Congress will welcome a slate of history-making lawmakers in January, as members of both parties notched firsts in both the House and Senate.
Several candidates are prepared to become the first women to represent their states in Washington, D.C., while others will become the first of their heritage.
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Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware Senate race
With her win over Republican Eric Hansen, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) will become the first black woman to serve as senator of Delaware.
Blunt Rochester will succeed longtime Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), who opted not to seek reelection in 2024 and endorsed her almost immediately. Blunt Rochester once served as his intern.
Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland Senate race
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks defeated former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday night, becoming the first black woman to represent Maryland.
Alsobrooks and Blunt Rochester will be the fourth and fifth black women to ever serve in the upper chamber, following behind Vice President Kamala Harris, the late Democratic Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, and Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA).
Their wins also mark the first time in history that two black women have served at the same time.
Sarah McBride, Delaware’s at-large congressional district
Democratic state Sen. Sarah McBride will be the first transgender person to serve in Congress.
McBride told CBS News that the monumental turning point in history is “a testament to Delawarians that the candidacy of someone like me is even possible.” However, McBride said becoming the first transgender member of Congress is not the goal. Rather, boosting affordable child care, reproductive freedom, and affordable housing — typical stances for Democrats in the 2024 cycle.
McBride will fill Blunt Rochester’s vacant House seat.
Julie Johnson, Texas’s 32nd Congressional District
Rep.-elect Julie Johnson won her race to succeed Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX) in Texas’s 32nd Congressional District, paving the way for her to become the first openly gay representative in Texas’s delegation and the first openly gay representative from the South.
“Don’t hold yourself back,” Johnson wrote in a post on X. “Don’t make assumptions that you can or can’t do something. Don’t be your own barrier to achieving your dreams. Push forward, work hard, and you never know, you just might win.”
Andy Kim, New Jersey Senate race
Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) will be the first Korean American to serve in the Senate with his win over GOP candidate Curtis Bashaw. Kim, the son of immigrants, is 42 years old and will be the upper chamber’s third-youngest member in 2025.
Kim will take the seat formerly held by Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, who resigned after he was convicted of taking bribes and acting as a foreign agent. He defeated New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy, bringing an end to both parties’ long-standing political machine power in the state.
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Bernie Moreno, Ohio Senate race
Businessman Bernie Moreno defeated longtime incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in Ohio’s competitive Senate race, becoming the first Hispanic statewide official for the Buckeye State.
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He will also be the first South American-born senator.
Moreno’s win was one of a few upsets on election night, with polling showing him in a dead heat or trailing Brown. It was one of the most expensive Senate races this cycle, with $400 million pumped into the contest.
