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Important firsts in history on Election Day
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Important firsts in history on Election Day

On Wednesday, historic results were achieved in the 2024 elections in contests for control of both the White House and Congress.

Vice President Kamala Harris hoped to become the first female president and the first president of South Asian descent. But around 5:30 a.m., ABC News projected that former President Donald Trump would secure Wisconsin and with it the White House, surpassing the 270 electoral college votes needed to gain the office.

The result made Trump only the second president to win non-consecutive terms, placing him alongside former President Grover Cleveland, who served as the 22nd and 24th president to win the 1884 and 1892 elections.

Trump’s return to the White House also makes him the first president to be convicted of a crime.

“There’s nothing even remotely comparable,” Updegrove said. “Two impeachments, Jan. 6, loss of the (2020) election, 34 felony counts – ongoing.”

Notable “firsts” are not limited to the presidential ticket. In fact, there have been a number of additional historic firsts in various branches of this year’s federal election, with the potential for more to come as votes continue to be counted. While this list is not comprehensive, some of the highlights include:

US Senate

Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester Delaware will be the first woman and the first Black woman to represent her state in the Senate. Rochester previously made history in 2017 by becoming Delaware’s first female and first Black House representative.

Democrat Angela Alsobrooks became Maryland’s first Black senator. His opponent, former Gov. Larry Hogan, was making a bid to become the first Republican to win a Maryland Senate seat in nearly four decades.

Republican Bernie Moreno also became Ohio’s first Hispanic statewide official and first South American-born senator.

Democratic U.S. Representative Andy Kim He was elected to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw for the seat that opened when Bob Menendez resigned this year following his federal conviction on bribery charges.

Kim, a three-term congressman from central New Jersey, became the first Korean American in the Senate.

House of Representatives

With all 435 seats in the Assembly up for grabs, there were plenty of opportunities to make history among the Assembly candidates as well.

This election paved the way for LGBTQ+ history in Congress. Sarah McBrideShe won Delaware’s at-large congressional seat, becoming the first openly transgender member of Congress. McBride was also the first transgender person to work in the White House, speak at the Democratic National Convention, and become a Delaware state senator.

Democrat Julie Johnson of Texas won the race to become the first openly gay representative from the South, while Democrat Emily Randall, who became Washington’s first female LGBTQ state senator in 2018, was expected to become the first LGBTQ Latina to serve in Congress. .

House races also provided the opportunity for other minority identities to be represented in Congress for the first time, especially among women.

Democrat Janelle Bynum of Oregon may become the first Black woman to represent her state in Congress.

Meanwhile, North Dakota Republican Julie Fedorchak won her bid to become the first woman to represent the state in the House of Representatives.

Ohio Democrat Marcy Kaptur is now the longest-serving woman in congressional history and hopes to continue that legacy into her 22nd term.

There may also be historic firsts with the representation of Asian Americans.

Democrat Derek Tran could also be the first Vietnamese member of Congress from California, and Democrat Amish Shah could be the first Asian American and Indian American from Arizona in Congress.

Democrat Nellie Pou could be the first Hispanic woman to represent New Jersey in Congress, and Democrat Tony Vargas could be the first Latina from Nebraska in Congress.

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