The 2026 midterm elections saw a blue wave that wouldn’t have been possible without women. All across the country, women like Governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms and Senator-elect Annie Andrews crashed through glass ceilings and achieved historic firsts for their constituents.
On November 4, many voters woke up with a profound sense of hope as candidates from marginalized communities won hard fought battles against the representatives that have worked to strip them of their rights. Meanwhile, reproductive rights were also on the ballot this year, with pro-choice advocates making major strides in three states.
While these certainly weren’t the only notable wins from Democrats flipping the Senate and House of Representatives, they do show how women will help usher in a new era for American politics. Here’s all the women who made history on November 3.
Gina Hinojosa helps turn Texas blue
The biggest blue wave from the 2026 midterm elections crashed in Texas when James Talarico took the state’s senate seat while Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbot. Hinojosa will be the state’s first Hispanic governor and the first Democrat to hold the position since 1990.
Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa and Senate-elect James Talarico.
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