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Tuesday’s midterm elections did not bring Democrats the massive overhaul they were hoping for as a best-case outcome, but the party did manage to wrest control of the House of Representatives from Republicans. Liberal voters are especially excited about the number of women, especially women of color, who will be joining the House. From the first two Muslim women elected to Congress to Texas’ first Latina representatives in the House, women in the Democratic Party brought home historic wins and seriously happy feels to their supporters.
Women of color breaking so many ceilings:
– Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez youngest woman elected to Congress
– Ilhan Omar the first Somali American elected to Congress
– Ayanna Pressley the first Black congresswoman from Massachusetts
– Rashida Tlaib the first Muslim congresswoman— Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani (@AdrienneMahsa) November 7, 2018
The night brought unprecedented wins for women, LGBTQ+ people, women of color, and other groups that are vastly under-represented in Congress. According to CNN, 96 women won elections last night: 65 were incumbents running for re-election, and 31 were newly elected to their offices. Women won on both the Republican and Democrat sides, but most of the gains for women were made by Democrats. Some people on social media nicknamed these wins the “women wave.”
#WomenWave – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Deb Haaland, Lauren Underwood, Sharice Davids, Mikie Sherill , Ayanna Presley, Sylvia Garcia, Veronica Escobar, Abigail Spanberger, Elissa Sorkin, Abby Finkenauer – Here's to more #interrupting 👊 💥 pic.twitter.com/0CarYmYFiq
— Elmira Bayrasli (@endeavoringE) November 7, 2018
A few victories in particular pulled at the heartstrings of liberals who have been eagerly waiting to elect more politicians from their side of the aisle during the Trump presidency.
Ilhan Omar, who was elected to become the first hijabi Muslim in Congress, shared her glee over Ayanna Pressley’s victory in Massachusetts with a Beyoncé gif. Pressley is the first Black woman representing Massachusetts to be elected to Congress.
Congratulations to @AyannaPressley, who will be the first black woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress! pic.twitter.com/nHQxuQxYWY
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) November 7, 2018
Dancing & singing in Minneapolis as the race is called for Ilhan Omar. It’s official: She & Rashida Tlaib are the first Muslim women in Congress. Awaiting Omar’s speech. pic.twitter.com/NCiQrbTKVn
— Hannah Allam (@HannahAllam) November 7, 2018
Rashida Tlaib, meanwhile, won her bid for a seat representing Michigan in the House, becoming the first Palestinian-American elected to Congress and joining Omar as one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress.
.@sharicedavids & @Deb4CongressNM become the first two Native American women elected to Congress! So excited to be celebrating even MORE fierce, kickass women of color leading the way. #ElectionNight 🎊 https://t.co/BFSKRWj4EE
— Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) November 7, 2018
an openly gay native american woman (@ShariceDavids) just unseated the republican incumbent in kansas and will be the first native woman to serve in congress. I STAN!
— king crissle (@crissles) November 7, 2018
The first two Native American women were also elected to Congress on Tuesday. Sharice Davids, an openly gay women and former MMA fighter, defeated the Republican incumbent and will represent Kansas in Congress next term. Deb Haaland, another Native American politician, won a seat representing New Mexico in Congress.
Veronica Escobar (D) and Sylvia Garcia (D) are now the first Latinx Congresswomen ever elected from Texas, a state whose population is nearly 40% Latinx pic.twitter.com/yzjV2Sp8PQ
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) November 7, 2018
Texas, a state that is 40 percent Latinx, also just elected its first two Latina Congresswomen. Democrats Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia won their races last night, and are being celebrated among the other “first” women to come out on top of the midterms.
The Democrats may not have won across the board in the midterms, but gains made by women of color are reason to celebrate. After months of campaigning and mobilizing for the midterms, the efforts truly paid off.
What do you think? Tell us on Twitter @BritandCo.
(Photo via Getty Images)
