2026 Potential Milestones and Firsts

Election 2026: Potential Milestones and Firsts

Below are the potential milestones and firsts that are possible as a result of congressional and statewide executive offices in election 2026. States will be added as primaries occur.

National

  • If successful, Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) would be the first woman to serve as governor of Georgia and the first Black woman to serve as governor in the United States.
  • No more than two Black women have served simultaneously in the U.S. Senate. Current Black women Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) are not up for election in 2026.  If Juliana Stratton (D) is successful in November, at least three Black women will serve concurrently in the U.S. Senate in 2027.
    • If Stratton is successful, Illinois will join the other eight states that have been represented by two women senators simultaneously (AZ, CA, KS, ME, MN, NH, NV, WA).
    • Illinois would also be the first state to be represented by two women of color senators simultaneously.
  • If Jocelyn Benson (D) is elected governor, Michigan will be the fifth state to have had three or more women governors.
  • If elected, Deb Haaland (D-New Mexico) would be the first Native American woman to serve as governor in the United States.
  • Deb Haaland (D) and Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D) of New Mexico are the 8th all-woman gubernatorial ticket in U.S. history.
    • Just one all-woman gubernatorial ticket has won a general election in the U.S.; Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (D) were elected on a joint ticket in November 2022. 
    • Women have served concurrently as governor and lieutenant governor in three states: Arkansas (2023-Present), Iowa (2024-Present), and Massachusetts (2023-Present).

 

Election 2026: Potential Milestones and Firsts

Below are the potential milestones and firsts that are possible as a result of congressional and statewide executive offices in election 2026. States will be added as primaries occur.

Alabama

  • If successful, Violet Edwards (D-auditor) or Sheila McNeil (D-public service commission) would be the first Black woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in Alabama.

Arizona

  • If elected, Clara Pratte (D-corporation commission) would be the first Native American woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in Arizona.

Arkansas

  • If elected, Hallie Shoffner (D-senate) or Terri Yarbrough Green (D-01) would be the first woman to serve in Congress from Arkansas since 2011, when Senator Blanche Lambert Lincoln (D) left the U.S. Senate.
  • If elected, Kelly Grappe (D) would be the first Republican woman to serve as secretary of State in Arkansas

California

  • If elected, Aisha Wahab (D-14) would be the first Middle Eastern/North African woman to serve in Congress from California.

Colorado

  • If elected, Melat Kiros (D-01) would be the first Black woman to serve in Congress from Colorado.
  • If elected, Jena Griswold (D) would be the first Democratic woman to serve as attorney general in Colorado.
  • If elected, Amanda Gonzalez (D-secretary of state) would be the first Latina to serve in statewide elective executive office in Colorado.

Georgia

  • If successful, Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) would be the first woman to serve as governor of Georgia and the first Black woman to serve as governor in the United States.

 

Election 2026: Potential Milestones and Firsts

Below are the potential milestones and firsts that are possible as a result of congressional and statewide executive offices in election 2026. States will be added as primaries occur.

Idaho

  • If elected, Kaylee Peterson (D-01) or Ellie Gilbreath (D-02) would be the first woman to serve in Congress from Idaho since 2001.
  • If elected, Terri Pickens (D) would be the first woman to serve as governor of Idaho.
  • If elected, Lori Hickman (D) would be the first woman to serve as attorney general of Idaho.

Illinois

  • No more than two Black women have served simultaneously in the U.S. Senate. Current Black women Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) are not up for election in 2026.  If Juliana Stratton (D) is successful in November, at least three Black women will serve concurrently in the U.S. Senate in 2027.
    • If Stratton is successful, Illinois will join the other eight states that have been represented by two women senators simultaneously (AZ, CA, KS, ME, MN, NH, NV, WA).
    • Illinois would also be the first state to be represented by two women of color senators simultaneously.
  • If elected, Dianne Harris (R) would be the first woman to serve as secretary of state of Illinois.

Maryland

  • If elected, Sonya Dunn (R-comptroller) would be the first Republican woman and the first Black woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in Maryland.

Michigan

  • If Jocelyn Benson (D) is elected governor, Michigan will be the fifth state to have had three or more women governors.

Montana

  • If elected, Alani Bankhead (D) would be the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate from Montana. She would also be the first Latina elected to statewide office in Montana.

 

Election 2026: Potential Milestones and Firsts

Below are the potential milestones and firsts that are possible as a result of congressional and statewide executive offices in election 2026. States will be added as primaries occur.

Nebraska

  • If elected, Cindy Burbank (D) would be the first Democratic woman to serve in the U.S. Senate from Nebraska.
  • If elected, Denise Powell (D-02) or Becky Stille (D-03) would be the first Democratic woman to serve in the U.S. House from Nebraska.
  • If elected, Denise Powell (D-02) would be the first Latina to serve in Congress from Nebraska.
  • If elected, Jocelyn Brasher (D) would be the first woman to serve as attorney general in Nebraska.
  • If elected, Sarah Slattery (D) would be the first woman to serve as secretary of state in Nebraska.

Nevada

  • If elected, Teresa Benitez-Thompson (D-02) would be the first Latina to serve in the U.S. House from Nevada.
  • If elected, Carrie Buck (R-01) would be the first Republican woman to serve in congress from Nevada since 1997.
  • If elected, Tya Mathis-Coleman (D-treasurer) would be the first black woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in Nevada.

New Mexico

  • If elected, Ndidiamaka Okpareke (R-01) would be the first black woman to serve in Congress from New Mexico.
  • If elected, Deb Haaland (D) would be the first Native American woman to serve as governor in the United States.
  • Deb Haaland (D) and Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D) are the 8th all-woman gubernatorial ticket in U.S. history.
    • Just one all-woman gubernatorial ticket has won a general election in the U.S.; Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (D) were elected on a joint ticket in November 2022. 
    • Women have served concurrently as governor and lieutenant governor in three states: Arkansas (2023-Present), Iowa (2024-Present), and Massachusetts (2023-Present).

New York

  • If elected, Claire Valdez (D-07) would be the first Native American woman to serve in Congress from New York.
  • If elected, Siritha Komatireddy (D-attorney general) would be the first Asian American/Pacific Islander woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in New York.
  • If elected, Adrienne Adams (D) would be the first Black woman to be elected as lieutenant governor in New York.

Ohio

  • If elected, Amy Acton (D) would be the first woman to serve as governor of Ohio.
    • She would also be the first woman elected governor of Ohio; the first and only woman governor of Ohio – Nancy Hollister (R) – served briefly as governor from December 31, 1998 to January 11, 1999 via succession due to the resignation of the incumbent governor.
  • If elected, Annette Blackwell (D-auditor) would be the first Black Democratic woman to serve in statewide elective office in Ohio.

Oklahoma

  • If elected, N’Kiyla “Jasmine” Thomas (D) would be the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate from Oklahoma.

 

Election 2026: Potential Milestones and Firsts

Below are the potential milestones and firsts that are possible as a result of congressional and statewide executive offices in election 2026. States will be added as primaries occur.

Pennsylvania

  • If elected, Jessica Arriaga (D-02) would be the first Latina to serve in Congress from Pennsylvania.
  • If elected, Stacy Garrity (R) would be the first woman to serve as governor of Pennsylvania.

South Carolina

  • If elected, Courtney McClain (D-04) would be the first Black woman to serve in Congress from South Carolina.
  • If elected, Tiffany Boozer (D) would be the first woman to serve as comptroller general in South Carolina.
  • If elected, Tiffany Boozer (D-comptroller) or Sylvia Wright (D-Superintendent of Public Instruction) would be the first Black woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in South Carolina.

South Dakota

  • If elected, Nikki Gronli (D-AL) would be the first woman to serve in Congress from South Dakota since 2019.
  • If elected, Raeann Mettler (D) would be the first woman to serve as land commissioner in South Dakota.

Texas

  • If elected, Gina Hinojosa (D) would be the first Latina to serve as governor of Texas.

West Virginia

  • If successful, Rachel Fetty Anderson (D) would be the first Democratic woman to serve in the U.S. Senate from West Virginia.