In the first election of President Donald Trump’s second term, Democrats triumphed in sweeping victories in key races across the country. While Democrats framed the elections as a chance for voters to reject Trump’s policies and begin the future of the democratic party, President Trump portrayed the night as a choice for voters between “communism and common sense”. Here’s a quick recap of four of the historic firsts from the election results, because let’s be honest, we could all use a little hope in politics right now.
- Abigail Spanberger Elected Governor of Virginia
Abigail Spanberger became the first female governor in Virginia’s history, defeating Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears by the largest margin of any Democratic candidate in Virginia in decades, according to the New York Times. Spanberger has a background working as an agent for the CIA, and is known in Virginia for being a politician close to the center. She represented Virginia’s seventh district in the U.S. House of Representatives and was the first woman to do so. Her campaign focused on combating rising costs of living, protecting abortion rights, rolling back an order forcing state police to cooperate with the federal government on immigration enforcement, and taking a bipartisan approach to politics. While accepting her win, she acknowledged the historical first, saying, “Just a few minutes ago, Adam said to our daughters, ‘Your mom is going to be the governor of Virginia’, and I can guarantee those words have never been spoken in Virginia” (NY Times).
- Ghazala Hashmi Elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Virginia state senator Ghazala Hashmi became the first Muslim American woman elected to statewide office in the United States. This includes all statewide positions such as lieutenant governors, attorneys general, and state governors. In Virginia, the Lieutenant Governor presides over the state senate and has the ability to break ties in the chamber. The position is also often used as a stepping stone to politicians looking to eventually become governor, especially in Virginia, where governors can not serve more than 1 consecutive term. Hashmi ran her campaign focused on improving public education, preserving voting rights, democracy, and reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention, and decreasing the cost of healthcare and housing. While accepting her win, she remarked, “This was possible because of the depth and the breadth of opportunities made available in this country and in the Commonwealth” (ABC News).
- Mary Sheffield Elected Mayor of Detroit
In Michigan, current city council president Mary Sheffield defeated Republican Solomon Kinloch Jr. by the largest margin of victory in Detroit’s history, becoming the first-ever female mayor. Sheffield comes from a line of celebrated Civil Rights advocates in Detroit history, and has a reputation of fighting for the poor and working class in the city council, and fighting for housing stability and improved working conditions for those employees of city contractors. She has vowed that as mayor, she will fight for additional funding for community violence prevention programs and work to lower rates of poverty and crime. When accepting her win, she concluded, “I feel like today was a mandate by our city… Everyone is going to have a seat at the table with this administration” (USA Today).
- Zohran Mamdani Elected Mayor of New York City
In the most publicized election of the night, New York Representative Zohran Mamdani became the first Muslim mayor in New York history, and the first mayor of South Asian descent. His campaign against Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani ran his campaign focused on making housing affordable for all New Yorkers and improving public transportation, as well as speaking openly about his staunch support for Palestinians in what he calls the genocide happening in Gaza. As a Democratic Socialist, he was widely criticized for his progressive views and labelled a Communist by President Trump. He also faced racist attacks due to his Muslim faith and attacks due to his lack of experience. However, Mamdani ran a hugely successful grassroots campaign that catapulted him from near obscurity to a household name, especially among young voters. In his acceptance speech, he remarked, “Today we have spoken in a clear voice: hope is alive…Let City Hall, with our compassion, our conviction, and our clarity, be the light that our city and our nation so desperately need” (BBC).