| | | The 2018 midterms will be remembered as an election of firsts that swept in a class of politicians who better represent the diversity of the country than any before it.
More than 200 of the candidates running in congressional and statewide races on Tuesday were black, Latino, Asian American, Native American, LGBTQ or intersectional. More than 80 of those candidates won their elections.
And diversity matters, said Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University. “Women are the ones that bring up these women’s issues. Similarly with people of color, it’s important having someone at the table to say, ‘Hey, have you thought about how your policy position is going to affect other communities?’”
An increasingly diverse Congress also affects how kids see their place in government and this country, Greer said. “Seeing people who are from families of immigrants, where English is not their first language, where people whose grandfathers are not members of Congress – it’s helpful for people to see that they, too, can run for office and get elected, that they belong.” |
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