Catherine Robertson has been elected as the first female Attorney General of Alabama. This victory in the 2026 midterm elections came as Democrats regained control of Congress and several winners in the states recorded new historical milestones. For instance, Alabama also sent its first transgender representative, Allison Montgomery, to the state legislature.
Historic Victories in Alabama
Catherine Robertson, a Republican attorney, was able to defeat Jeff McLaughlin, a Democrat, to become the first female Attorney General of Alabama. After the election results were announced, she said, "This victory is for all of you who filled in my name on the ballot, a little girl from Selma is now the first woman elected as Attorney General." Meanwhile, Allison Montgomery, a Democratic software engineer, was elected as Alabama's first transgender representative. Despite attacks on her gender identity, Montgomery tried to keep the focus on educational issues and accessibility.
Historic Milestones in Other States
In Arizona, Amisha Shah was elected as the first Native American to the U.S. House of Representatives, and Clara Pratt, a Native woman, joined the Arizona Corporation Commission. In California, Xavier Becerra was elected as the first Latino governor of the state. Becerra, whose mother immigrated from Mexico to the United States, emphasized diversity as a great strength of the state in his victory speech.
In Colorado, Melat Kiros, an attorney and doctoral student, was elected as the first Black woman in Congress. Additionally, Amanda Gonzalez was elected as the first Latina and first LGBT person as Secretary of State of Colorado. In Florida, Byron Donalds was elected as the first Black governor of the state, and Piya Dandia became the first South Asian representative in Congress.
In Georgia, Penny Brown Reynolds was elected as the first Black woman as Secretary of State, and Tani Miller was appointed as the first woman Attorney General of the state. In Indiana, JD Ford was elected as the first LGBT representative of the state, and in Iowa, Josh Turek was elected as the first U.S. Senator with a permanent disability.
