While much of the nation’s attention was focused on the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, Tuesday elections provided many historic milestones, especially for women and candidates of color. Below are some of the most notable results.
Boston
Boston elected its first woman and first Asian-American mayor, hiring Councilwoman Michelle Wu. Before Wu, Boston elected only white men to serve in the city’s top political offices.
“One of my sons asked me the other night if boys can be elected mayor of Boston,” Wu said in his victory speech. “They were, and they will again someday, but not tonight.”
Wu, 36, claimed victory over rival councilor Annissa Essaibi Georgea 47-year-old Arab-American in the race to replace acting mayor Kim Janey.
Janey, who was appointed when Mayor Marty Walsh was chosen by President Biden to be his Secretary of Labor, was the first woman and the first woman of color to hold the position.
Durham, North Carolina
The city of Durham, North Carolina, also elected its first black woman, Elaine O’Neal, as mayor.
“Together you have given me the honor and trust of being your next mayor – Durham’s first Black woman mayor,” O’Neal told supporters. “This is a dream I never had, but now it’s my reality.”
O’Neal, a former judge, ran essentially uncontested, defeating Javiera Caballero – who suspended his campaign after a poor performance in the October primaries. O’Neal received 84 percent of the vote.
Virginia
Republican Winsome Sears is expected to become the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor in Virginia. Sears, who was born in Jamaica and is black, is a Navy veteran who served one term in the state Legislature. His opponent, Democratic Del. Hala Ayala, has yet to concede a goal.
“It’s a historic night – yes, it is – but I didn’t run to make history. I just wanted to leave it better than I found it,” Sears said in a speech declaring victory Wednesday morning, adding, “I’m telling you that what you’re seeing is the American Dream.”
New York City
As expected, Democrat Eric Adams Easily won the race for mayor of New York, becoming only the second black mayor in the city’s history. The first, David Dinkins, served from 1990 to 1993.
Adams, a former NYPD captain and Brooklyn borough president, defeated Republican Curtis Sliwa in the race to replace outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio. The result was not surprising, given that Democrats outnumber Republicans 7 to 1 among registered voters in the Big Apple.
The mayor-elect wasn’t the only candidate to make history in New York on Tuesday. Democrat Alvin Bragg became Manhattan’s first black district attorney after winning a closely contested primary earlier this year. A former federal prosecutor, Bragg will oversee a team of 500 lawyers and inherit the office’s investigation into former President Donald Trump and his family’s businesses.
“We made history,” Bragg said at his election night event in Harlem. “I promise I will never stop working to bring the change that New York’s criminal justice system so desperately needs.”
Additionally, Shahana Hanif became the first Muslim woman elected to the New York City Council. A Bangladeshi American who previously worked for the council, Hanif will represent an area of Brooklyn. Hanif and Shekar Krishnan, who won a race in Queens, will be the first South Asians to serve on the board.
“Together we are building an anti-racist and feminist city,” Hanif said in a statement Tuesday night. “We deserve a city that protects the most vulnerable, a city that has equitable education, a city invested in climate solutions that are local and community-driven, a city where our immigrant neighbors feel at home, heard and safe. This work requires all of us to remain present even after the elections are over.”
Pittsburgh
State Rep. Ed Gainey became the Steel City’s first black mayor Tuesday night, comfortably defeating retired police officer and Republican candidate Tony Moreno. Gainey’s path to office became clear in May, when he defeated incumbent Mayor Bill Peduto in the Democratic primary after a campaign that revolved around Peduto’s tenure. City police handling and last year’s social justice protests.
“Let me tell you why this is beautiful: because you’ve proven that we can have a city for everyone,” Gainey said Tuesday night. “You proved that everyone can change. We know how people talked about Pittsburgh and how segregated it is, but today you changed that.”
New Jersey
Several women running for New Jersey State Assembly made history Tuesday night. Democrats Ellen Park, who is Korean-American, and Shama Haider, a Muslim woman born in Pakistan, became the first Asian-American women to win seats in the Legislature, both from the 37th District in the north of the state.
Dearborn, Michigan.
Democratic state representative Abdullah Hammoud made history on Tuesday as the first Arab-American and Muslim to be elected mayor in Dearborn, Michigan.
Hammoud, 31, defeated 66-year-old Gary Woronchak, a former state representative and Wayne County commissioner, by nearly 10 points.
In his victory speech, Hammoud said he hopes his victory inspires young people and immigrants who have been victims of bullying.
“To the girls and boys who have ever been ridiculed for their faith or ethnicity, to those of you who have ever been made to feel like your name was unwelcome, and to our parents and elders and others who have been humiliated by their names. broken and still persisting English, today is proof that you are as American as anyone else,” Hammoud said. “And there is a new era in Dearborn.”
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