Until the midterms, only 3 Black governors were ever elected in U.S. Tuesday saw 5 wins

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With hundreds of elections taking place Tuesday night for U.S. Congress and state-level offices, there were bound to be trailblazers and candidates making history individually and collectively.

Perhaps the most remarkable outcome in that regard is the fact that in 2027, based on the results, there will be five Black governors.

When David Paterson was elevated to New York governor in 2008 as the disgraced Eliot Spitzer stepped down, history was made as Paterson and Massachusetts' Deval Patrick became the first Black governors to serve simultaneously.

Until Tuesday night, there had only been three elected Black governors in modern times. They included Wes Moore, of Maryland, who on Tuesday joined Patrick as the only Black governors to be re-elected.

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Meanwhile, Abdul El-Sayed became the country's first Muslim senator, winning a Michigan contest in which he fended off accusations of antisemitism, as some Republican officials were accused of Islamophobia in their attacks on El-Sayed.

Here's more on Tuesday night's history-making U.S. midterm results:

2SLGBTQ+ wins

One of the early races called saw New Hampshire's Chris Pappas, 46, defeat Republican John E. Sununu to help get Democrats started en route to taking control of the Senate in 2027.

In winning, Pappas becomes the first openly gay male U.S. senator, moving over from the House of Representatives, where he has served the state since 2019. Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin is the only other current 2SLGBTQ+ member of the chamber.

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At his victory party, Pappas thanked his husband, Uber executive Vann Bentley, leading to wild applause from the crowd.

"All right, the wrong person was on the ballot apparently," Pappas quipped, declaring himself the "luckiest guy because I'm married to a man that I love."

Given its far greater numbers, the House has historically seen the majority of the few dozen out members of Congress. Some won re-election on Tuesday night, including Robert Garcia and Mark Takano, both of California; Eric Sorensen, of Illinois; Ritchie Torres, of New York; Mark Pocan, of Wisconsin; Becca Balint, of Vermont; Emily Randall, of Washington; and Sharice Davids, of Kansas, who is also a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

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The 2SLGBTQ+ politicians projected to join them as first-time members of Congress so far are Jeremy Moss, of Michigan; J.D. Ford, of Indiana; JoAnna Mendoza, of Arizona; and Marni von Wilpert, of California, who identifies as bisexual. Like the returning 2SLGBTQ+ members of Congress, all are Democrats.

Delaware Democrat Sarah McBride, who made history two years ago as the first out transgender legislator, was re-elected in the U.S. House. Transgender Democratic candidates Allison Montgomery and Bentley Hudgins were elected to state legislatures in Alabama and Georgia, respectively.

At the state level, lesbian governors Maura Healey and Tina Kotek were re-elected in Massachusetts and Oregon. Both are Democrats.

Wave of women governors

Next year, there will be 17 women governors — the most in U.S. history — with Kansas and Alaska still uncalled races.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will become the first Black woman to govern in U.S. history, defeating billionaire Republican Rick Jackson in Georgia.

Keisha Lance Bottoms hugs her daughter, Lincoln, during an election-night watch party at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on Tuesday after defeating Rick Jackson to become the nation's first Black woman governor. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)

Democrat Deb Haaland, of New Mexico, also built upon an already-established political career that saw her serve in the U.S. House and as Joe Biden's secretary of the interior. Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, will become the first woman Indigenous governor of any U.S. state.

No win was more shocking than Texas, where Republican Greg Abbott was denied a fourth term in office. Gina Hinojosa will become the first Democratic governor in Texas since the legendary Ann Richards served in the mid-1990s, and the first Latina governor of any U.S. state other than New Mexico, where Michelle Lujan Grisham and Susana Martinez have served.

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In addition to Healey and Kotek, Kathy Hochul kept New York in the Democratic column, while Republicans Kelly Ayotte, of New Hampshire, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, of Arkansas, were also re-elected.

Democrat Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota, and Republican Marsha Blackburn, of Tennessee, successfully moved from the U.S. Senate to the governor's offices in their states.

Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico are shown Monday at a late campaign rally in Austin. Both scored upsets in Texas, with Hinojosa elected governor and Talarico headed to the U.S. Senate. (Eric Gay/The Associated Press)

Also winning in races where the previous governors were term limited were Democrats Hannah Pingree, Jocelyn Benson and Helena Foulkes, in Maine, Michigan and Rhode Island, respectively.

And in a matchup that was bound to make representation history — Republican opponent Vivek Ramaswamy is Indo-American — Amy Acton became Ohio's first Jewish governor and one of a handful of Jewish women elected to gubernatorial office in the U.S.

Gubernatorial history

Jewish American incumbent governors Josh Shapiro, of Pennsylvania, and J.B. Pritzker, of Illinois, were easily re-elected, while Phil Weiser is projected to become Colorado's governor, succeeding fellow Jewish American Democrat Jared Polis.

In addition to Hinojosa, Xavier Becerra, the former California attorney general, also made history. By defeating Republican Steve Hilton, Becerra became the state's first Latino governor since Romualdo Pacheco in 1875.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, left, greets supporters after speaking at an election-night event in Las Vegas early Wednesday. Ford is set to become the state's next governor. (John Locher/The Associated Press)

Maryland's Moore said before winning re-election that "it was never lost on me that I'm the only Black governor in this country, and that's a title that I never wanted."

There will be four other Black governors joining him at National Governors Association meetups, including the aforementioned Lance Bottoms.

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Incoming governor Aaron Ford has served as Nevada's top prosecutor since 2019. Throughout his campaign, he described growing up in poverty and going to school hungry. He explained how he became a math teacher before earning his law degree, and highlighted efforts to fight the Trump administration.

Ford and fellow Democrats worked to connect Republican Joe Lombardo with President Donald Trump's tariffs, saying they harmed Las Vegas tourism, which saw a 17 per cent drop in Canadian visitors in 2025.

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds celebrates at an election-night event with his wife, Erika, on Tuesday in Hollywood, Fla., after winning the race to become Florida's next governor. (Rebecca Blackwell/The Associated Press)

Like Ford, David Crowley is the first Black governor-elect of his state after topping Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin. Born in Milwaukee, he has spoken eloquently of overcoming a difficult childhood in which both his parents battled substance abuse issues.

Not all the history was on the Democratic side. U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won the race to succeed Ron DeSantis to become Florida's first Black governor-elect. As a result, the Republicans keep that office, which they've held since the late 1990s.