Black women, transgender, Korean-American: Tracking historic wins of US Election 2024

US Election Results 2024: In a landmark night for US politics, Delaware and New Jersey saw significant firsts in their elections, with groundbreaking wins for Lisa Blunt Rochester, Sarah McBride, and Andy Kim.

These victories highlight the increasing diversity in Congress, with historic achievements for women, Black Americans, and the LGBTQ+ community.

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First Black and Female US Senator

US Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester made history as she won her bid for a seat in the US Senate, becoming the first woman and the first Black person to represent Delaware in the Senate. Blunt Rochester, who has served four terms as Delaware’s lone representative in the House, defeated Republican challenger Eric Hansen in a race widely seen as a foregone conclusion due to the state’s overwhelming Democratic leanings.

Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland is also the state’s first Black senator. Blunt Rochester and Alsobrooks will also be the first two Black women to serve simultaneously in the chamber.

First Woman Senator

In the House, North Dakota is likely to make history with the election of its first woman, Republican Julie Fedorchak, to the state’s at-large district. The result will leave Mississippi as the only state not to have elected a woman to the US House.

First Openly Transgender Person Elected to Congress

In another historic achievement, Sarah McBride made history as the first openly transgender person elected to the US House of Representatives. McBride, a Delaware state senator, won the state’s at-large House seat in a victory over Republican John Whalen III, a former Delaware state police officer.

McBride, 34, had previously made history as the first openly transgender person to speak at the Democratic National Convention in 2020.

Further, Julie Johnson will be the first out LGBTQ person to win a federal election in Texas, the nation’s second-most populous state.

Democrat Emily Randall will be the first out LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Washington state

First Indian elected to Congress

Democrat Suhas Subramanyam will be the first Indian American elected to Congress from Virginia, winning the open race for the commonwealth’s 10th Congressional District. 

Subramanyam, a state senator whose parents immigrated to the US from India, will succeed retiring three-term Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton.

First Latino Senator

Republican Bernie Moreno will be the first Latino senator from Ohio. Moreno, a car dealership owner from Cleveland, was born in Colombia and moved to the US with his family as a child.

First Korean-American US Senator

Democratic US Representative Andy Kim secured his place in history by becoming the first Korean-American to be elected to the US Senate. Kim, a three-term congressman from central New Jersey, won the Senate seat previously held by Bob Menendez, who resigned after being convicted on federal bribery charges earlier this year.

Kim’s victory is also historic in that he becomes the first Asian-American senator from New Jersey, further strengthening the state’s growing diversity in politics.

Another Asian who made history in the US elections 2024 is Yassamin Ansari.

Ansari will be the first Iranian American Democrat elected to Congress, succeeding Democrat Ruben Gallego in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District. Ansari, the daughter of Iranian immigrants, is a former member of the Phoenix City Council.

First Jewish Governor

Democrat Josh Stein will be the first Jewish person elected governor of North Carolina, CNN projects, defeating scandal-plagued Republican nominee Mark Robinson. Stein, the state attorney general, will succeed term-limited Democrat Roy Cooper.