History made as two Muslim women elected to House of Representatives

The House of Representatives will have two Muslim women among its members for the first time.

Massachusetts is getting its first black congresswoman while Arizona and Tennessee stand to elect their first woman senators as part of historic firsts following Tuesday’s midterm elections.

The high-profile cycle that produced a record number of women contenders and candidates of colour meant several winners will take office as trailblazers, marking firsts for their race and gender.

Democrats Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan will be the first Muslim women to serve in Congress, while Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley will represent Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District in the next Congress.

She stunned the political establishment in September, defeating a 10-term incumbent in the Democratic primary, and was unopposed on Tuesday.

New Mexico Democrat Deb Haaland and Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids were elected as the first two Native American women to serve in Congress.

And regardless of who wins in Arizona’s competitive Senate race, the state will elect either Republican Martha McSally or Democrat Kyrsten Sinema as the state’s first woman to serve in the chamber.

Also in the Senate, Republican Marsha Blackburn will become Tennessee’s first woman senator.

Georgia candidate Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, was in a fierce battle to become America’s first black woman governor, while Democrat Andrew Gillum narrowly lost his bid to become the first black governor of Florida.

In Colorado, Jared Polis will be the country’s first openly elected gay governor.