US midterms bring surge of historic firsts for women and minorities

France 24 · FRANCE 24 · 2026-11-04 11:15 UTC

The 2026 US midterm elections will go down in history for the Democrats' dramatic takeover of both houses of Congress but also for a surge of historic firsts for women, LGBT, Black and Native American candidates, as well as the election of the first Muslim US senator.

The 2026 US midterm elections will go down in history for the Democrats' dramatic takeover of both houses of Congress but also for a surge of historic firsts for women, LGBT, Black and Native American candidates, as well as the election of the first Muslim US senator.

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Yes, the 2026 midterms will be remembered for the astonishing number of losses that Democrats handed to President Donald Trump. But in the background, something perhaps equally seismic unfolded: a wave of firsts that elected to high office members of groups that had, until now, been kept largely at the margins.

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