Congressional firsts voted for on Election Day

By Madison Lucchesi

On Election Day, Americans elected candidates that will mark historic firsts in Congress. 

Delaware voters elected the nation’s first “sister senators”— the first two Black women senators to serve simultaneously. Angela Alsobrooks became the state’s first Black senator. And Lisa Blunt Rochester became the state’s first woman and Black woman senator. In 2017, Rochester became the first woman and first Black woman representing Delaware in the House of Representatives. 

In Ohio, Bernie Moreno is the state’s first South American born senator and the first Hispanic state official.

New Jersey elected the nation’s first Korean-American senator, Andy Kim. Kim is filling former Senator Bob Menendez’s seat who resigned after receiving convictions for 16 counts of bribery.  

In the House of Representatives, Sarah McBride will represent Delaware as the first transgender person in Congress. McBride also made history as the first openly transgender person to work in the White House and as a Delaware state senator. She also was the first transgender person to speak at the Democratic National Convention. 

In further LGBTQ+ history, Texas Democrat Julie Johnson became the South’s first openly gay representative. Washington elected Emily Randall as the first LGBTQ+ Latina in Congress. 

Election day was also historic for women. Ohio Democract Marcy Kaptur became the longest-serving congresswoman in US history and already shared intent to run for her 22nd term in 2026. Janelle Bynum is Oregon’s first Black congresswoman, Julie Fedorchak is North Dakota’s first congresswoman and Nellie Pou is New Jersey’s first Latina congresswoman.

History can still be made in the House of Representatives as races are still being called. With 218 seats needed for a majority, Republicans have won 214 seats compared to 206 for Democrats, according to the Associated Press.