Two years after Kamala Harris became the first woman and first person of color (she is Black and South Asian) to occupy the office of vice president, barriers have been broken on the state level: New York, Massachusetts, and Arkansas elected their first female governors.
Believe it or not, the United States has never had a Black female governor, but two made it to the ballot this midterm season: Georgia’s Stacey Abrams and Deidre DeJear in Iowa. Both lost their races, but will continue to fight for the Democratic party.
“I may no longer be seeking the office of governor, but I will never stop doing everything in my power to ensure that the people of Georgia have a voice,” Abrams said after conceding to incumbent Governor Brian Kemp, per Axios. “While we might not write the story today, there is always another chapter.”
The country may still be waiting on its first Black woman governor, but there were still plenty of historic firsts at the 2022 midterm elections. Here are all the candidates who broke barriers on election night:
Governor Kathy Hochul is the first woman elected governor in New York.
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Hochul previously served as lieutenant governor of New York for six years. She assumed office as governor of New York following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation amid scandal in August 2021.
Maura Healey is the first woman elected governor in Massachusetts. She is also the first openly lesbian governor in the country.
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