Chris Pappas becomes first openly gay man elected to US Senate

The result was confirmed on Tuesday night (3), when Republican John Sununu acknowledged defeat. According to Sununu, he called Pappas to admit the election results.

At age 46, Pappas currently represents New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in the House of Representatives, equivalent to the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil.

Before Pappas, other openly LGBTQIA+ politicians had already held seats in the US Senate. All, however, were women: Tammy Baldwin, from Wisconsin; Laphonza Butler of California; and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Butler and Sinema have already left office.

Another case is that of former senator Harris Wofford, from Pennsylvania, who served between 1991 and 1995. During the period he was in the Senate, he was married to a woman. In 2016, years after leaving office, she married a man.

At age 46, Pappas built his political career in New Hampshire, a state in the northeast of the United States. Before winning a seat in Congress, he held positions in state politics.

During the campaign for the Senate, the Democrat focused his speech on topics such as combating corruption in Washington, access to healthcare and the cost of living. Although his election represents a milestone for the LGBTQIA+ community, he avoided making his sexual orientation the main issue of his candidacy.

This Tuesday's elections (3) are the so-called mid-term elections, known as midterms. They take place in the middle of the presidential period and do not include a race for the Presidency.

This year, Americans vote to renew all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate. There are also elections for governor in 36 states, in addition to consultations on local issues.

The result could change the composition of Congress and, consequently, the relationship of forces between the Trump administration and the Democratic opposition.

As the president belongs to the Republican Party, the party's performance at the polls is also monitored as an indicator of political support for the government during his second term.