Women Have Made History in the 2020 Election

Before any races were even called this November, women had made history. A record number of women ran for office in 2020—surpassing the record set just two years prior. More

target="_blank" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-link="https://www.elle.com/culture/a34485834/republican-women-candidates-2020/">Republican women ran for U.S. House seats than ever before, and a number of women were poised to bring new representation to the halls of Congress and to their state legislatures. Here, as we wait to find out about the rest of the 2020 election, read about some of the candidates who are already making headlines:

New Mexico's U.S. House delegation

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New Mexico has elected a woman of color in each of its three congressional districts, creating the largest all-women congressional delegation in the country's history and the state's first all-female delegation. Rep. Deb Haaland was re-elected in the 1st district, while Republican Yvette Herrell and Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez were elected for their first terms in the 2nd and 3rd district, respectively. Leger Fernandez will also be the first woman to represent her district.

Sarah McBride

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McBride has been elected to Delaware's state Senate and will become the highest-ranking openly transgender official in the nation, as well as the first openly transgender state senator in U.S. history. She was also the first openly transgender person to work at the White House, during President Barack Obama’s administration, and she became the first openly transgender person to speak at a major party’s national convention in 2016.

Stephanie Byers

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Byers, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, has been elected to Kansas's state legislature and will become the first openly transgender lawmaker in the state. She is also an admired teacher, having been named educator of the year by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network in 2018 for her work as a music educator.

Taylor Small

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“If we do move in this direction, which I hope we do, we would be the fifth state in the U.S. to actually have an out transgender person hold elected office. Which is wild to think about because of the fact that when we look at our state legislators, who is typically represented in those bodies? . It’s typically white folks. It’s typically folks who have an excess of wealth. They’re primarily straight and cisgender as well.” . Vermont’s Legislature needs the perspectives of marginalized citizens because they’re the representatives who have a personal and political objective to create inclusive policies for all. . #vtpoli #winooski #winooskimytown #ThinkBigVoteSmall #UpliftingAllVermonters

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Small has been elected to Vermont's state legislature and will become the first openly transgender lawmaker in the state. Small is currently the director of the health and wellness program at the Pride Center of Vermont and is also known for her drag persona, Nikki Champagne.

Cori Bush

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After winning in Missouri's 1st congressional district, Bush will become the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress. Bush, a single mother, former nurse, and Black Lives Matter activist, was a leader in the Ferguson protests. This was her second time running for the seat.

Michele Rayner-Goolsby

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Rayner-Goolsby has been elected to Florida's state House and will become the first openly LGBTQ+ Black woman in the state's legislature. She's also the founder and principal attorney of Civil Liberty Law and a former assistant public defender.

Kim Jackson

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After winning her election, Jackson will become the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Georgia's state Senate. According to The Advocate, Jackson is an Episcopal priest and social justice advocate who lives on a farm with her partner.

Tarra Simmons

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According to The Appeal, Simmons will now become the first person formerly convicted of a felony to be elected to the Washington state legislature. Simmons is an attorney who co-founded the Civil Survival Project, which provides legal services for the formerly incarcerated.

This post will be updated as more races are called.

Madison is a staff writer at ELLE.com, covering news, politics, and culture.
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