I know it is been a few days since the election, and you have probably heard all about the Virginia and New Jersey Governorships and other big wins, but I’ll recap it because it is just brings me such joy. I’ve also compiled a list of the women, LGBTQ identifying, people of color, and democrats that won at the ballot box for school boards, city council’s, and other state and local offices. They are our next generation of emerging national leader. There were so many races to follow, that I may have missed a race you think should be included on this list, so chime in and let us all know of one.  I will provide updates as recounts are held and I collect more information on smaller races. The summary of What Went Right for non-election happenings will be posted in the next couple of days.

TRIFECTAS – When one political party holds the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house in a state’s government.  Democrats gained two trifectas as a result of the election and now control 9 states.

• In WASHINGTON with Manka Dhingra (D) winning the special election for Senate District 45, flipping the seat, Democrats obtained full control of the state Senate since they also kept the other 3 Senate seats up for re-election democratic.

• In NEW JERSEY with Phil Murphy‘s (D) victory in the gubernatorial election, Democrats took the governorship while maintaining their majorities in both legislative chambers.

STATE GOVERNMENT WINS

• FOR DEMOCRATS – In addition, to Virginia and New Jersey Governorships, Democrats retained two vacant House seats in Massachusetts and Michigan special elections.  Virginia led the surge in flipping 14 of 16 Republican-held seats in the House, with some races still too close to call. Democrats picked up three seats in the Georgia State House, ending republican super majority control.

• FOR WOMEN –  Women in Georgia, Virginia, Oregon, and Washington won state legislative seats, some formerly held by men and defeated some male incumbents, to make gains in state-level representation.  Virginia House of Delegates will have at record high of at least 28 women, more than double previous record.
• FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR -Virginia elected an African American for Lt. Governor, only the second ever African American elected to a statewide office there. Virginia also elected the first Asian-American and Latina Women (2) to serve in the House of Delegates. New Jersey elected the first female African American Lt. Governor. An African American democrat flipped a seat in the South Carolina legislature blue.

MAYORAL RACES (that I know of so far)

• WOMEN MAYORS – Notable cities that elected or re-elected women mayors including SEATTLE (WA), MANCHESTER (NH), NEWTON (MA), GREENSBORO (NC), PROVO (UT) (and 5 other smaller cities in Utah) BELFAST (ME), FRAMINGHAM (MA), MILTON (WI),  TOPEKA (KS) ROCHESTER (NY), CARRBORO and RALEIGH (NC). There are now run-off elections in ATLANTA and NEW ORLEANS which will lead to female mayors since all the candidates on the ballot are women.
• AFRICAN AMERICAN AND OTHER MINORITY MAYORS – Seven cities saw first time African-American Mayors including  STATESBORO (GA), GEORGETOWN (SC), MILLEDGEVILLE (GA), HELENA (MT), CAIRO (GA), ST PAUL (MN), and CHARLOTTE (NC). HOBOKEN (NJ) elected its first Sikh Mayor in the state. LOGANVILLE (GA) elected its first Latino and SANTA BARBARA (CA) its first Latina.
• LGBTQ – Five openly LGBTQ identifying candidates won mayoral races in SEATTLE (WA), HOLYOKE (MA), MILFORD (PA), CARRBORRO (NC) and COLLEGE PARK (MD) SEATTLE (WA).
• BIG CITY DEMOCRATIC MAYORS – DETROIT, BOSTON AND NEW YORK, re-elected their democratic Mayors.

THE BIG PICTURE

• LGBTQ WINS – Eight transgender candidates win including for Minneapolis City Council, House of Delegates (VA), Somersworth School Board (NH,) Palm Springs City Council (CA), Doraville City Council (GA), Erie School Board (PA), Minneapolis City Council, and Stamford (CT) Board of Representatives . Pridesource reported that there were at least 71 openly LGBT candidates in 23 states up for election with 55 percent winning and another 10 percent with returns not yet finalized.
• WOMEN CANDIDATES – Emerge America, founded in 2002 to train women to run for office, said 85 of the organization’s 129 women on ballots in nine states won their races for local and state office ranging from school/library boards to town councils, to Mayor. This included 12 women who won for Colorado, 8 for Maine, 2 for Maryland, 43 in Massachusetts, 1 in Michigan, 5 in New Jersey, 16 in New Mexico, 13 in Oregon, 7 in Pennsylvania, 2 in Tennessee, 4 in Vermont, 15 in Virginia, 7 in Washington, 14 in Wisconsin. Many Emily’s list supported candidates (many overlap with Emerge).
• PROGRESSIVES – Thirty-eight of 61 Victory Fund endorsed candidates won their elections, with four still undecided and one heading to a run-off. 5 Flippable candidates won their. 31 Run For Something candidates were elected. 5 Latino Victory Fund candidates won. 21 Our Revolution candidates were elected, including nine women, four Latino candidates, four African-Americans, and to openly LGBTQ+ candidates.
• BALLOT MEASURES – Maine voters approved a ballot initiative to expand Medicaid coverage under the ACA to about 70,000 more people across the state.

 STATE SUMMARIES AND DETAILS

ARIZONA – Democrats won all three city council seat up for election in Tucson keeping those seats blue.

CALIFORNIA – Lisa Middleton became the first transgender person elected to a non-judicial office in California, winning a seat on the Palm Springs City Council, along with Christy Holstege, a first time woman candidate inspired to run after 2016. Cathy Murillo’s victory makes her the first Latina mayor of Santa Barbara.

COLORADO – Elections for school board show a progressive movement in Douglas County where voters rejected a slate of pro-voucher school board candidates. Voters in Greeley, Colorado Springs and Mesa County all broke school-funding dry spells that have lasted more than 10 years. Broomfield passed an anti-fracking initiative and Denver voters supported an initiative requiring new buildings to be constructed with green roofs and approved bonds to fund public infrastructure projects.

 

DELAWARE – Two Democrats will be joining the Delaware County Council, making them the first Democrats on the governing body in more than 30 years. Democrat Jerry Sanders won in the Sheriff’s race, flipping the position blue. Democrat Joanne Phillips won for Controller race. Mary Walk, a Democrat, won for Register of Wills race.

GEORGIA –  Democrats Deborah Gonzalez and Jonathan Wallace won special elections to vacant state House seat, flipping the seats to the democrats, and democrats held on to the one vacated democratic seat in the special election. Jonathan McCollar will be the first African-American mayor of Statesboro. Mary Parham Copelan was elected Milledgeville first female African-American mayor, beating the incumbent by six votes. Booker Gainor, 27, will become Cairo first African-American mayor.  The top two candidates for the Georgia State Senate District 6 in the special election were democrats, but since no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote, a special runoff election between the top-two candidates, election of either will flip the seat to Democrats. Loganville elected Rey Martinez the city’s mayor and he is believed to be the first Hispanic elected mayor of a Gwinnett County municipality. Liliana Bakhtiari became the first queer Muslim councilwoman in Atlanta.

IDAHO – For the first time in 18 years, a majority of Boise City Council (four of six seats) will be women with the election of newcomer Lisa Sanchez and Holli Woodings.

IOWA – Mazahir Salih will be the first Sudanese-American on the Iowa City Council.

MASSACHUSETTS – Yvonne Spicer was elected the first mayor and the first African American woman mayor of the city of Framingham. Ruthanne Fuller became the first woman elected mayor of Newton. Democrats held onto two State House seats with the special elections of John Barrett and Andres Vargas

MICHIGAN – Special elections to fill vacant seats in the Michigan House were won by Democrats, maintaining seats previously held by dems. Women of color took 6 seats on the Boston City Council.

MINNESOTA – Andrea Jenkins won a seat on the Minneapolis City Council and is the first openly African-American transgender woman elected to a public office. Melvin Carter III was elected St. Paul’s first mayor of color.

MONTANA – Wilmot Collins, a refugee from Liberia, was elected mayor of Helena Mont., becoming the state’s first black mayor.

NEW HAMPSHIRE – Manchester, the state’s largest city, elected its first female mayor in its 266-year history, Joyce Craig defeating the Republican incumbent. Nicole M. LaChapelle, was elected as Easthampton’s mayor, on a platform of inclusion against the 21 year incumbent.

NEW JERSEY – Ravinder Bhalla, was elected as Mayor of Hoboken, and is the first Sikh mayor in New Jersey. Sheila Oliver as its first female African-American lieutenant governor.  Democrat Ashley Bennett was inspired to run against Republican Atlantic County Freeholder John Carman when he mocked the Women’s March on his Facebook page. She won with nearly 60 percent of the vote.

NEW YORK – Democrat Laura Curran will be the first female county executive for Nassau County. Kevin Beckford, Pittsford NY, Town Board first African-American on the board. And Rob Barley Henrietta’s first African-American Town Board member in the face of white supremacist activity in the area. Ann Finney was elected to the Poughkeepsie Common Council creating a progressive majority and Alfredo Balarin became the first Latino elected to the Albany city council.

NORTH CAROLINA – Vi Lyles became the first black woman to be elected mayor of Charlotte. Seven openly LGBTQ candidates won races across North Carolina. In addition, Jane Campbell of Davidson won a seat in the N.C. House. Voters in Greensboro elected five white women, three black women and one black male, but not a single white male, for the first time ever.

OHIO – With the reelection of democratic incumbents Mitchell Brown, Shannon Hardin and Priscilla Tyson, the Columbus City Council will remain a completely democratic legislature. Jasmin Santana was elected Cleveland’s first Hispanic female city council member.

PENNSYLVANIA – Tyler Titus was elected to the Erie School Board becoming the first openly transgender person elected to public office in Pennsylvania. He was joined on the board with female political newcomer, Darlene Feeney, and two other democratic candidates.  Janet Diaz will become the first Latina member of city council in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Larry Krasner progressive candidate who ran on platform of reform won for DA in Philadelphia. Montour County elected their first woman treasurer

SOUTH CAROLINA – African-American Democrat Marvin Pendarvis was elected to the South Carolina House of Representative, flipping the seat to the dems. Brendon Barber, will be Georgetown first African-American mayor. Andrea Salinas won a State House seat for District 38.

UTAH – Michelle Kaufusi became the first woman elected mayor of Provo, the third largest city in Utah.

VIRGINIA – Danica Roem is the first openly transgender candidate to be elected and serve in a state legislature. Her race for House of Delegates pit her against an opponent who had proposed legislation to allow discrimination of gay people and to restrict transgender people’s access to public restrooms. Kathy Tran became the first Asian-American woman to be elected to the House of Delegates. Dawn Adams, became the state’s first openly lesbian candidate to be elected to the House of Delegates. Elizabeth Guzman and Hala Ayala both defeated Republican incumbents to become the first Latina women elected to the House of Delegates. Democrat Justin Fairfax was elected to lieutenant governor and is only the second African-American to win statewide office in Virginia. Women really stepped it up in Virginia. Overall, 43 Democratic women are on the ballot; 26 have never run for office before and elections records show that two years ago, 24 women ran in the primaries; this year, 51 were in the running. The chamber will have at least 28 women serving. That’s a record high and an increase of more than half. Gun control candidate whose incumbent opponent was backed by the NRA wins House seat.

WASHINGTON – In addition to the State Senate seat, women did pretty well in Washington.  Jenny Durkan (D) became Seattle’s first woman mayor since the 1920s and the first lesbian mayor of the city. Two of the three city council seats and two of the three School Board seats up for election were won by women M. Lorena González, Teresa Mosqueda, Eden Mack, and Betty Patu.  Stephanie Bowman won re-election to maintain her seat on the Port of Seattle Commission and  Zachary DeWolf became Seattle’s first openly gay school board member. Two Latinos were on the ballot in Burien, Washington, but as of today the ballots are still being counted and the race is too close to call.