Midterms 2026: a black governor, an openly gay senator… The historic firsts of the election

The Democratic blue wave, which is in the process of overturning the Republican majority at the end of the midterms, has given representatives of minorities access to leading positions - thus making it possible to break down political and symbolic barriers, sometimes centuries old. Overview of these historic firsts.

A black governor in Georgia

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, 56, was elected governor of Georgia, becoming the first black woman to hold the post in the United States. But she is also the first woman, period, to take the helm of this state on the east coast. Republicans had controlled the governor's post since 2003. On her campaign website, Keisha Lance Bottoms presents herself as a descendant of a family of slaves from a plantation in Georgia, a state in the heart of the Deep South marked by slavery, segregation and then the struggle for civil rights.

She led the town hall of Atlanta, the largest city in the state, between 2018 and 2022. She became nationally known during the anti-racist protests of 2020, before joining the administration of Joe Biden. Under the latter's presidency, she served as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. She is particularly known for her management of the Covid-19 pandemic and her positions following the death of George Floyd in May 2020. Keisha Lance Bottoms then called on demonstrators to favor peaceful gatherings while highlighting the root causes of anger against police violence.

A Native American governor in New Mexico

Democrat Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman to become governor of New Mexico. This 65-year-old politician belongs to the indigenous people of Laguna Pueblo, established in this southern state.

She has already marked American political history twice. In 2018, she became, with Sharice Davids, one of the first two Native American women elected to the House of Representatives. And in 2021, Joe Biden appointed her Secretary of the Interior, becoming the first Native American to obtain a ministerial portfolio.

His personal background may have played a role in his campaign. A single mother, she used social assistance, notably Medicaid, and food stamps, before undertaking law studies in her thirties, reports the Guardian.

An openly gay senator in New Hampshire

Democrat Chris Pappas won the senatorial election in New Hampshire (Northeast), becoming the first openly gay man to enter the upper house of the US Congress. Several LGBT women had already served in this chamber, including Tammy Baldwin, elected in 2012. Aged 46 and a graduate of Harvard in 2002, Chris Pappas comes from a Greek-American family known in the state for operating a chain of restaurants called the Puritan Backroom, specializing in breaded chicken tenders, for more than a century.

Chris Pappas had served in the House of Representatives since January 2019. As a deputy, he was notably distinguished by his support for the Equality Act, the major Democratic bill aimed at enshrining protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in federal law. Chris Pappas belongs to the moderate wing of the Democratic Party. He is notably a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a parliamentary group bringing together Democrats and Republicans to promote compromise.

After his victory, he appeared on stage with the man he described as his “fantastic husband.” Contrary to what one might imagine, he did not make his homosexuality the central theme of his campaign. Interviewed by the New York Times, he explained that his goal was not to make history, but to respond to the daily difficulties of the inhabitants of his state.

A first black governor in Wisconsin

Democrat David Crowley won the Wisconsin gubernatorial election. At age 40, he became the first black governor of Wisconsin, in the north of the country. A first in 178 years of history for this Midwestern state. It is also the first time that the governorship has been held by a Democrat for more than eight consecutive years.

David Crowley grew up in Milwaukee, in a family facing great economic difficulties. In particular, he recounted his parents' addiction problems and the repeated housing evictions that marked his childhood. He got involved in politics, working for Democrat Russ Feingold's senatorial campaign in 2010, before being elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2016.

In 2020, he became the first African American and youngest executive in Milwaukee County, the state's most populous. He then returned to school and became the first member of his family to earn a college degree.

Wisconsin is a swing state, a state particularly contested between Democrats and Republicans. Donald Trump won the presidential elections of 2016 and 2024, while Joe Biden won there in 2020. Crowley's victory therefore allows the Democrats to retain the post of governor. His campaign was mainly focused on the cost of living, access to healthcare, funding for public schools and support for families.

A first African-American governor in Florida

The Democrats, however, do not have a monopoly on historic firsts. Republican candidate close to Donald Trump, Byron Donalds, won the election for governor of Florida. He thus became the first African-American to lead this state. At 48, Ron DeSantis' successor is a figure in the MAGA movement.

However, he was politically involved with the Democrats, before joining the Republicans in 2010, in the context of the rise of the conservative Tea Party movement. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Byron Donalds moved to Florida for his studies. He worked in the finance, banking and insurance sectors before entering politics.

In 2016, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, and then to the U.S. Congress in 2020, where he represents a district in the southwest of the state. He gradually became one of Donald Trump's most visible allies in Congress.

A black Speaker of the House of Representatives?

The current leader of the Democratic deputies, Hakeem Jeffries, is expected to take the perch after the large majority won by his camp. He would thus become the first African-American to preside over the House of Representatives.