By Basant El-Faramawy
The 2026 midterm elections produced a wave of historic firsts for female candidates, with voters in 17 states electing women as governors — a new record — and several breakthroughs in Senate and House races across the country.
Record number of female governors
According to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics, 17 states elected female governors on Tuesday, surpassing the previous high. In Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms is projected to become the state’s first female governor and the nation’s first Black female governor. Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s projected win in Tennessee makes her the first woman to win a gubernatorial race there, while Democrat Amy Acton is set to become Ohio’s first elected female governor. In Texas, Democratic Rep. Gina Hinojosa is projected to become the state’s first Latina governor. Other states with newly elected or reelected female governors include New Mexico (Deb Haaland), Michigan (Jocelyn Benson), Arkansas (Sarah Huckabee Sanders), Oregon (Tina Kotek), New Hampshire (Kelly Ayotte), Minnesota (Amy Klobuchar) and Rhode Island (Helena Foulkes).
Senate milestones
Democrat Peggy Flanagan’s projected win in Minnesota will make her the first Native American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. In Illinois, Democrat Juliana Stratton’s projected Senate victory means three Black women will serve simultaneously — Stratton, Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland — making Illinois the first state represented by two women-of-color senators alongside Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Republican Annie Andrews’ projected win in South Carolina makes her the state’s first elected female senator.
House breakthroughs
In Colorado, Democrat Melat Kiros won the 1st Congressional District, becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress in the state’s history. Democrat Denise Powell’s projected win in Nebraska will make her the first Latina to represent the state in Congress, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.
Overall representation
The center projects 139 women will serve in the 120th Congress beginning in January, down slightly from the current 152. A record 101 women will hold statewide elective executive offices, and at least 18 Black women are set to serve in such offices, up from the previous record of 11.
