Democrats have officially reclaimed both the House and the Senate in a historic midterm election Tuesday night.

35 seats in the Senate were on the ballot and all 435 in the House of Representatives.

As of Nov. 4, the Democratic Party holds 54 seats in the Senate and 240 seats in the House compared to the Republican’s 44 in the Senate and 147 in the House. 2 Senate seats and 48 house seats are still uncalled.

In what is now being referred to on social media as the “blue wave” or “bluenami”, the Democratic party made history in multiple states including Texas, Kansas, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas.

Georgia Elects the First Female Black Governor in U.S. History

Keisha Lance Bottoms made history as the first Black woman to be elected governor in the United States. A fifth generation Georgian and the great-great granddaughter of slaves, Bottoms will be Georgia’s first female governor and one of only 17 female governors in the U.S.

“My priority will be to address these cost-of-living issues that I’ve heard around the state,” Bottoms told CBS News. “I want to allow local governments to suspend or end our grocery tax and also expanding Medicaid and fully funding pre-K in Georgia, and fully funding funding education will be a priority in that first budget.”

Bryon Donalds also became the first Black governor of Florida. Raised by a single mother in Brooklyn, NY, the Trump-endorsed candidate has previously served in the Florida House of Representatives.

Native American Women Make History as Governors and Senators

The 2026 midterms saw Deb Haaland become the first Native American woman to be elected governor in U.S. history.

A member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, Haaland was elected in New Mexico, the state with the third largest Native American population in the country.

Haaland is used to being the first when it comes to her political career. She was the first woman elected to the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors, the first Native American woman elected to lead a state party while running for lieutenant governor in 2014, the first Native American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and the first Native American Cabinet Secretary in 2020 when she was named head of the interior department by then-President Biden.

Penny Flanagan in Minnesota also became the first Native American woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate. A member of the Objibwe and White Earth Nations, her Anishinaabe name means “speaks in a loud and clear voice woman,” according to her official election website.

Flanagan lists a number of her top priorities or her election site, including healthcare, affordability of life, education, foreign policy, immigration and reproductive care.

Flanagan has previously served in the Minn. state legislature and has served as Minn. Lt. Governor since 2019.

Blue Wave? More Like Rainbow Wave.

Come January, the LGBTQ+ community is set to see a lot of firsts in the political world.

New Hampshire elected Chris Pappas as the first openly gay U.S. Senator, defeated his opponent John Sununu in a landslide.

Delaware reelected Sarah McBride to her second term as the U.S.’s first openly transgender Representative.

JD Ford became Indiana’s first openly gay U.S. Representative, elected in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District. The last time the seat was held by a Democrat, albeit a straight one, was in 1990.

Ford joins Ritchie Torres, Malcolm Kenyatta, Jeremy Moss, Mark Pocan, Eric Sorenson, Robert Garcia and Mark Takana as the only openly gay U.S. Representatives.

Allison Montgomery made history by becoming the first transgender legislator for the state of Alabama, a historically deep-red state.

Ann Johnson also helped flip a historically red state by being reelected in Texas. She will join Beca Balint, Emily Randall, Claire Snyder-Hall, JoAnna Medoza and Sharice Davids as the only openly lesbian women in the House of Representatives.

History Made for Latinx Americans

“Know your worth and fight to defend it,” Gina Hinojosa said during her victory speech after being elected Texas’s first Latina governor. She will also only be the third woman to serve as Texas governor and fills a seat not held by a Democrat in over three decades.

A native Texan, Hinojosa has been a civil rights and union lawyer, Austin school board president and Texan Congresswoman.

Too Many Firsts to Name

In an absolutely historic election, there are almost too many firsts to list.

Abdul El-Sayed won his race in Michigan, making him the country’s first Muslim Senator.

Aber Kawas became the first Palestinian American elected to New York State Legislature, representing Senate District 12 with 75% of the vote.

A number of long-held Republican seats were taken by Democrats.

In Maine Troy Jackson unseated incumbent Susan Collins who has held a position in the Senate for 30 years.

Paralympian Josh Torek became Iowa’s first Democratic Senator since 2015.

Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy to become Ohio’s first elected female governor.

Annie Andrews defeated incumbent Darline Graham in South Carolina, becoming the first Democrat elected to the Senate by S.C. since 1998.

Jame Talarico defeated Ken Paxton to become Texas’s first Democratic governor since 1988.

Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Roger Marshall to become Kansas’s first Democratic Senator since 1932.

Regardless of your thoughts on the outcome of the 2026 U.S. midterms, it’s incredible to see the number of historic firsts made at both a state and nation-wide level.