During this year’s Midterm Elections, 35 Senate seats and all 435 House seats were up for vote. For many, this election was the opportunity to balance out the Republican majority from the 2016 election, which left the Republican party in control of both the executive and legislative branches. However, beyond political parties, Tuesday, November 6th was a historic night for minorities—including women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community.
The night was full of many “firsts”. Sharice Davids of Kansas and Deb Haaland of New Mexico were the first two Native American women elected to Congress. Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar and Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib were the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, and Colorado’s Jared Polis was the first openly gay man elected as governor. With their entrance into a sphere that had been almost exclusively dominated by white men and women, their appointments are crucial as voices for their respective communities—from making legislature to serving as a symbolic figure breaking down stigma against their communities.
The election of these candidates further reveals the progressive state of the electorate—one that seeks inclusion and diversity. During Polis’s victory speech, he said, “We proved that we’re an inclusive state that values every contribution regardless of someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.” His win represents how far the American people have come in terms of accepting different sexualities and gender identities. Voters have reached a new level of awareness about groups such as the LGBTQ community and, with that understanding, have become more open-minded and accepting. In Davids’ victory speech, she said, “We have the opportunity to reset expectations about what people think when they think of Kansas.” As a Native American women in the midwest, her win gives America a changed perspective on a state that people often stereotype. From Colorado to Kansas, from blue to red states, the winning candidates reveal a change in perspective across America.
Although there were still many candidates representing minority communities who did not win, they continued to make history by having been the running candidate for their respective parties. For example, Christine Hallquist from Vermont was the first openly transgender candidate for governor. Georgia’s Stacey Abrams, who has not yet conceded, would be the first black female governor in America if she wins. These candidates all represent the progress in America. Regardless of which political party you may or may not belong to, we should all agree that a safer, warmer community is one built on love and acceptance of differences. With the government able to make decisions about our lives, bodies, and futures, it is important to hear the opinions of all people and have them represented in the decision making process. America is known as the melting pot of cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, so the government that represents us should be equally inclusive. In 2016, the elected Congress was 80% male, 80% white, and 92% Christian. In 2018, we are proud to have changed those statistics.
