WorldNov 4, 2026, 7:24 AM

US Midterm Elections 2026

Al Jazeera Staff

The 2026 US midterm elections, in which Democrats made major gains, also produced a series of historic firsts for women and minority candidates. New Hampshire elected Chris Pappas as the first openly gay US senator, while New Mexico's Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor of any state. Georgia's Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman to serve as governor anywhere in the US, and three Black women will enter the Senate for the first time.

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There have been a number of firsts in these midterm elections in the United States, with candidates from underrepresented groups elected to office.

In New Hampshire, voters elected Chris Pappas to the US Senate, making him the first openly gay senator in the country’s history.

In New Mexico, Deb Haaland was elected governor of the state, becoming the first Native American female governor of any state. Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, previously served as secretary of the interior under then-President Joe Biden.

In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa was elected governor, becoming the first Hispanic woman to hold the office.

Georgia elected Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, as governor. Bottoms is the first Black woman to serve as governor anywhere in the US.

Amy Acton, a Democrat, won office, becoming Ohio’s first female governor.

Three Black women will serve for the first time in the US Senate next term, all of them Democrats: Juliana Stratton from Illinois, Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware, and Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland.