The midterm elections were on Tuesday, November 3, and it’s safe to say that history has been made. Both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives have turned from majority Republican to Democrat, an event that people all over the nation have been calling a “Blue Wave”.
Among the elected officials in the Senate and the House, plus the elected governors, there were many firsts in terms of representation and diversity. Chris Pappas from New Hampshire became the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate, paving the way for the LGBTQ+ community in politics and inspiring others to break boundaries. Keisha Lance Bottoms, from Georgia, became the first Black woman elected governor in the United States, and Abdul El-Sayed representing Michigan is the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor, and Aber Kawas became the first Palestinian American elected to New York’s state legislature. The state of Texas turned from red to blue in regards to their politics, and voted in Gina Hinojosa who became Texas’ first Latina governor.
All of these politicians were democratic, and all 6 of them have broken barriers, showing people that anyone deserves to have a voice and belong in important decisions. These results will allow for future inclusions of all people and all backgrounds, so that everyone is represented and has a voice.
Senior Grayson Manuel has personal connections to these national results, especially Kansas and Texas. “I think that these midterm results have been amazing in terms of the future of America,” he said. “My uncle lives in Kansas, and my mom grew up in Texas, and I know that those previous seats in The Senate have been very Republican for so long.”
History teacher Will Daniel reflected on how these historical results will impact future elections. “The bottom line is that there is an opportunity and space for people to participate, as a democratic structure. The results this midterm show a lot about people’s ability to participate and how this participation makes a difference.” he said.
Key results included James Talarico from Texas, flipping the U.S. Senate seat for Texas from red to blue. Junior Annabelle Pannier was especially excited about this result. “I’m proud to call myself a Texan again.” they said. Additionally, Democratic victories in Kansas, South Carolina, Ohio, and Georgia. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican incumbent Roger Marshall, ending a 94-year Republican streak for the Senate seat. Democrat Annie Andrews in South Carolina defeated Republican Darline Graham to win a Senate seat previously held by Republicans for more than 28 years, and Former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown won in Ohio. In Georgia, Bottoms had a historic victory against Republican billionaire Rick Jackson.
When asked about what has affected the US population the most these midterms, Manuel said, “I think that the war in Iran has created the most impact on voter’s decisions this year, because the president went back on some of his promises, resulting in American voters going against what Trump advocated for.”
Although these results pave the way for future diversity in the government, Daniel reflects that the country still has a long way to go. “It’s interesting that some of these historical moments haven’t happened sooner in some cases, for representation of different groups especially.”
For more information about the Colorado midterm elections specifically, look out for our upcoming article written by Ella Chase.
