Meet the history-makers of the 2024 elections

By CNN Newsource

Published November 5, 2024 9:20 PM

By Andrew Menezes and Annette Choi, CNN

(CNN) — The winners of several elections up and down the ballot will make history this year, CNN projects.

With Donald Trump winning a second term as president, his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is poised to be sworn in as the nation’s first millennial vice president.

Both parties are also set to welcome a diverse group of newly elected lawmakers in Congress and in state executive offices.

Among the projected winners in US Senate races are Democrats Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland, who – in addition to becoming their states’ first Black senators – will also be the first two Black women to serve simultaneously in the chamber.

And Republican Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Democrat Ruben Gallego of Arizona are projected to become the first Latino senators of their respective states.

In the House, CNN projects North Dakota to make history with the election of its first woman, Republican Julie Fedorchak, to the state’s at-large district. The result will leave Mississippi as the only state not to have elected a woman to the US House.

Democrats are also poised to make breakthroughs for LGBTQ representation. Sarah McBride, the projected winner of Delaware’s at-large House seat, will be the first transgender person to serve in Congress. Julie Johnson will be the first out LGBTQ person to win a federal election in Texas, the nation’s second-most populous state.

While the overwhelming majority of governors are elected in midterm elections, a handful of governorships were on the ballot this year. One of the projected winners – North Carolina Democrat Josh Stein – will be his state’s first Jewish governor. And former Sen. Kelly Ayotte will become the first Republican woman elected governor of New Hampshire.

A few races remain for which CNN has not yet projected a result, and this list will be updated for any additional projections. But of the ones for which a projection has been made, here are the candidates who made history with their victories.

Arizona

AZ-SEN: Democrat Ruben Gallego will be the first Latino senator from Arizona, CNN projects, with his victory over Republican Kari Lake in the race to succeed retiring independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. The son of immigrants from Colombia and Mexico, Gallego is a Phoenix-area congressman and previously served in the Arizona House.

AZ-03: Yassamin Ansari will be the first Iranian American Democrat elected to Congress, CNN projects, succeeding Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District. The daughter of Iranian immigrants, Ansari is a former member of the Phoenix City Council.

Delaware

DE-SEN: Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester will be the first Black and first female senator from Delaware, CNN projects, winning an open seat to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, her onetime boss. Blunt Rochester, who is in her fourth term representing Delaware’s at-large US House district, was also the first woman and first Black person elected to Congress from the First State.

The election of Blunt Rochester and Maryland’s Angela Alsobrooks to the Senate will mark the first time that two Black women have served simultaneously in the chamber.

DE-AL: Democrat Sarah McBride will be the first transgender member of Congress, CNN projects, winning the race for Delaware’s at-large congressional district. McBride, a state senator, will succeed Democratic Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who won election to the US Senate. McBride will also be the first out LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Delaware.

Maryland

MD-SEN: Democrat Angela Alsobrooks will be the first Black senator from Maryland, CNN projects, defeating Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin. Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s County executive, will also be the second female senator from Maryland after Democrat Barbara Mikulski.

The projected election of Alsobrooks and Delaware’s Lisa Blunt Rochester to the Senate will mark the first time that two Black women have served simultaneously in the chamber.

New Hampshire

NH-GOV: Former US Sen. Kelly Ayotte will be the first Republican woman elected governor of New Hampshire, CNN projects, winning the open race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Chris Sununu. Ayotte, who is also a onetime state attorney general, will defeat Democrat Joyce Craig, the former mayor of Manchester.

(Note: Republican Vesta Roy served as acting New Hampshire governor for eight days between 1982 and 1983 but was never elected.)

New Jersey

NJ-SEN: Democrat Andy Kim will be the first Korean American elected to the US Senate, CNN projects, winning the open seat that was once held by former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez. The son of Korean immigrants, Kim will also be the Garden State’s first Asian American senator.

NJ-09: Democrat Nellie Pou will be the first Latina elected to Congress from New Jersey, CNN projects, winning the race for the state’s 9th Congressional District. Pou, a state senator whose parents moved to New Jersey from Puerto Rico, will succeed the late Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell, who died in August.

North Carolina

NC-GOV: Democrat Josh Stein will be the first Jewish person elected governor of North Carolina, CNN projects, defeating scandal-plagued Republican nominee Mark Robinson. Stein, the state attorney general, will succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

North Dakota

ND-AL: Republican Julie Fedorchak will be the first woman elected to the US House from North Dakota, CNN projects, winning the open seat for the state’s at-large district. Fedorchak, an elected member of the North Dakota Public Service Commission, will succeed GOP Rep. Kelly Armstrong, who is running for governor.

Ohio

OH-SEN: Republican Bernie Moreno will be the first Latino senator from Ohio, CNN projects, unseating Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Moreno, a car dealership owner from Cleveland, was born in Colombia and moved to the US with his family as a child.

Oregon

OR-05: Democrat Janelle Bynum will be the first Black person elected to Congress from Oregon, CNN projects, flipping the state’s 5th Congressional District. Bynum, a state representative, will defeat freshman Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Texas

TX-32: Democrat Julie Johnson will be the first out LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Texas, CNN projects, winning the open race for the state’s 32nd Congressional District. Johnson, a state representative, will succeed Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, who ran for Senate.

Virginia

VA-10: Democrat Suhas Subramanyam will be the first Indian American elected to Congress from Virginia, CNN projects, winning the open race for the commonwealth’s 10th Congressional District. Subramanyam, a state senator whose parents immigrated to the US from India, will succeed retiring three-term Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton.

Washington state

WA-AG: Democrat Nick Brown will be the first Black person elected attorney general of Washington state, CNN projects, winning the open race to succeed Democrat Bob Ferguson, who CNN projects will win his race to become governor. Brown is the former US attorney for the Western District of Washington.

WA-06: Democratic state Sen. Emily Randall will be the first out LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Washington state, CNN projects, succeeding retiring Democratic Rep. Derek Kilmer in the state’s 6th Congressional District. Randall, who is Chicana, will also be the first out LGBTQ Latina elected to Congress.

This story has been updated with additional information.

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect Ayotte’s historic milestone. She is the first Republican woman to be elected governor of New Hampshire.

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