Now that the majority of the votes in the American elections have been counted, the new composition of the US Congress is also becoming more and more evident. The complete result is not known until January, among other things because a second ballot will be held in Georgia. But the fact that the House of Representatives and the Senate will have some special newcomers is already a fact.
The 117th United States Congress this year will achieve a number of milestones in the field of diversity. The Congress will consist of a record number of women. At least 141 women have won seats, spread over the Senate and the House of Representatives, breaking the 2019 record. Then 127 women got into Congress.
A ‘milestone’ has also been achieved in the area of age. Republican Madison Cawthorn will be the youngest member of Congress in recent history. Cawthorn, aged 25, “defeats” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was elected on behalf of the 14th district of New York in 2018 at the age of 29. Cawthorn represents the eleventh constituency of North Carolina.
More states elect representatives of color
- For the First Time, Korean-American women come to the House of Representatives. The Republicans Michelle Steel and Young Kim were elected in California and the Democratic Marylin Strickland in Washington state.
- Marylin Strickland is one of the first Korean-American women in Congress to be the first black American delegate on behalf of the state of Washington.
- New Mexico is the first state to send only colored women to the House of Representatives. The Republican Yvette Herrell and the Democrat Teresa Army make their debut in the House and the Democrat Deb Goean was re-elected.
- The Democratic Cori Bush was elected to the House of Representatives by the first constituent in Missouri. She is the first black American to represent Missouri in the House.
In addition to all developments in the field of diversity, the Congress also has a few newcomers each year who are quite different in different ways. Because of their fame, for example, or because they died remarkably enough.
The Democratic Mark Kelly has been elected senator of Arizona. Kelly is a famous astronaut and has made four flights in the Space Shuttle. He and his twin brother Scott were the subject of NASA’s Twin Research. Kelly’s not the first astronaut in American politics.
Republican Ronny Jackson was elected by the 13th District of Texas to the House of Representatives. From 2013 to 2018 he was the president’s personal physician. So he has assisted both Barack Obama and Donald Trump medically.
In the eighth constituency of North Dakota, Republican David Andahl won. However, he died a month before the elections from the effects of COVID-19 and was never removed from the ballot. It is not clear what will happen to his seat.
Also special results in local elections
At the same time as the national Senate elections, a number of Americans were also able to choose their local government. That yielded two milestones.
The local senate of the state of Delaware, Democratic Sarah McBride, was elected to the local senate of the state of Delaware. He/She will be the first transgender senator in the United States.
The Democrat Kim Jackson will be the first lhbti senator to take his place in the Georgia Senate.
About the author: Matthew Johnson
Matthew Johnson, a small tech business owner retired and found his passion in journalism.
