The Potential Historic Firsts In Store for November

With Election Day just a month away, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, has compiled potential milestones and historic firsts for women that could be reached in this year’s midterm elections.

Experts at CAWP will host a media briefing tomorrow, October 6th at 1pm ET, to discuss these potential milestones, as well as our data on women nominees, campaign finance, and more. The briefing will be followed by a Q&A with CAWP researchers and leadership.

Register to Attend

Additionally, CAWP Director of Research Kelly Dittmar has published an in-depth analysis about candidates for statewide elective executive offices. Read the full analysis at Post-Primary Analysis: Women in 2026 Statewide Executive Elections.

Here are select milestones – based on contests that are currently deemed favorable or competitive for that candidate – that may be reached this year. For the full list, visit 2026 Potential Milestones and Firsts. 
 

Select National Milestones

• First Native American Woman Governor: Deb Haaland (D-New Mexico)
• First Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Woman Senator: Peggy Flanagan (D-Minnesota); Mary Peltola (D-Alaska)
• First Black Woman Governor: Keisha Lance Bottoms (D-Georgia)
• First Time Three Black Women Serving Concurrently in the Senate: Juliana Stratton (D-Illinois) alongside current Senators Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester.
• First State to Be Represented by Two Women of Color Senators Concurrently: Illinois, should Juliana Stratton win and serve alongside Senator Tammy Duckworth.

 
Select State Milestones

• Arizona
  • First Native American Woman to Serve in Statewide Elective Executive Office in Arizona: Clara Pratte (D-Corporation Commission)
• Colorado
  • First Black Woman in Congress from Colorado: Melat Kiros (D, CO-01)
• Georgia
  • First Woman Governor of Georgia: Keisha Lance Bottoms (D)
  • Georgia is one of 17 states that have never had a woman governor and one of 5 (GA, ID, MN, PA, TN) that could elect their first woman governor this year.
• Louisiana
  • First Republican Woman in the Senate from Louisiana: Julia Letlow
• Minnesota
  • First Woman Governor of Minnesota: Amy Klobuchar (D) or Lisa DeMuth (R)
• Nebraska
  • First Latina in Congress from Nebraska: Denise Powell (D, NE-02)
• Nevada
  • First Black Woman to Serve in Statewide Elective Executive Office in Nevada: Tya Mathis-Coleman (D-Treasurer)
• New York
  • First Native American Woman to Serve in Congress from New York: Claire Valdez (D, NY-07)
  • First Black Woman Lieutenant Governor of New York: Adrienne Adams (D)
• Ohio
  • First Woman Elected Governor of Ohio: Amy Acton (D)
  • Nancy Hollister (R) served as governor for less than two weeks via succession due to the resignation of the incumbent governor.
• Tennessee
  • First Woman Governor of Tennessee: Marsha Blackburn (R) or Jerri Green (D)
• Texas
  • First Latina Governor of Texas: Gina Hinojosa (D)
• Wisconsin
  • First Latina to Serve in Statewide Elective Executive Office in Wisconsin: JoCasta Zamparripa (D-Secretary of State)

For the full list of potential milestones for women in the 2026 elections, visit CAWP’s 2026 Potential Milestones and Firsts page. To attend our briefing on women in the midterms, register here.