The 2018 midterm elections that occurred earlier this month made history with the highest voter turnout since 1914 and the largest proportion of minority groups and women in government positions. The Democratic Party overtook the Republicans in the House of Representatives, however, the Republicans still maintained their majority in the Senate.

Ayanna Pressley is the first black woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress. Democrats Rashida Tlaib (Michigan) and Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) are now the first ever Muslim congresswomen. Veronica Escober and Sylvia Garcia are Texas’ first Latin-American women in Congress, and both are democrats in what is typically a very red state.

In addition, democrats Sharice Davids (Kansas) and Deb Haaland (New Mexico) represent the Native American population in Congress. The LGBT community also saw representation in the winners of this years midterms, with democrats Chris Pappas (Colorado), Angie Craig (Minnesota), and Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona) winning seats in Congress. 29 year old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York) is the youngest Congressperson to have ever been elected.

The Democratic party taking over the house means that it will be more difficult for Trump to push some of his policies forward, because as House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said, “it’s about restoring checks and balances”. On the other hand, the Republican control in the Senate will make it easier for President Trump to nominate and elect other government officials.

In conclusion, the 2018 midterms were a wild ride of successes for women and minority groups. Both parties say these midterms were a win for them, so we’ll just have to wait and see how things play out.