By Taylor Alton Staff Writer
President-Elect Joe Biden is not the only winner this election season. Various communities nation-wide have found remarkable representation among the senate, house of representatives, state legislatures and even in the place of Vice President. Women, Native Americans, African Americans, Asians, members of the LGBTQ+ community, Latinx people, and Muslims have been elected making a mark across the country.
The most well-known “first” this election would be Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, who happens to be the first woman, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first black person to hold this important position in the office. In Orange County, California, Michelle Steel and Young Kim will be taking two seats in the House of Representatives as two of the first three Korean American women elected. Another historical candidate is Yvette Herrell of New Mexico. She is the first Native American Republican to serve in Congress and is part of New Mexico’s historical congressional representatives, all of which are women of color.
Speaking of these women and their leadership positions, 2021 will have at least 141 women serving in Congress, 14 more than in 2019. Specifically, the Republican Party played a significant role in this new record. Although there are far more Democratic women than Republican women in the House of Representatives, the Republicans went from 13 women in the house to at least 26, doubling their numbers. Going back to explicit diversity, approximately 51 congresswomen are women of color, more than ever before. Despite women only making up about one-fourth of Congress, this new representation still packs quite the punch, allowing for American citizens to see themselves represented in government, regardless of gender.
Other monumental moments belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Mauree Turner ran as the democratic candidate for the state legislature in Oklahoma. Their win makes them the first openly non-binary state legislature in the whole country, and also the first practicing Mulsim in the position for the state of Oklahoma. In New York, newly elected congressmen Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones will be the first openly gay black men holding this position in Congress. Similarly, all the way in Flordia, Michele Rayner-Goolsby will be the state’s first openly queer black woman in the House of Representives. And Shevrin Jones will be Flordia’s first openly gay Senator. As for the transgender community, Delaware’s Sarah McBride will be the country’s first transgender Senator. As mentioned before, this remarkable diversity allows people nation-wide to gain a sense of belonging by seeing people they can relate to, in those political positions.
2020 has been a crazy year, full of ups and downs. But this election season has brought hope for a better future. These record-breaking candidates are more than just some numbers and names. They are a step in the right direction towards unity and inclusivity in America. Politics aside, everyone can agree that diversity brings us together, instead of tearing us apart. And with that being said, congratulations to everyone who ran for office whether they won or lost, they are setting the precedent for younger generations that you can do anything regardless of race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation.