Jan 5, 2025 Story by: Editor
As the new Congress convenes on Friday, the delegation will see a decrease in the number of people of color compared to recent years.
The 119th Congress featured 136 people of color, a reduction of four from the previous U.S. House and Senate, which had been the most mixed up in U.S. history. However, this year’s Congress also marks several historical milestones, including the first time an openly transgender woman will serve in Congress.
Illinois and Ohio are the only states where the percentage of people of color in the delegation matches the percentage of people of color in the state’s population. People of color represent 42% of Illinois’ population and delegation, while Ohio’s representation stands at 24%, matching its population. Other states are also nearing this balance: New Mexico’s population is 64% nonwhite, while 36% are white, and 40% of the state’s Congressional representatives are nonwhite, compared to just 20% white. In Arizona, 52% of the population is nonwhite, while 55% of the state’s representation in Congress is white.
California stands out with 67% of its population being people of color, while 52% of its delegation reflects this demographic. The state also boasts the largest number of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Congress, with 10 members.
Despite these strides, less than a third of the 119th Congress consists of women. Six states have no female representation in the House or Senate, and seven states have more female representation in Congress than in their population.
U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) made history in November by becoming the first transgender person elected to Congress, following her earlier achievement as the first openly transgender state senator in the U.S. McBride’s victory is seen as a step for these LGBTQ+ representation in government. “My service is a testament to the fair-mindedness of Delawareans who this November demonstrated what I have seen throughout my life: that they judge candidates based on their ideas, not their identities,” McBride remarked. “I know how much this news would have meant to me as a young person growing up, worried that the heart of this country was simply not big enough to love someone like me, to have seen an out trans person get elected to federal office.”
North Dakota also achieved a milestone with Republican Julie Fedorchak becoming the first woman to represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives. Fedorchak also made history as the first freshman in 14 years to join the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “What’s most important to me is how I use this,” Fedorchak told The Times. “I’m really excited to join the Republican women, a majority of them have great backgrounds and are really serious about good policy.”
Mississippi remains the only state without a woman serving in the U.S. House.
The election of Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) marks the first time in U.S. history that two Black women have served in the U.S. Senate simultaneously. The 118th Congress, in 2023, was the most ethnically and racially diverse in history. U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-Fla.) made history as the first member of Generation Z to serve in Congress. U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, Pennsylvania’s first Black woman in Congress, have shattered long-standing barriers.
New Jersey stands as the only state with an all-minority Senate delegation.Newly elected Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.), the first Korean American in the Senate, emphasized the significance of his achievement while expressing hope for a future where his presence in Congress is no longer considered groundbreaking. Kim shared a touching moment after being sworn in, calling his mother, who was overwhelmed with emotion. “It was really powerful to see this moment, not just for my family but for what it means to Korean Americans, Asian Americans, and what it means to immigrant families,” Kim said. “Hopefully they can see a continuation of this American dream that has been a shared pursuit for so many different ethnic groups and communities.” Source: MSN
