Historic Firsts
Progress that Democrat leaders are making and the glass ceilings that are breaking.
Enjoy learning about these pathfinders. While there is a wide array of excellent leaders and social media follows here, this list continues to seem incomplete!
photos c/o of each Representative.
2023
Jennifer McClellan, VA-04
Rep. McClellan is the first Black woman elected to represent Virginia in Congress.
Danica Roem, VA SD-30
State Sen. Roem is the first Transgender person elected to represent in Virginia's state Senate.
Gabe Amo, RI-01
Rep. Amo is the first Black person elected to represent Rhode Island in Congress.
2022
Wes Moore, MD Gov
Gov. Wes Moore is Maryland's first Black Governor - and the third Black man elected to the office of Governor in the country.
Maura Healey, MA Gov
Gov. Maura Healey is the first woman elected to the office of Governor in Massachusetts - and the first openly lesbian governor in the nation, along with Gov. Kotek.
Tina Kotek, OR Gov
Gov. Kotek is the first openly lesbian governor in the nation, along with Gov. Healey.
Kathy Hochul, NY Gov
Gov. Kathy Hochul is the first woman elected as Governor of New York.
Becca Balint, VT-0
Rep. Becca Balint is Vermont's first woman elected to the US House of Representatives. With this First, every state in the US has now elected a woman to Congress. And Rep. Becca is Vermont's first LGBTQ Congressional Representative as well.
Summer Lee, PA-12
Rep. Summer Lee is Pennsylvania's first Black woman to represent in the US House.
Delia Ramirez, IL-03
Rep. Delia Ramirez is the first Latina elected to Congress for Illinois.
Marcy Kaptur, OH-09
Rep. Marcy Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in Congress after first winning a seat in 1982.
Eric Sorensen, IL-17
Rep. Eric Sorensen is the first LGBTQ person to represent in Congress from Illinois.
Shri Thanedar, MI-13
Rep. Shri Thanedar is Michigan's first Indian American elected to Congress.
Maxwell Frost, FL-10
Rep. Maxwell Frost is the first Gen Z representative in Congress.
Andrea Salinas, OR-06
Rep. Andrea Salinas is the first Latina elected to Congress from Oregon (along with fellow Rep. Chavez-DeRemer [R]).
Robert Garcia, CA-42
Rep. Robert Garcia is the first openly LGBTQ+ immigrant to represent in Congress.
Alex Padilla, CA Sen
Senator Alex Padilla is California's first Latino to be elected to the US Senate.
Nabilah Islam, GA SD-07
State Sen. Nabilah Islam is the first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia State Senate.
Ruwa Romman, GA HD-97
State Rep. Ruwa Romman is Georgia's first Muslim and Palestinian woman elected to the State House.
James Roesener, NH HD Merrimack-22
State Rep. James Roesener is the first out Trans man elected to a State Legislature in the entire country.
Leigh Finke, MN HD-66A
State Rep. Leigh Finke is the first Transgender lawmaker elected to Minnesota's State Legislature.
Abdelnasser Rashid, IL HD-21
State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid is the first Palestinian-American elected to Illinois' General Assembly.
SJ Howell, MT HD-95
State Rep. SJ Howell is Montana's first non-binary representative elected to serve.
Zooey Zephyr, MT HD-100
State Rep. Zooey Zephyr is Montana's first elected Transgender lawmaker.
Aruna Miller, MD Lt. Gov
Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller is the first South Asian woman to be elected as a state's lieutenant governor in the country.
Austin Davis, PA Lt. Gov
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis is the first Black lieutenant governor elected in Pennsylvania's history.
Dr. Shirley Weber, CA SOS
Dr. Shirley Weber is the first Black woman to serve as California's Secretary of State.
Cisco Aguilar, NV SOS
Cisco Aguilar is Nevada's first Latino to serve as Secretary of State.
Stephanie Thomas, CT SOS
Stephanie Thomas is Connecticut's first Black woman to serve as Secretary of State.
Andrea Campbell, MA AG
Andrea Campbell is Massachusetts' first woman to serve as Attorney General.
Charity Clark, VT AG
Charity Clark is Vermont's first woman to serve as Secretary of State.
Rob Bonta, CA AG
Rob Bonta is California's first Filipino American to serve as California's Attorney General.
Anthony Brown, MD AG
Anthony Brown is Maryland's first Black Attorney General.
Karen Bass, LA Mayor
Karen Bass is the first woman elected to serve as Mayor of Los Angeles.
Sources: Glamour | 11.09.2022 - All the Historic Firsts of the 2022 Midterm Elections. Buzzfeed News | 11.16.2022 - Here are Some Historic Firsts from the 2022 Midterms That Will Make You Say "It's About Damn Time".
2020
Kamala Harris, Vice President
The first woman to lead as Vice President. The first Black Vice President. The first South Asian Vice President. And in 2024 or 2028, she could break glass ceilings as President.
Doug Emhoff, Second Gentleman
He is the first Second Gentleman of the United States and the first Jewish person to be in either the First (President's) or Second (Vice President's) families.
Deb Haaland, Interior Secretary
Deb Haaland (NM-01) is the first Native American to lead the Department of the Interior - and the first Native American to serve in a Cabinet secretary role.
Xavier Becerra, HHS Secretary
He is the first Latinx Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Supreme Court
She is the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. She succeeded Justice Stephen Breyer who retired in January.
Cecilia Rouse, CEA Chair
She is the first Black person to chair the White House Council of Economic of Advisors (CEA). This made her the top economist on the Biden-Harris team.
Katherine Tai, US Trade Representative
She is the first Asian American and the first woman of color to serve as the U.S. Trade Representative, our lead negotiator in trading.
No Twitter. Wait, what?! | @WhiteHouse
Ritchie Torres, NY-15th
He is the first gay Black person elected to Congress. He shares this with Rep. Mondaire Jones (NY-17).
Mondaire Jones, NY-17th
He is the first gay Black person elected to Congress. He shares this with Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15).
Marilyn Strickland, WA-10th
She is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress and she is Washington state's first Black congresswoman.
New Mexico Congressional Reps
New Mexico is the first state to have elected all women of color to the House of Representatives, including Deb Haaland (NM-01, now Interior Secretary) and Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03).
Adeoye Owolewa, shadow House Rep. for DC
He is the first Nigerian-American elected to U.S. Congress.
Madinah Wilson-Anton, Delaware State Legislator
She is Delaware's first Muslim Legislator.
Sarah McBride, Delaware State Senator
She is the country's first transgender state Senator.
Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Mayor
She is the first woman to be elected mayor of Miami-Dade county.
Michele Raynor-Goolsby, Florida State Legislator
She is the first queer Black woman to hold any political office in Florida.
Shevrin Jones, Florida State Senator
He is the first gay Black person to be elected to the Florida state Senate.
Stephanie Byers, Kansas State Legislator
She is Kansas' first transgender state Legislator - she is the first trans Legislator in the entire Midwest.
Jabari Brisport, New York State Senator
He is the first gay Black member of the New York state Senate.
Nikil Saval, Pennsylvania State Senate
He is the first South Asian American elected to the Pennsylvania state Senate.
Torrey Harris, Tennessee State Legislator
He is the first gay Tennessee state Legislator - he is also the first LGBTQ+ legislator. He shares this with state Rep. Eddie Mannis.
Eddie Mannis, Tennessee State Legislator
He is the first gay Tennessee state Legislator - he is also the first LGBTQ+ legislator. He shares this with state Rep. Torrey Harris.
Taylor Small, Vermont State Legislator
She is the first transgender person elected to the Vermont state Legislature.
Tarra Simmons, Washington State Legislator
She is the first former inmate elected to the Washington state Legislature.
And, of course:
Major Biden, First Dog
He is the first shelter dog to call the White House home.
Willow Biden, First Cat
The first cat to call the White House home; apparently Willow the cat interrupted one of Dr. Jill Biden's speeches during a campaign stop in 2020, and that led to Willow's adoption.
#COTUS
Photos are c/o Twitter
