About a week after the final votes were counted, the 2022 Midterm Elections are officially coming to an end. During this election cycle, an array of candidates have made history, with a few of these newly elected officials like Maura Healey, Wes Moore and Maxwell Frost catching the attention of the nation.
Maura Healey
Mere minutes after polls closed in Massachusetts, the Associated Press (AP) projected that former Attorney General Maura Healey was the next governor-elect of the state. Healey made history in more than one way by obtaining the governor seat on both a state and federal level.
Healey made history in Massachusetts by becoming the state’s first female governor-elect as well as its first LGBTQ+ identifying governor-elect. Running with Kim Driscoll as her lieutenant governor, the pair is also the first all-female ticket to win the seats in Massachusetts. On a national scale, Governor-elect Healey also became the first out lesbian to ever hold the position across all 50 states. She will become the fourth-ever queer-identifying governor in the history of the U.S.
Wes Moore
Another candidate gaining major traction in national headlines is Wes Moore, who was elected to serve as Maryland’s first-ever Black governor. Without holding prior political office, Governor-elect Moore won the election with over a million votes in his favor.
Moore has been described as a “rising star” in the Democratic party and a figure you should keep your eyes on in upcoming elections. This sentiment is shared by the many prominent political figures who publicly endorsed Governor-elect Moore’s campaign, such as former President Obama who described Moore as “the leader Maryland needs.”
Maxwell Frost
At the age of 25, Floridian Maxwell Frost became the first member of Generation Z to be elected to the House of Representatives. Frost’s victory came during an election that reported the highest rate of young voter engagement. Winning with 59% of the vote, Representative-elect Frost also became the first Afro-Cuban to be elected to serve in Congress.
Congressman-elect Frost often speaks of his first-hand experiences with police abuse and gun violence and was a national organizing director of the March for Our Lives campaign. An advocate for the rights of all people, Frost looks forward to working with prominent members of the progressive caucus to forge meaningful change.
LGBTQ+ History
Tina Kotek
Joining Healey as the fifth elected queer governor is Tina Kotek, whose victory was announced four days after polls closed in Oregon. As a lesbian, she becomes among the first to be elected into the position alongside Governor-elect Healey.
Robert Garcia
Born in Peru, Congressman-elect Robert Garcia made history as the first gay immigrant to be elected to Congress. Garcia won his California election with a 65% majority of the vote.
Becca Balint
Winning in Vermont, Congresswoman-elect Becca Balint became not only the first woman but the first out LGBTQ+ person to be elected to Congress for the state.
Black History
Summer Lee
Congresswoman-elect Summer Lee made history this election cycle, becoming the first Black woman to be elected to Congress from Pennsylvania.
Shirley Weber
Winning the race for secretary of state in California, Sec. Shirley Weber becomes the first Black woman to fill the position in the state’s history.
Stephanie Thomas
Similarly, Stephanie Thomas became the first Black woman to be elected as Connecticut’s secretary of state.
Anthony Brown
Anthony Brown is among those making history during the midterm elections, becoming Maryland’s first Black attorney general.
Andrea Campbell
Adding to the women making history in Massachusetts state elections is Attorney General Andrea Campbell. She becomes the third woman to hold the position and the first Black woman to ever do so.
Austin Davis
Running alongside Josh Shapiro, Austin Davis made history in Pennsylvania after becoming the first Black person to be elected lieutenant governor.
AAPI History
Shri Thanedar
Elected in Michigan, Democrat Shri Thanedar became the first Indian-American congressman-elect to win a congressional race in the state.
Miller became the first Indian-American lieutenant governor of Maryland, running alongside Wes Moore.
Latinx History
Alex Padilla
Democratic Alex Padilla is the first Latinx candidate to be elected senator of California.
Delia Ramirez
Delia Rameriez made history in Illinois this election cycle, becoming the first Latina woman to be elected to Congress.
Female History
Kathy Hochul
After former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal, Kathy Hochul was appointed to the position. Hochul just won the gubernatorial race, making her not only the first female governor but the first elected female governor.
Charity Clark
Charity Clark made history this election cycle, becoming the first female attorney general of Vermont.
Kate Britt
Republican Katie Britt made history in Alabama, becoming the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate for the state.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders
In Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders made history after being elected as the first woman governor.
Leslie Rutledge
Running alongside Huckabee Sanders, Leslie Rutledge became the first female lieutenant governor in the state of Arkansas.