History in the Midterms: Haaland Set to Become First Indigenous Governor, Hinojosa First Hispanic Governor of Texas

Several candidates made history in the 2026 US midterm elections. According to ABC News projections, former US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland is set to win the New Mexico governor’s race and become the first indigenous governor in US history.

Haaland is a member of the Laguna Pueblo, a federally recognised tribe in the state. She was projected on Tuesday to defeat former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull.

After the projected win, Haaland wrote on X: “Thank you, New Mexico! It is the honor of my lifetime to be elected your 33rd Governor. Tonight, you made history. You chose a future where New Mexico comes first, where working families have a chance to get ahead, and where every New Mexican has a voice.”

Texas is also set for a historic first. Democratic Representative Gina Hinojosa is projected to become the state’s first Hispanic governor. She is projected to have beaten Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who was aiming to win a fourth term.

Hinojosa served in the Texas state House. She ran on education reform and criticised Abbott over AI data centers. Ahead of the election she wrote on X: “This is our last best chance to take back Texas for the people.”

Several other historic wins were projected on the same night. ABC News projected Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms to become governor of Georgia, which would make her America’s first Black woman governor. In Florida, Republican Byron Donalds was projected to become the state’s first Black governor.

In Ohio, Dr Amy Acton was projected to win the governor’s seat; she will become the first woman elected governor in Ohio and the first Jewish governor in the state’s history. In New Hampshire, ABC News projected US Representative Chris Pappas to win the Senate race, becoming the first openly gay senator.

All eyes on Tuesday night were on the House and Senate races, which will determine the balance of power in Congress. Alongside those contests, the midterms also saw an expansion of representation among America’s lawmakers, with several candidates celebrating groundbreaking wins.

ABC News said the story would be updated as more wins are projected.