The World Watched The Midterms
The world watched as the U.S. midterm elections happened this week. Although the Republicans maintained control of the Senate, the Democrats took over the House. States like Michigan went entirely blue. And there were a lot of firsts. Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez is now the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. The first Muslim women were elected to Congress when Ilhan Omar, a refugee who fled the war in Somalia, was elected in Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, was elected in Michigan.
The first LGBT Indigenous woman was also elected to Congress. Sharice Davids, a lawyer and mixed martial artist, will be representing her district in Kansas.
Jared Polis is the first openly gay Governor in America and he will be representing Colorado. And Ayanna Pressley will be the first black woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress.
Voter turnout soared and changes were made. Although Beto O’Rourke did not win the Texas Senate seat and Andrew Gillum lost the Florida Governor race, they were massive contenders and are now on the scene moving forward as politicians to watch in future elections.
The people have spoken. History was made. One hundred and forty-six years ago this week, activist Susan B. Anthony illegally voted in the presidential election. She was charged a few weeks later and it took another 50 years for the suffragettes to get the 19th Amendment passed which allowed women to vote. And a century later, countless women from all walks of life are now elected representatives of the people. Anything is possible.
