Midterm Elections

The 2018 midterm elections will bring unprecedented representation to the 116th United States Congress.

Between the Senate and the House of Representatives, 41 women were elected to Congress on November 6th.

Among them is Rashida Tlaib. Tlaib was born in Detroit and served as a state representative in Michigan. In January she will become the United States’ first Palestinian-American woman, and one of just two Muslim women, in Congress.

The other female Muslim elect is Ilhan Omar, from Minnesota. Omar is also the first Somali-American woman to be elected to Congress.

America’s first two Native American congresswomen will be taking their seats in January as well: Deb Haaland of New Mexico, and Sharice Davids of Kansas.

All but four of the female elects are Democrats.

Ten of the 23 elected people of color will represent white- majority districts.

Many were expecting a “blue wave” this midterm election, in which democrats would sweep over both the Senate and the House of Representatives and win the majority. Though the results don’t quite meet the expectation, they are still palpable. Democrats did manage to wrench control of the House of Representatives from republicans. However, a republican majority still reigns in the Senate.

Though the blue wave was more of a big blue ripple, the “pink wave” very nearly lived up to its name. Even before the election, records were being made. More women across the nation filed to run for some office or another than ever before.

Several states that had never sent a woman to congress before voted in favor of a female candidate.

22 of the 111 congressional freshman have served in the military or CIA, including Pennsylvania 17th Congressional District representative Conor Lamb. The issues of national security and support for veterans will be in good hands.

23 districts across the United States that President Trump won in the 2016 presidential election voted for democratic representatives.

What does this mean for Congress?

It means that the United States of America is still moving forward. It means that the people, especially young people, feel they need to vote. It means we, as a nation, believe that what this country was founded on still matters today: representation. But America wants representation for everyone, this time.