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Donald Trump and Kamala Harris shake hands at the first presidential debate
Few people would argue that the 2024 election season was simple or harmonious. Indeed, the contentious presidential race and its results will almost certainly be in the history books. However, many other significant races took place in the dark while the spotlight shined on the presidential election. Here are just 5 of those key races and their results and implications, but you can find more here.
Angela Alsobrooks
Readers may be familiar with Democrat Angela Alsobrooks who recently defeated Larry Hogan, the Republican who previously served two terms as Governor of Maryland, in their race for the Senate. She ran on a campaign of caring for Maryland’s vulnerable and economic enhancement, drawing on her experience as County Executive and State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County, and as the county’s first full-time Domestic Violence Prosecutor. Alsobrooks will be the first Black woman to serve as Maryland’s Senator, making history with fellow Senator-elect, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, as the first Black women to simultaneously serve in the history of the Senate.
Sarah McBride
Blunt-Rochester’s abdication of her House seat in favor of the senate allowed Sarah McBride’s election to become the Democratic Representative-elect from Delaware. She first made history as State Senator by being the highest ranked openly transgender elected official, and now she will be the first trans member of Congress. However, her gender identity was a small part of her campaign as she focused on her primary issues of expanding access to healthcare, supporting paid family and medical leave, and addressing economic insecurity.
Andy Kim
Andy Kim first found national recognition for the striking photo of him cleaning up trash after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. At the time, Kim was the one of New Jersey’s 12 Representatives in Congress. Now, he will take a seat in the Senate, replacing Robert Menendez who was recently convicted on corruption charges. He capitalized on this, running a campaign based on government stability and improved healthcare and housing for families. Though his succession was widely anticipated, it comes with a certain amount of relief after a tumultuous political year for New Jersey. Kim will be the United States’ first Korean-American Senator.
Julie Fedorchak
Julie Fedorchak, a Republican from North Dakota, will become the first woman to represent the state in the House. This is especially significant because it leaves Mississippi as the only state in the country to never elect a woman to the House of Representatives. Fedorchak built on her experience as North Dakota Public Service Commissioner to structure a campaign around improving North Dakota’s energy policy, support for the farm bill, and reducing inflation, defeating Democrat Trygve Hammer.
Julie Johnson
Running a campaign based on defending vulnerable groups like workers, the disabled, students, and the LGBTQ+ community, Democrat Julie Johnson defeated Republican Darrell Day to succeed Representative Colin Allred, who ran for a Senate seat and lost. Johnson will make history as Texas’ first openly LGBTQ member of Congress.
Each of these victories mark turning points for their respective states and the United States, even if they were not featured as prominently on the national political stage as the Presidential campaign and election. Elections like Virginia and New Jersey’s races for governor and Wisconsin and Pennsylvania’s supreme courts, have a rippling influence, especially with the shift to a Republican majority Congress. While presidential elections garner the most attention, minor elections can have major impact.
Editor’s Note: This article is not an endorsement of any politician or political party and is not intended to reflect the views of Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart.