Voters in nine states elected trailblazing governors, including Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia as the nation's first Black woman governor and Deb Haaland in New Mexico as the first Native American woman governor. Down-ballot breakthroughs also occurred in states like Texas and Ohio, where Gina Hinojosa and Amy Acton ended multi-decade Democratic losing streaks for the governorship. In California, Xavier Becerra won election as the state's first Latino governor after defeating Republican Steve Hilton.
Key points
Landmark gubernatorial elections created unprecedented nationwide firsts for Black and Na…: Landmark gubernatorial elections created unprecedented nationwide firsts for Black and Native American female leadership in state executive offices.
Multiple states including Florida, Wisconsin, and California achieved major milestones in…: Multiple states including Florida, Wisconsin, and California achieved major milestones in Black and Latino gubernatorial representation.
Female candidates set historic precedents by securing their states' governorships for the…: Female candidates set historic precedents by securing their states' governorships for the first time in Tennessee, Minnesota, and Ohio.
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Midterms coverage: Live results | Stories around the country
Voters in nine states made history on Tuesday with their choices for governor.
Nationwide firsts
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, who won her race to be Georgia's next governor, will be the country's first Black woman elected governor of any state. The 56 year old served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018-2022, then served as an adviser to former President Joe Biden. Her defeat of Republican billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson makes Lance Bottoms the first Democrat to win a governor's race in the state in more than two decades.
New Mexico's Deb Haaland, who is of Pueblo Indian descent, will be the first Native American woman governor. The Democrat, who defeated Republican Gregg Hull, served in Congress before becoming Interior secretary under Biden. She made history in each of those roles, too — as one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and the first Native American cabinet secretary.
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