United States of America

CNN — A record number of women will be elected to Congress this year, CNN projects – but barely.

The 149 women who will serve in the US House and Senate in the 118th Congress will expand the ranks of female representation by just two members above the record set by this Congress.

The string of wins includes the election of the country’s first lesbian governors in Massachusetts and Oregon.

The 2022 midterm elections ignited what LGBTQ advocates called yet another “rainbow wave,” with over 430 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer candidates emerging victorious. Lesbians scored some of the biggest wins, including two historic firsts in gubernatorial races. 

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A record 12 women will take their seats as their state’s highest-ranking elected officials when the nation’s governors are sworn in this winter.

The number tops the high mark set in 2004 of nine, with The Associated Press’ calling the Arizona governor’s election for Democrat Katie Hobbs on Monday, as well as Democrat Maura Healey in Massachusetts and Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders in Arkansas winning last week’s elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she will not seek a leadership position in the new Congress, ending a historic run as the first woman with the gavel and making way for a new generation to steer the party after Democrats lost control of the House to Republicans in the midterm elections.

The Democrat takes over as the second Black mayor in LA’s history, beating a rival who spent over $80m of his own money on the race

The congresswoman Karen Bass was elected mayor of Los Angeles, defeating billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso and becoming the first woman to run the second-largest city in the US.

The US will have a record number of female governors in 2023. Still, the record-setting number – 12 – will represent a small fraction of the top executives across the 50 states.

The previous record of nine female governors serving concurrently was set in 2004, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has become a target for white supremacists.