Notable firsts that made history on Election Day
Wednesday broke with historic results in the 2024 election, both in the contests for control of the White House and Congress.
Vice President Kamala Harris was hoping to become the first female president and first president of South Asian descent. But ABC News has projected former President Donald Trump will secure the White House, surpassing the all-important 270 electoral college votes needed to obtain the office.
The result made Trump only the second president to win non-consecutive terms, placing him alongside former President Grover Cleveland who served as the 22nd and 24th president having won the 1884 and 1892 elections.
Trump's return to the White House also makes him the first president to be elected after being convicted of a crime.
ABC News contributor Mark Updegrove said Trump "rose up from the ashes" to reclaim the presidency in what he called "the most spectacular comeback in the history of our country."
"There is nothing even remotely comparable," Updegrove said. "Two impeachments, Jan. 6, the loss of the [2020] election, 34 felony counts -- on and on and on."
The notable "firsts" are not limited to the presidential ticket. In fact, there were many additional historic firsts from various branches of this year's federal election, with more potentially to come as votes continue to be counted. Here are some of the highlights, though this list is not exhaustive:
U.S. Senate
Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware will serve as the first woman and the first Black woman to represent her state in the Senate. Rochester previously made history as Delaware's first female and first Black House representative in 2017.
Democrat Angela Alsobrooks became Maryland's first Black senator. Her opponent, former Gov. Larry Hogan, was bidding to be the first Republican to win a Maryland Senate seat in nearly four decades.
Republican Bernie Moreno became Ohio's first Hispanic statewide official and the first South-American born senator.
Democrat Andy Kim will be the first Korean-American senator. He is projected to take over former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's seat after the Democratic lawmaker resigned following a conviction on federal bribery charges.
House of Representatives
With all 435 House seats up for grabs, there were numerous opportunities for history to be made among the House candidates as well.
This election paved the way for LGBTQ+ history in Congress. Sarah McBride, in winning Delaware's at-large congressional seat, became the first openly transgender member of Congress. McBride was also the first openly transgender person to work in the White House, speak at the Democratic National Convention and become a Delaware state senator.
Democrat Julie Johnson from Texas won her race to become the first openly gay representative from the South, while fellow Democrat Emily Randall -- who became Washington's first female LGBTQ state senator in 2018 -- was projected to become the first LGBTQ Latina to serve in Congress.
The House races also provided the opportunity for other minority identities to become represented in Congress for the first time, particularly among women.
Democrat Janelle Bynum of Oregon could become the first Black woman to represent her state in Congress.
Republican Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota, meanwhile, won her bid to become the first woman to represent the state in the House.
Democrat Marcy Kaptur of Ohio is currently the longest-serving woman in congressional history and hopes to continue this legacy in her pursuit of her 22nd term.
There could be historic firsts with Asian American representation as well.
Democrat Derek Tran could also become the first Vietnamese member of Congress from California and Democrat Amish Shah could become the first Asian American and Indian American from Arizona in Congress.
Democrat Nellie Pou could become the first Hispanic woman to represent New Jersey in Congress and Democrat Tony Vargas could be the first Latino in Congress from Nebraska.
