The Historic Women’s Firsts of the 2024 Election

There’s a lot at stake for women this election, but there’s also a lot of room for women to make history. Er, herstory. Kamala Harris isn’t the only woman on the ballot who could potentially do so. There were, in fact, candidates up and down the ballot in 21 states who would represent historic firsts for women in the United States. Black women in particular made huge gains in states across the country.

The voter gender gap has been a focus of particular attention from pundits this year, in no small part because of the importance of abortion and reproductive rights. But perhaps an additional draw for women was the prospect of electing the first woman president, their first woman representative, or their first woman governor.

Not all candidates were successful, including those from deep-red states such as Indiana and Tennessee, but others were, such as Lisa Blunt Rochester in Delaware, who made history as the first woman and first Black person elected to the Senate from that state.

Here are all the history-making women from the 2024 election.

Delaware

Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Democrat, became the first woman and first Black woman from Delaware to be elected to the US Senate. Sarah McBride, meanwhile, became the first openly trans person to serve in the US Congress.

Maryland

Not only was Angela Alsobrooks the first Black woman elected to the Senate in Maryland, she was also the first Black woman to win any statewide election in Maryland.