state level: New York, Massachusetts, and Arkansas elected their first female governors.
Believe it or not, the United States has never had a Black female governor, but two made it to the ballot this midterm season: Georgia’s Stacey Abrams and Deidre DeJear in Iowa. Both lost their races, but will continue to fight for the Democratic party.
“I may no longer be seeking the office of governor, but I will never stop doing everything in my power to ensure that the people of Georgia have a voice,” Abrams said after conceding to incumbent governor Brian Kemp, per Axios. “While we might not write the story today, there is always another chapter.”
The country may still be waiting on its first Black woman governor, but there were still plenty of historic firsts at the 2022 midterm elections. Here are all the candidates who broke barriers on election night:
Governor Kathy Hochul is the first woman elected governor in New York.
Hochul previously served as lieutenant governor of New York for six years. She assumed office as governor of New York following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation amid scandal in August 2021.
Maura Healey is the first woman elected governor in Massachusetts. She is also the first openly lesbian governor in the country.
The Massachusetts attorney general beat Republican Geoff Diehl for the governorship.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the first woman elected governor in Arkansas.
She follows in the footsteps of her father, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. She previously served as the White House press secretary under President Donald Trump.
Wes Moore is the first Black man elected governor in Maryland. He is only the third Black man to be elected governor in the country.
Moore beat his Republican challenger Dan Cox for the governorship.
At 25, Maxwell Frost is the first member of Gen Z elected to Congress.
Frost is an activist and the former national organizing director of the March for Our Lives. He is also a Harry Styles fan.
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Summer Lee is the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress.
Lee beat Republican challenger Mike Doyle for the House seat.
Becca Balint is the first woman and the first lesbian to represent the state of Vermont in Congress.
With Balint’s win, Vermont is the last state to send a woman to Congress.
James Roesener is the first out transgender man to be elected to a state legislature in the country.
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Roesener was elected to serve New Hampshire’s 22nd House District, Ward 8.
This post will be updated.
