On Nov. 6, 2018, the Democratic party officially took control of the House. But for many, a party shift was not the only victory of the night.

After a huge voter turnout, there were some major wins in terms of diversity as well.

To name a few: Jared Polis from Colorado made history by being the first openly-gay man to become a U.S. state governor; from Texas, Sylvia Garcia and Veronica Escobar will be the state’s first Latina women in Congress; Democrats Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar became the first Muslim women in Congress as well.

“A record number of women and minority candidates will be entering the House this year. Alexandria Ocascio-Cortez, the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist, will enter history as the youngest member of Congress ever elected. Other notable additions to the House include two Native American women,” said Teddy Weng, 12.

Besides taking the house, the Democratic “blue wave” was strong in the state legislatures, albeit the Republican party did maintain control.

“The Republicans have had a firm grasp on state legislatures across the nation for nearly 25 years, but the Democrats made significant gains in local elections, netting nearly 250 state legislative seats,” Weng said.

In addition, the party flipped seven governorships.

However, their wins were not as significant in the Senate. With 26 Democratic seats and 9 Republican seats open, the conservative party had maintained their control over the Senate.

“They won Senate seats in Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, but underperformed in areas where they have traditionally done well. This election the Democrats attracted the vote of educated middle-class suburbanites, but still struggled in old mining and industrial towns where they have traditionally done well,” Weng said.

Sources:

• https://www.newstimes.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Diversity-wins-All-of-the-people-who-made-13369985.php
• https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/06/politics/first-muslim-women-congress/index.html
• https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/322922