Early results in the US 2022 midterm elections which occured on November 8 show that a lesbian and transgender politician have come out victorious.
In Massachusetts, Democrat, Maura Healey, 51, defeated Geoff Diehl, who was endorsed by ex-president Donald Trump, taking the governorship office from the Republicans.
Addressing voters, Healey who is the state’s first woman and openly gay candidate elected to the office, said she was “proud” of her historic victory, telling cheering supporters that it sent a message “to every little girl and every LGBTQ person out there, you can be anything you want to be.”
Healey will now become Massachusetts’ first ever female governor. Her victory with running mate, Kim Driscoll means that women will serve as governor and lieutenant governor of a state for the first time.
Her election returns the governor’s office to Democrats after eight years of Republican leadership under the popular Gov. Charlie Baker, who opted not to seek reelection.
In New Hampshire, the state became the first in US history to elect a transgender man to a state legislature, the Washington Post reported.
Democrat James Roesener was one of a record number of trans candidates on the ballot this year.
Roesener won’t become the first openly trans lawmaker, as a number of transgender women have been elected before.