Midterm Election Countdown: "Firsts"
September 17, 2014
The November 2014 general election is poised to be one of notable "firsts," particularly for minority groups. Women, African-Americans, Muslims, transgender people and openly gay men and women are all represented on 2014 ballots and could achieve significant victories if elected. Now it's up to voters to decide whether history will be made on November 4.
The highlights
Gender
Ninety-four years after women were granted the right to vote, several are hoping to become the first females to hold various government offices. Three women - Martha Coakley (D), Mary Burke (D) and Susan Wismer (D) - are seeking to become the first female governors of their states - Massachusetts, Wisconsin and South Dakota, respectively. Republican Joni Ernst could become the first woman elected to either chamber of Congress from Iowa. Meanwhile, the race to fill Jay Rockefeller's U.S. Senate seat in West Virginia will almost certainly result in voters sending a woman to the Senate for the first time in the state's history. Though seven candidates are running, including those of several minor parties, the real battle is between Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, from West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, and Democratic West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant.[1]
Race and religion
Tim Scott (R) was appointed to the United States Senate to succeed South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint (R) in January 2013. If elected to this position in November, Scott will become the first African-American to win a Senate seat via popular election in the South. He already holds the distinction of being the first black member of the Senate from the South since Reconstruction. If Scott wins his race and New Jersey's Cory Booker (D) is successful in his re-election bid, it will mark the first time in history that two African-Americans are simultaneously serving in the Senate as the result of popular election. Both men are favored to win their races by sizable margins.[2][3][4]
In Utah, Mia Lov (R) is hoping to represent the state's 4th District on Capitol Hill. If her bid is successful, she will become the first black female Republican elected to Congress. This would mark a first not just for the state, but also for the country, as a black female has never been elected to either chamber on the Republican ticket.[5]
Siddique Malik (D) is running to represent District 36 in the Kentucky State Senate. He will become the first Muslim to serve in the state legislature if he wins his race. Malik, who emigrated from Pakistan over 40 years ago, said, "Donald Trump is not going to come here and ask me for my birth certificate, because it’s in a language that he probably does not know… this will be an election campaign based on issues, and that’s the way Democracy works, and that’s the way it’s gonna work in [District] 36."[6]
Sexual preference and identity
The Republican Party could welcome its first openly gay congressman this fall if one or both men win their respective races. In Massachusetts, Richard Tisei (R) is seeking to represent the state's 6th Congressional District. Across the country, Californian Carl DeMaio (R) is hoping to win the 52nd District in what has been identified as a battleground race.
At the state level, Mike Michaud (D) could become the first openly gay Governor of Maine if he unseats incumbent Paul LePage (R). Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey came out upon his resignation in 2004; however, there has yet to be an openly gay sitting governor.[7]
Two transgender women are also hoping to make history. Paula Overby (I) is the first transgender person ever to run for Congress in Minnesota and would, therefore, become the first transgender congresswoman from the state. Also, Lauren Scott (R) is seeking to become the nation's first transgender state legislator by representing Nevada's 30th District.
Additionally, in California, the first openly lesbian judge to serve on the California Courts of Appeal, Therese M. Stewart, is running for retention.[8][9][10]
Other notable firsts
These races will result in notable "firsts" only if the candidate or measure is approved by voters during the November 4 general election. In some cases, multiple "firsts" may occur if multiple candidates or measures are approved.
Congressional firsts
- See also: Congress
- Elise Stefanik - Youngest congresswoman
- Richard Tisei - First openly gay Republican congressman
- Carl DeMaio - First openly gay Republican congressman
- Paula Overby - First transgender congresswoman from Minnesota
- Joni Ernst - First woman elected to Congress from Iowa
- Tim Scott - First time two popularly-elected African-Americans in Senate
- Cory Booker - First time two popularly-elected African-Americans in Senate
- Mia Love - First black female Republican elected to Congress
- West Virginia Senate - First female Senator from West Virginia
Judicial firsts
- See also: Judicial elections
- Mary S. Cunningham - First female judge elected to the Llano County Court in Texas
- Andrea Ducote Aymond - First female to run for election to the 12th District Court in Louisiana
- Therese M. Stewart - First openly lesbian justice of the California Courts of Appeal is seeking retention
State executive firsts
- See also: State executive officials
- Mike Michaud - First openly gay elected governor in the United States
- Martha Coakley - First woman to win the governor's office in Massachusetts
- Mary Burke - First woman to win the governor's office in Wisconsin
- Susan Wismer - First woman to win the governor's office in South Dakota
State legislative firsts
- See also: State legislatures
- Stephanie Chang - First Asian-American woman in the Michigan Legislature
- Lauren Scott - Nation's first openly transgender state legislator
- Siddique Malik - First Muslim in the Kentucky Legislature
Ballot measure firsts
- See also: Ballot measures
Statewide measures
- Colorado Proposition 105 - First time mandatory GMO labeling has been approved by voters at the state level
- Oregon Measure 92 - First time mandatory GMO labeling has been approved by voters at the state level
Local measures
- Maui County GMO Ban - First local citizen initiative ever in Maui County
- Denton Fracking Ban - First fracking ban implemented in Texas
Municipal firsts
- See also: Municipal government
- Austin, Texas municipal elections, 2014 - First election in Texas under new system of district-based elections and term limits
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Associated Press, "West Virginia - Summary Vote Results," May 13, 2014
- ↑ MSNBC, "Senate remains a glass ceiling for African-Americans," August 28, 2013
- ↑ Election Projection, "SOUTH CAROLINA SPECIAL SENATE ELECTION," accessed September 16, 2014
- ↑ Philly.com, "Poll: Bell trails Booker in NJ Senate race," September 10, 2014
- ↑ Fox News, "Rising GOP star Mia Love glides into the spotlight at convention," August 28, 2012
- ↑ WFPL News, "Siddique Malik Wants to be Kentucky's First Muslim State Legislator," March 23, 2014
- ↑ NJ.com, "A decade after Gov. Jim McGreevey's 'gay American' speech," August 12, 2014
- ↑ Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., "Governor Brown Appoints Two Justices to the First District Court of Appeal," June 28, 2014
- ↑ The San Francisco Appeal, "SF Marriage Equality Attorney Confirmed To State Court Of Appeal," July 17, 2014
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "General Election -November 4,2014 Official Certified List of Candidates," August 28, 2014
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