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For months and months, the 2018 Midterm Elections captivated the nation’s attention. Our news cycles, social media channels, and inboxes were brimming with political attacks, promises, and more. After the most active midterm election since 1966 last Tuesday, we finally have our winners (well, sort of—some elections are still unresolved). Now, ten days out from the election, I’ve finally been able to fully process what struck me most about it: the beautiful diversity of newly-elected leaders who will soon take office.

Now, ten days out from the election, I’ve finally been able to fully process what struck me most about it: the beautiful diversity of newly-elected leaders who will soon take office. Share on X

If you haven’t seen the numbers of election “firsts” circulating the news, let me proudly be the first to highlight some of them for you (read full breakdown here). With this election, we have seen:

  • The highest number of openly LGBTQ people ever elected
  • The first two Muslim women elected
  • The first African-American women elected to represent Massachusetts and Connecticut
  • The youngest woman ever elected to Congress
  • The highest number of women elected to the House (100+)

Maybe those stats don’t move you, but they should. Why? Because representation matters; diversity matters—and it affects us all. When our elected leaders genuinely reflect the constituents they serve, they are better capacitated to make decisions that are best for everyone. That’s because our decisions are formed from what we know—and we don’t know what we don’t know. And these trailblazers from different backgrounds bring with them a diverse set of experiences, values, and lenses from which they and their team members can pull when making decisions. Our differences, thus, lead to a stronger decision-making process.

When our elected leaders genuinely reflect the constituents they serve, they are better capacitated to make decisions that are best for everyone. Share on X

But for me, it’s more than that. For me—as a Millennial, Latina, woman, and immigrant—I was profoundly inspired by the people who will soon be taking office. They look like me, they sound like me, and in one particular case, they cook like me. Of course, this does not necessarily mean they will vote how I want them to for every single issue, but this is less important to me than how they make me feel about our representatives’ ability to serve my community’s overall interests: confident. And not just that, they opened my eyes to opportunities in politics for people like me that I had truly never thought about before. The historic results are in, and I am feeling energized and hopeful.

So to each and every individual who contributed to this barrier-breaking election—the candidates, canvassers, voters, and everyone else—thank you for giving this Latina Millennial hope in the capacity for our elected representatives to truly represent us. I am committing myself to build on this momentum by staying informed, involved, and immersed; I hope you all join me in building a more inclusive society for all.