Democrats scored major gains on Tuesday in the US midterm contests, taking control of both chambers of Congress and winning several governorships that Republicans had held. The results were a serious blow to President Donald Trump’s administration.
The vote also produced a run of historic firsts. Women and candidates from minority communities broke long-standing barriers, including the election of the country’s first Black woman governor, its first Muslim senator and its first openly gay man to sit in the Senate. Other winners made history in governor and congressional races, widening representation for Black, Latino, Native American and LGBTQ+ communities.
Abdul El-Sayed becomes first Muslim senator from Michigan
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s open US Senate seat, according to media projections, and will become the first Muslim elected to the chamber. His win in a tight race keeps a crucial Democratic seat in the party’s hands and is seen as a breakthrough for its progressive wing.
Also read: Democrats Win US Senate Control in 2026 Midterm Elections
El-Sayed beat Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman and FBI agent, in the contest to replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. El-Sayed, 42, is a former public health official who built his campaign around lowering living costs for working families and reducing corporate influence in politics. His platform included Medicare for All, a publicly funded universal healthcare programme backed by progressives in the Democratic Party.
Rogers, 63, ran with strong backing from Trump and national Republicans. He tried to portray El-Sayed as sympathetic to Islamic extremism, pointing to alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed denied the claims, and no supporting evidence was presented. Democrats argued that the attacks relied on Islamophobic stereotypes.
Rogers also tried to win over Jewish voters who were concerned about El-Sayed’s opposition to US military aid for Israel and his description of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide. Even so, Republicans struggled to overcome voter worries about the economy and Trump’s low approval ratings. Late in the campaign, Rogers broke with the president over the war in Iran and the US trade dispute with Canada, arguing that ending both was needed to bring down costs for businesses and consumers.
When the report was written, independent race calls had not yet been made, although media projections pointed to El-Sayed’s victory.
Firsts in Georgia, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Minnesota
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in US history after defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson in Georgia. She is also the first woman to lead the state, ending more than two centuries in which no woman or Black American held its highest elected office. Bottoms was mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022, was among the women former President Joe Biden considered as a possible running mate in 2020, and later became director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Her campaign focused on expanding Medicaid coverage, offering property tax relief to homeowners and increasing education funding. Her victory returns Georgia’s governorship to Democrats after decades of Republican control.
In New Hampshire, Democrat Chris Pappas became the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate, defeating Republican John E. Sununu for the seat being vacated by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Pappas, a four-term member of the House of Representatives, kept the seat in Democratic hands. The contest had been seen as one of the Republicans’ better chances to gain a Senate seat.
In New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor in the United States. A citizen of the Laguna Pueblo, she previously served as US interior secretary under Biden, becoming the first Native American to lead a Cabinet department. She had also been one of the first two Native American women elected to the US House of Representatives in 2018.
In Minnesota, Democrat Peggy Flanagan became the first Native American woman elected to the US Senate after defeating Republican Michele Tafoya. A member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Flanagan previously served as Minnesota’s lieutenant governor and as a state representative. Her election also helped Democrats secure Senate control after a series of wins in traditionally Republican states.
Governor firsts in Florida, Wisconsin, Texas, Ohio and California
In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds became the state’s first Black governor after defeating Democrat David Jolly. A congressman who received Trump’s endorsement, Donalds campaigned on tax reform, regulating data centres and backing the president’s political agenda. He will join Georgia’s Bottoms and Maryland’s Democratic Governor Wes Moore, who won re-election, in a growing group of Black governors. The three represent different parties and political positions.
In Wisconsin, Democrat David Crowley became the state’s first Black governor after defeating Republican Tom Tiffany. A former Milwaukee County executive, Crowley won the closely watched race to succeed outgoing Democratic Governor Tony Evers, and the win helped Democrats keep the office in a key battleground state.
In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa became the state’s first Latina governor after defeating Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. She is also the first Democrat elected governor of Texas since Ann Richards, who left office in 1995. A state lawmaker and attorney from Austin, Hinojosa campaigned on affordability, public education and limiting the influence of wealthy donors, while addressing abortion, education and immigration.
In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton became the first woman elected governor of the state after defeating Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. A physician who served as Ohio’s health director during the COVID-19 pandemic, Acton is also the first Democrat to win the governorship since 2006. Her campaign centred on affordability, property tax relief and healthcare, and she proposed a moratorium on new data centres unless they covered their own utility costs. The race drew national attention, with Ramaswamy backed by Trump and the contest growing more heated in its final weeks.
In California, Democrat Xavier Becerra became the first Latino elected governor of the state after defeating Republican Steve Hilton. Becerra has served as a US House member, California attorney general and secretary of Health and Human Services under Biden. He won a crowded Democratic primary and will succeed outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom. During the campaign he repeatedly linked Hilton to Trump, aiming to mobilise Democratic voters in the traditionally liberal state, which has one of the largest Hispanic populations in the United States.
