In the midst of the frenzy surrounding Donald Trump’s presidential win, women should still be celebrating some results of the election. While many are shocked that they did not wake up to the election of the first female president today, many minority women were appointed to the Senate.
On Tuesday, Nevada elected the country’s first Latina Senator, Catherine Cortez Masto (D). Cortez Masto, who previously served as an attorney general in Nevada, defeated Representative Joe Heck and will take the place of Senator Harry Reid, according to The New York Times.
In addition, two Asian American women—Tammy Duckworth (D) of Illinois, and California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D)—will take their places in the Senate in January next to Senator Mazie Hirono (D), the first Asian-American woman to become Senator. Duckworth will not only be the first Thai-American Senator, but also the first female veteran in the Senate, while Harris will be the first Indian-American.
Minnesota also elected the nation’s first Somali-American Muslim woman, Ilhan Omar, to a state legislature. “It is the land of liberty and justice for all, but we have to work for it,” Omar told The Washington Post. “Our democracy is great, but it is fragile. It’s come through a lot of progress, and we need to continue that progress to make it actually ‘justice for all.'” These are words to live by in the aftermath of Clinton’s defeat.
Finally, the first openly LGBTQ+ governor, Kate Brown (D), was elected in Oregon. Brown and the other minority women who were elected on Tuesday represent hope for the many American women who feel alienated by Trump’s victory. They serve as a much-needed reminder that women can do anything they set their minds to.