LOS ANGELES: The US midterm vote ushered in a wave of historic leadership firsts across the country on Tuesday, electoral milestones on a night that saw voters issue a sharp rejection of US President Donald Trump's second term.
The first Black female governor, the first openly gay male senator, the first Muslim senator and the first female Native American governor all won groundbreaking elections in the vote that racked up resounding gains for Democrats.
Bill Shiebler -- chief strategy officer at the non-profit State Voices, a network of advocates for civic engagement and equity -- told AFP the night was "a huge rebuke against hate and division."
"We're witnessing an electorate that increasingly sees itself in its leaders, and the leaders who come out of communities they now represent," Shiebler said.
In Michigan, leftist Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. The former medical administrator drew huge campaign crowds but faced a surge of anti-Muslim rhetoric from his detractors in the bruising race.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations advocacy group praised El-Sayed for persevering despite "endless Islamophobic attacks."
"Our communities worked hard to make sure our voices were heard and that we are properly represented in the Senate," the organization said.
"This is what is possible when we show up and vote together."
'Historic election'
In the southern state of Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the race for governor, making her the first Black woman elected to the top office in any US state.
A former Atlanta mayor, Bottoms defeated billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson, a win that returns the governor's office to Democrats after more than two decades of Republican control.
Democratic Representative Chris Pappas, meanwhile, will become the first openly gay man to serve in the US Senate after winning in New Hampshire. He has served in the US House of Representatives since 2019.
"No one should be discriminated against because of who they are or who they love," he said on his website.
In New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor, beating Republican Gregg Hull.
A member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, she had served as the secretary of the interior under former president Joe Biden, the first Native American to serve as a US cabinet secretary.
Democrat Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota was elected as the first female Native American senator.
The sweeping midterm rebuke of Trump also saw a number of state-level electoral firsts, including the first Latina governor in Texas with Gina Hinojosa's victory.
Looking ahead, if the current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wins the speakership as expected in the new Congress, he would become the first Black speaker of the House in US history.
"This was a historic election where people decided to believe in themselves and really lean into the hope about the promise of this country, rebuking an effort to snuff out people's voices," Shiebler said.