Democratic sweeps across the US in elections on Tuesday marked a number of record-breaking firsts, including the first woman elected to several prominent positions and the first Muslim mayor of New York.
Here’s a look at some of the trailblazing firsts:
First woman elected as Virginia governor
Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA operative and member of Congress who won the gubernatorial election in Virginia on Tuesday with more than 57% of the vote, will become the state’s first female governor. During her acceptance speech Tuesday night, she thanked her family and noted that her husband was able to be the first person ever to tell their children: “Your mom’s going to be the next governor of Virginia.”
Spanberger beat Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, who also would have made history as the first woman elected governor of Virginia.
First Muslim woman elected to statewide office
Virginia state senator Ghazala Hashmi became the first Muslim American woman elected to statewide office anywhere in the country when she won Virginia’s lieutenant governor election. In her acceptance speech, Hashmi said about herself and Spanberger: “Together, we have carved a new historic path.”
“My own journey from a young child landing at the airport in Savannah to now being elected as the first Muslim woman to achieve statewide office – the first Muslim woman to achieve statewide office not just in Virginia, but in the entire country … was possible because of the depth and the breadth of the opportunities made available in this country and in this commonwealth,” she said during her speech.
First Muslim mayor of New York
In his resounding victory, 34-year-old progressive Zohran Mamdani made history as the first Muslim mayor of New York City. Mamdani was able to overcome an anti-Muslim backlash to his candidacy, which included comments by his opponent Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani will become the country’s highest-level Muslim executive, according to the New York Times.
First woman elected mayor of Detroit
Detroit city council president Mary Sheffield became the first woman elected mayor in Detroit by defeating her opponent with roughly 77% of the vote. “I am told it was the largest margin (of victory) in the history of the city of Detroit,” Sheffield told reporters at her election party. “I feel like today was a mandate by our city. Everyone is going to have a seat at the table with this administration”
First city or town to vote to divest from Israel
Somerville, Massachusetts outside of Boston made history by becoming the first municipality to vote to divest from Israel. Question 3 reportedly won more than 55% of the vote, although the ballot initiative is non-binding and the candidate who won the city’s mayoral election has not supported the proposal.
First state to counter Republicans mid-cycle redistricting
California voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 50, becoming the first state to officially respond to Texas and other Republican-led state’s efforts to redistrict to gain additional congressional seats before the midterms. It was a decisive victory for Democrats in deep-blue California as the Associated Press declared that the ballot initiative had passed almost instantly when polls closed statewide.
