Historic firsts on the evening of the 2021 elections
Here’s a look at some of the historic premieres of Election Night 2021.
âIt’s a historic night – yes it is – but I didn’t run to write the story. I just wanted to leave it better than I found it,â Sears said in front of a crowd of supporters early Wednesday morning.
Sears, who was born in Jamaica, was the first black Republican woman to be elected to the Virginia General Assembly, representing the 90th district for a term.
Michelle Wu, Boston
âFrom all over our city, Boston has spoken. We are ready to meet that moment. We are ready to become a Boston for everyone,â Wu told a crowd of fans Tuesday night.
Wu won the title over City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George, who is also a woman of color. Previously, Wu was the first Asian American woman elected to Boston City Council.
While Wu is the first woman of color to be elected mayor of Boston, she is not the first woman of color to hold the seat. Wu will succeed Acting Mayor Kim Janey, Boston’s first black and female mayor. Janey, then president of the city council, was next to lead the city when Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was named Labor Secretary to President Joe Biden in January.
Ed Gainey, Pittsburgh
Aftab Pureval, Cincinnati
Aftab Pureval, a Democrat, was elected mayor of Cincinnati on Tuesday, becoming the first Asian American to hold the post. Pureval, a 39-year-old lawyer, defeated City Councilor David Mann, also a Democrat who had previously served as mayor of Cincinnati and represented Ohio in the United States House of Representatives, to land the city’s top job .
Bruce Harrell, Seattle
Bruce Harrell, a Democrat, will become Seattle’s first Asian American mayor. The former moderate city council president defeated progressive city council president Lorena González, winning the seat. Harrell, who is of Japanese and black descent, is also Seattle’s second black mayor.
Elaine O’Neal, Durham
Elaine O’Neal will be the first black woman mayor of Durham, North Carolina. O’Neal, a former judge and former acting dean of the law school at Central University of North Carolina, introduced himself on the topic of strengthening public safety, access to housing and use. Her opponent, city councilor Javiera Caballero, suspended her campaign after the primary but remained on the ballot
Eric Adams, New York
Adams, a Democrat, is a retired New York Police Department captain who adopted a public safety message. Originally from Brooklyn and currently president of his borough, Adams won a chaotic Democratic primary this summer by vowing to both strengthen and reform the NYPD amid concerns over an increase in violent crime. His message – that “public safety is the prerequisite for prosperity” – resonated with working-class Democratic voters outside the traditionally liberal enclaves of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, which fueled his nomination. .
CNN’s Gregory Krieg contributed to this report.
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