The election brought a wave of historic firsts. Here are some game-changing winners

Yes, the 2026 midterm elections will be remembered for the astonishing number of losses Democrats inflicted on President Donald Trump. But in the background, something perhaps just as seismic was unfolding: a wave of firsts that elevated to high office members of groups that had, until now, been largely kept on the margins.

WATCH: New Mexico’s Deb Haaland talks about making history as the first Native American woman elected governor

There were cheers and tears of joy in voting parties from New Mexico to Georgia Tuesday night as it became clear that voters had elected the nation’s first black woman governor, the first Native American woman governor, the first indigenous senator and the first openly gay U.S. senator. As of Wednesday morning, America’s first Muslim senator was also added to the list of milestones. This stunning blue wave also means that the United States will likely have its first-ever black president in the House.

Most of these frontrunners are Democrats, but the Republican Party has also broken new ground.

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While some of these candidates have avoided focusing on the historical value inherent in their race, gender, religion or sexual orientation, some voter rights advocates are celebrating the expanded electorate.

“These firsts show how much our country is changing,” Alexis Anderson-Reed, president and CEO of State Voices, a network of advocates for civic engagement and equity in democracy, said by email.

“For years, people of color and LGBTQ+ communities have organized, knocked on doors, talked to voters, had conversations, and worked hard to save our democracy,” Anderson-Reed said. “These victories are thanks to them.”

Here are some of the races where history has been and could be made.

First Native American female governor

Democrat Deb Haaland rejoiced in her historic moment of becoming the first Native American female governor in U.S. history. Haaland was declared the winner over Republican Gregg Hull, a former mayor, to lead New Mexico.

The Laguna Pueblo citizen pointed out that Native Americans are still here despite past efforts by the federal government to strip them of their language and culture.

“Tonight, on our nation’s 250th anniversary, I stand before you as the first Native American woman elected governor in the history of the United States,” Haaland told her delighted supporters during a victory celebration.

In 2018, Haaland was one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. She then became the first Native American cabinet secretary, leading President Joe Biden’s Interior Department. Charles Curtis, of the Kaw Nation, was the first indigenous member of the Cabinet as Vice President under President Herbert Hoover.

Oklahoma was the only state to elect a tribal citizen as governor: Democrat Johnston Murray in the 1950s and current Republican Governor Kevin Stitt.

“I want every kid watching to know that your dreams matter and New Mexico is a place where you can build the life you want,” Haaland said, adding that she is living proof.

First indigenous women senators

Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan became the first Native American senator in the United States, helping Democrats win back the Senate. A citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Flanagan defeated Republican Michele Tafoya, a former NFL sideline reporter.

Tafoya would have been the first Republican of Latino descent to serve in the U.S. Senate.

LIVE RESULTS: Peggy Flanagan wins Minnesota Senate election

Mary Peltola, a Yup’ik and Democrat, could also become the first U.S. senator from Alaska. Votes in his race to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan are still being counted.

Peltola was considered a trailblazer in 2022 when she became the first Alaska Native elected to the United States House of Representatives.

First black female governor

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms was declared the winner Tuesday night in Georgia’s gubernatorial race, ending 250 years of U.S. history without a Black woman being elected governor of a state. The former Atlanta mayor was running against Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire businessman.

“Tonight should remind us all that no matter what community we come from, Georgia is not defined by one moment or one person,” Bottoms told his euphoric supporters. “This was defined by all of us, and I will be the governor of everyone in this state.”

She will also be Georgia’s first governor of color. Georgia’s previous 83 governors were all white men.

Lisa Demuth, however, lost an opportunity to become the first black female governor. The former Minnesota House speaker was overtaken by longtime Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Stacey Abrams had been the only Black woman to come close to winning the gubernatorial race when she secured the Georgia Democratic Party nomination in 2018 and 2022.

First Muslim U.S. Senator

Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed and his wife, Sarah Jukaku, react on stage after his victory in the midterm elections, during an election night rally, in Detroit, November 4, 2026. Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters

Abdul El-Sayed will become the first Muslim American to serve in the US Senate.

The controversial race to become Michigan’s next senator was announced early Wednesday morning. The race between progressive Michigan Democrat and Republican Mike Rogers attracted national attention, especially after El-Sayed’s primary opponent endorsed Rogers.

“You took a chance on the most unlikely candidate,” El-Sayed told a crowd in Detroit. “Thank you. This is all yours.”

El-Sayed faced Republicans up until Trump who insinuated or openly stated that the Michigan-born epidemiologist was not American and supported terrorism. Trump called him “dangerously radical” and “too extreme” and referred to him as “Mohammed.” El-Sayed and his supporters denounced the attacks as Islamophobic or racist affronts to religious freedom.

First openly gay US senator

Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas won his U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire and will become the nation’s first openly gay senator. He defeated former U.S. Senator John E. Sununu, a Republican who had previously served in both houses of Congress.

This new benchmark is not something Pappas dwelled on during his campaign, saying, “I’m not running to make history.” But he also welcomed the fact that his sexual orientation has not been a big source of discussion among potential voters.

First black and Latino governors

The United States went from having only three elected black governors in its 250-year history to having several more overnight.

On Tuesday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the third in the United States and the only current black governor, was re-elected, while Florida Republican Byron Donalds, Wisconsin Democrat David Crowley and Democratic Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford were all elected as the first black governor in their respective states. With Bottoms’ victory in Georgia, five black governors will serve simultaneously.

Moore, president of the National Governors Association, called the presence of so many black gubernatorial candidates a “unique moment.” It’s not “an applause line” but a challenge to make diverse gubernatorial candidates more mainstream, he said.

Latinos, both Democrats, will hold the highest state offices in two of the largest states. Texas voters rejected Gov. Greg Abbott in favor of Gina Hinojosa, who will be the state’s first Latino governor. Xavier Becerra, former attorney general of California, beat Republican Steve Hilton. He will be the first Latino governor of California since Romualdo Pacheco in 1875.

Record year for women running for governor and Congress

This midterm was a record for women running for state and federal office. Democrats increased their number of female candidates in 2022 to 19 for governor, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The Republican Party had seven women vying for governor.

Like Minnesota, Tennessee elected its first female governor. Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn defeated Democrat Jerri Green, a Memphis city councilwoman.

Nearly 300 women, including incumbents, were running for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, as documented by Rutgers’ Center for American Women and Politics.

Among them was Democrat Juliana Stratton of Illinois, who defeated Republican Don Tracy on Tuesday. Stratton, the current lieutenant governor, will succeed outgoing Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin. Along with fellow Democrat Tammy Duckworth, of Thai descent, the pair will make Illinois the first state to be represented by two female senators of color. Stratton’s victory also means three black women will serve in the Senate.

Associated Press writers Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, Susan Montoya Bryan and Savannah Peters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.