Election 2026
This combination of photos shows Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds, left, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in Fort Myers, Fla., and Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, right, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Smyrna, Ga.
As featured on
This midterm election will be remembered not just for the stunning number of losses Democrats handed to President Donald Trump and Republicans but for a wave of historic firsts across the country. There were cheers and happy tears at election parties from New Mexico to Georgia Tuesday night once it became clear voters had elected the country’s first Black female governor, the first Native American female governor and other history-making candidates. Most are Democrats, but the GOP has also broken some new ground. While some of these candidates have avoided focusing on the inherent historic value of their race, gender, religion or sexual orientation, some voters’ rights advocates are celebrating how the electorate has expanded.
