'Year of the women': Female candidates who claimed historic victories on Tuesday

Wednesday, November 7, 2018
The House is getting its first two Muslim women and Massachusetts is getting its first black congresswoman following Tuesday's midterm elections, among other historic firsts.

In what some are referring to as the "pink wave," the high-profile midterm cycle produced a record number of women contenders. Several winners will take office as trailblazers, marking firsts for their race and gender. Other races are too close to call still but could produce historic outcomes.
[Ads /]

Ayanna Pressley, the democratic winner of the Massachusetts 7th congressional district speaks at a rally at City Hall against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Monday, Oct. 1, 2018.

AP Photo/Mary Schwalm



In Massachusetts, Democrat Ayanna Pressley completed her quest to become the state's first black woman elected to Congress.

Texas elected its first Latinas, Sylvia Garcia (L) and Veronica Escobar (R), to Congress.

AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez, AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster



Texas elected a Latina to Congress for the first time. Two of them, in fact: Democrats Veronica Escobar of El Paso and Sylvia Garcia of Houston.

Ilhan Omar (L) and Rashida Tlaib (R), both Democrats, will be the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.

AP Photo/Jim Mone, AP Photo/Paul Sancya



Democrats Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan will be the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.

Deb Haaland (L) of New Mexico and Sharice Davids (R) of Kansas became the first Native American women elected to Congress.

AP Photo/Juan Labreche, AP Photo/Charlie Riedel



Former New Mexico state Democratic Party chairwoman Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids of Kansas became the first Native American women elected to Congress. Davids is also Kansas's first openly LGBT candidate to win a major office. Republican Yvette Herrell, a member of the Cherokee Nation, is in a hotly contested race for another open U.S. House seat in New Mexico.

Letitia James delivers a victory speech after winning the primary election for attorney general Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in New York.

AP Photo/Kevin Hagen



Democrat Letitia James became the first black woman elected to statewide office in New York. The 60-year-old will also be the state's first black attorney general.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., greets supporters after she was declared the winner over former Gov. Phil Bredesen in their race for the U.S. Senate Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018.

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey



Republican Marsha Blackburn will become Tennessee's first woman senator.

New York Democratic Congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to supporters, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018 in Queens the Queens borough of New York.

AP Photo/Stephen Groves



At 29 years old, New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won her race and became the youngest member of Congress. Ocasio-Cortez has said she is still paying off her student loans and until recently had no health insurance.







Regardless of who wins in Arizona's competitive Senate race, the state will elect either Republican Martha McSally or Democrat Kyrsten Sinema as the state's first woman to serve in the chamber.

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams participates in a debate against Stacey Evans Sunday, May 20, 2018, in Atlanta.

John Amis/AP Photo


Stacey Abrams, Democrat
Running for: Governor of Georgia
[Ads /]
If elected: Abrams would be the country's first black female governor.

In this Oct. 6 photo, Young Kim, a candidate who is running for a U.S. House seat in the 39th District in California, smiles outside her campaign office in Yorba Linda, Calif.

Chris Carlson/AP Photo


Young Kim, Republican
Running for: House of Representatives in California's 39th district
If elected: Kim would be the first Korean-American female ever elected to Congress.

U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., goes over the rules in a television studio prior to a televised debate with U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., Monday, Oct. 15, 2018, in Phoenix.

Matt York/AP Photo


Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat
Running for: Senator of Arizona
If elected: Sinema would become the country's first bisexual Senator. She is already the first bisexual Congresswoman.

Jared Polis, Democratic candidate for Colorado's governorship, speaks during the first stop of a statewide bus tour to drum up support among Democrats Friday, Oct. 26, 2018.

David Zalubowski/AP Photo



Women weren't the only trailblazers who won. In Colorado, Jared Polis was elected the country's first openly gay male governor. In New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevy, elected in 2001, had been outed as gay while in office.



Democrat Mike Espy, who will face Mississippi Republican Rep. Cindy Hyde-Smith in a December runoff, could become the state's first black senator since Reconstruction.

The following candidates were on the ballot Tuesday but lost their races:

In this Oct. 16, 2018 photo, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist speaks during campaign news conference in Vergennes, Vt.

Wilson Ring/AP Photo


Christine Hallquist, Democrat
Running for: Governor of Vermont
[Ads /]
If elected: Hallquist would be the country's first openly transgender governor.

In this June 28, 2018, photo Democratic gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan speaks during the Idaho District 18 Democrats Campaign Kickoff BBQ in Boise, Idaho.

Otto Kitsinger/AP Photo


Paulette Jordan, Democrat
Running for: Governor of Idaho
If elected: Jordan would be the country's first Native American governor.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MORE MIDTERMS COVERAGE

Elections 2018: Here are the races to know
Health care, immigration high on voters' minds, AP survey
Celebrities, political figures head to the polls on Tuesday
Pelosi says Democrats will strive for bipartisanship
Gillum concedes Florida governor seat to DeSantis
Abrams aims to be first black female governor in the U.S.
Heitkamp loses North Dakota Senate seat to Cramer
Kim Davis, clerk jailed over marriage licenses, loses re-election
Copyright © 2024 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.