Progressives woke up to good news for what feels like the first time since 2016, and they owe much of it to women.
In Virginia, voters elected at least 25 women to the House of Delegates, up from the previous record; just 19 in 2013. The winners include the first trans woman, the first Latinas, and the first Asian-American woman to be elected to the chamber. In Minnesota, Andrea Jenkins became one of the first openly trans people elected to any public office, nationwide. In North Carolina, Vi Lyles became the first African-American woman to be elected mayor in Charlotte ever.
And these women—they didn't hedge their bets or back away from their values to appeal to conservatives. They ran on promises to vote for stricter gun control, better health care, more access to reproductive services for women, environmental protections, and the expansion of social services.
So, friends, Danica Roem-ans, countrymen, lend me your ears! And meet the women who won for the first time this Election Day.
Connecticut
Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, Mayor of Bristol
Zoppo-Sassu defeated Republican Mayor Ken Cockayne, a two-term incumbent who has twice been censured by his own constituents over sexual harassment allegations.
Nancy Rossi, Mayor of West Haven
When she is inaugurated in December, Rossi will become the first ever female mayor of West Haven on Tuesday. A CPA, she vowed to balance the city's budget and rein in its deficit.
"I live here. This is my home," she said. "I love West Haven. I care about it. I can't let it continue to deteriorate."
Georgia
Mary Parham Copelan, Mayor of Milledgeville, GA
Parham Copelan scored an unanticipated win against incumbent Gary Thrower; the Milledgeville native is now the first woman to be elected that office.
"Milledgeville wanted a change and they got out there and worked hard for me and they made this change possible," Parham Copelan said.
Deborah Gonzales, House District 117
As Vox.com put it, Gonzales' success "should be particularly alarming for Republicans," given that Mitt Romney nabbed the district by a 54-44 margin in 2012 and though Donald Trump won it by just 49-46, he still beat Clinton.
Meanwhile, "Gonzales ran 7 points stronger than Clinton and flipped what had been an overwhelmingly Republican district as recently as five years ago."
Iowa
Mazahir Salih, Iowa City Council, At-Large Member
Salih took the third at-large seat on the Iowa City Council on Tuesday, following a race in which she focused on affordable housing and improving the city public transit system. A former community organizer with the Center for Worker Justice, Salih is the first immigrant to win a seat on the council.
"I represent everybody in Iowa City, regardless if you moved half around the globe to come here like me or you were born here," Salih said. "I represent everybody in Iowa City."
Massachusetts
Lydia Edwards, Boston City Council, District 1
Edwards won a seat on the Boston City Council, where she will now represent East Boston, Charlestown, and the North End. When her term begins in January, she will be one of five women of color on the 13-seat City Council.
Addressing her supporters at a pub in East Boston, Edwards reminded them that she never sacrificed her values for votes: "We never apologized for our diversity, we never apologized for being inclusive, we never apologized for being progressive. We never apologize!"
Minnesota
Andrea Jenkins, Minneapolis City Council, 8th Ward
Jenkins beat three candidates for her seat on the Minneapolis City Council, making her one of the first openly trans people of color elected to any office in the United States. The Minneapolis Star Tribune endorsed her, citing her qualification and experience as a policy aide to former Council Vice President Elizabeth Glidden. She won more than 70 percent of the vote.
“Transgender people have been here forever, and black transgender people have been here forever,” Jenkins told the Washington Post after her win. “I’m really proud to have achieved that status, and I look forward to more trans people joining me in elected office, and all other kinds of leadership roles in our society.”
New Jersey
Yvonne Lopez, House District 19
Prior to her win, Lopez was a Democratic State Committeewoman and the CEO of the Puerto Rican Association for Human Development (PRAHD). There, Lopez is runs day-to-day operations at the organization, fundraises, coordinates outreach efforts, and oversees a team of 75 employees and dozens of volunteers.
Ashley Bennett, Atlantic County freeholder
Bennett, a Democrat, decided to run for office after she saw that Republican John Carman had shared a meme on Facebook that appeared to mock the Women's March on Washington in January, asking whether the protest would be "over in time for them to cook dinner."
Bennett is 32 and works as a psychiatric emergency screener in the crisis department at Cape Regional Hospital. Meanwhile, Carman, who apologized for the meme, but also later wore a confederate flag patch, will now presumably have more time to prepare his own meals.
New Hampshire
Joyce Craig, Mayor of Manchester, NH
With her win, Craig became the first woman ever elected to the mayor's office in New Hampshire's largest city. Manchester had its highest voter turnout in a decade for the race, up 2,000 ballots since the last time Craig challenged her opponent, the incumbent Republican Ted Gatsas. Craig is the first Democrat to be elected mayor of Manchester in 14 years.
North Carolina
Vi Lyles, Mayor of Charlotte, NC
Lyles is the first African-American woman ever to be elected mayor in Charlotte, beating her opponent with 58 percent of the vote, despite being massively outspent.
“With this opportunity you’ve given me, you’ve proven that we are a city of opportunity and inclusiveness,” she said. “You’ve proven that a woman whose father didn’t graduate from high school can become this city’s first female African-American mayor.”
Virginia
Dawn Adams, House District 68
Adams slammed her opponent, G. Manoli Loupassi, beating him by almost 500 votes in Richmond, VA. She is the first publicly out lesbian to be elected to the House.
Hala Ayala, House District 51
Ayala nabbed a seat that had previously been held a four-term incumbent, becoming one of the first ever Latina women to serve in the House—joined by Elizabeth Guzman. She ran on the promise to vote to expand Medicaid, defend access to contraception and reproductive services for women, and raise teacher salaries.
Karrie Delaney, House District 67
A former communications director for an organization dedicated to ending sex trafficking, Delaney worked with both local communities and NGOs around the world. She then founded her own small consulting firm, was appointed to be a member and eventually to chair the Fairfax County Citizen Corps Council, and now serves on the Fairfax County Library Board of Trustees.
Kelly Fowler, House District 21
In her first bid for elected office, Fowler beat Ron Villanueva, who's represented House District 21 since 2009. Fowler, an associate broker in real estate, told The Virginian-Pilot that she decided to run after Donald Trump became president.
“After last year’s election, it’s amazing to win and feel like we’re making progress,” Fowler said.
Jennifer Carroll Foy, House District 2
Foy, a former public defender, beat Mike Makee, a GOP-backed Navy veteran and member of the Stafford County Utilities Commission.
In the midst of the race, Foy discovered she was pregnant with twins and delivered them months premature. She was undeterred. “When I set my eyes on something I’m laser-focused,” she told Refinery29. “Anything that’s there, I will move it out of my way and work it out. I have a mission.”
Wendy Gooditis, House District 10
Gooditis, a realtor and former schoolteacher, was moved to run for office following the 2016 presidential election. In its aftermath, she co-founded her local Indivisible chapter and grew the organization to over 300 members. She defeated Republican incumbent Randy Minchew.
Elizabeth Guzman, House District 31
With Ayala, Guzman will become the first Latina delegate to serve in the House. "Guzman proved to be a prolific fundraiser," wrote InsideNova.com, a news site that covers Northern Virginia. Guzman raised "just over $1.02 million over the course of the race to [her opponent's] roughly $662,000. That total put her at second in the entire state."
Scott Lingamfelter, her opponent, had been an 8-term incumbent.
Debra Rodman, House District 73
With her win, Rodman bested 17-year incumbent John M. O’Bannon III, who was until now a high-ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee.
"I think people are ready for change,” said Rodman, who is an assistant professor of anthropology at Randolph-Macon College. “They’re sick of divisive politics, and they’re ready to unify.”
Danica Roem, House District 13
Danica Roem beat Republican incumbent Bob Marshall, who had won 13 races over more than two decades. Once she takes office, Roem will be one of the first openly trans person to be elected and serve in state legislative chamber. Her win is particularly sweet for her supporters; during the campaign, Marshall repeatedly misgendered Roem, and previously, he proposed a state "bathroom bill" that would have restricted access to public restrooms for trans people.
"To every person who has ever been singled out, who has ever been stigmatized, who has ever been the misfit, who's ever been the kid in the corner, who's ever needed someone to stand up for them when they didn't have a voice of their own because there is no one else with them, this one is for you," she said on Tuesday, celebrating her victory.
Kathy Tran, House District 42
A Vietnamese immigrant, Tran escaped to the United States as a child and told CityLab her daughter inspired her to run for office. "I couldn’t sit on the sidelines and leave [my daughter] with this responsibility,” Tran she said. “The time was now for me to stand up and fight hard for my kids.”
When her term kicks off, Tran will be the first Asian-American woman to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Cheryl Turpin, House District 85
Cheryl Turpin is a science teacher at Cox High School in Virginia; she beat Rocky Holcomb, whom she out-raised. Once in office, she plans to focus on education, the environment, Medicaid expansion, women's reproductive freedom, and equal pay.
Washington
Jenny Durkan, Mayor of Seattle, WA
Once the final votes are tallied, it's expected that Jenny Durkan will become the first woman elected mayor in Seattle in almost a century and the first ever lesbian mayor. “We really can show what it looks like when progressive values are put into action,” she told supporters last night, adding, “Donald Trump, keep your hands off Seattle.”
This list will be updated.
