WASHINGTON — The 2026 midterm elections produced several milestones for women in high office, including a projected record number of women governors, according to the American Association of University Women.
The organization, which advocates for equity in higher education and women’s economic empowerment, said in a Nov. 4 statement that women from both parties are projected to serve as governors in record numbers and that four states elected a woman governor for the first time.
The group also cited the election of the first Black woman and the first Native American woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state, as well as the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. Senate. It said three Black women are set to serve in the Senate together for the first time.
“When women vote, we change the conversation. And voters across the country made their voices heard in these midterms,” said Gloria L. Blackwell, the group’s chief executive officer.
“More women and girls can see themselves in the people who lead our country,” Blackwell said.
She noted that votes are still being counted in some races and that election officials will take the time needed to count every eligible vote and certify the results.
With control of both the House and Senate set to change, Blackwell said, the new Congress has a chance to respond to what she called attacks on higher education and civil rights. She said the group wants to work with members of both parties to make college more affordable and accessible, advance fair pay and ensure civil rights laws are fully enforced.
Founded in 1881, the organization said it has invested more than $150 million in women scholars, researchers and community leaders since 1888.
This report is based on information from the American Association of University Women.
Source: American Association of University Women
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