US midterm elections deliver record firsts for women and minorities

The 2026 US midterm elections produced historic firsts for women and minority candidates in governor and Senate races.

• New Hampshire elected Chris Pappas to the US Senate, making him the first openly gay senator in US history.
• Keisha Lance Bottoms won Georgia's governorship, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of any US state.
• Deb Haaland won New Mexico's governorship, the first Native American woman elected governor of a state.
• Texas elected Gina Hinojosa as its first Hispanic woman governor, and Ohio elected Amy Acton as its first female governor.