With the last votes still trickling in, thus far, 98 women have been elected to the U.S. House, 12 women to the U.S. Senate and 9 women as state governors. Regardless of how it ultimately ends, it’s been a record-shattering election, with dozens of ‘firsts’ in the House and Senate. A brief sampling:
- Young Kim (R-CA) became the first Korean American woman elected to Congress.
- Sharice Davids (D-KS) is the first Native American woman elected to Congress.
- Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) became the first black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts.
- Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and lhan Omar (D-MN) became the first two Muslim American women elected to Congress.
- Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia, both Democrats from Texas, are the first two Latinas elected to Congress from the state.
- Martha McSally (R-AZ) is now the first woman senator from Arizona.
- Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is the first woman elected senator from Tennessee.
Given the Midterms’ importance, in addition to the traditional metrics we gauge with important events, we also turned an eye toward engagement in the month before the elections: Who gained the most followers during campaigning? Read on for our take on every woman who made herstory as elected Senators and Governors the Midterm elections.
Women in the Senate
Without Instagram: Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jacklyn Rosen (D-NV).
- @maziehirono
- Mazie Hirono
Hawaii
19,686 followers
Election month account growth: +1.06% (+207 followers)
- @senwarren
- Elizabeth Warren
- Massachusetts
- 163,247 followers
Election month account growth: +4.48% (+6,995 followers)
- @amyklobuchar
- Amy Klobuchar
- Minnesota
- 21,121 followers
Election month account growth: +40.82% (+6,126 followers)
- @tinasmithmn
- Tina Smith
- Minnesota
- 3,886 followers
Election month account growth: N/A
- @sencindyhydesmith
- Cindy Hyde-Smith
- Mississippi
- 1,796 followers
Election month account growth: +22.00% (+324 followers)
- @senatorfischer
- Deb Fischer
- Nebraska
- 2,213 followers
Election month account growth: +3.66% (+78 followers)
- @kirstengillibrand
- Kirsten Gillibrand
- New York
- 116,732 followers
Election month account growth: +10.72% (+11,300 followers)
- @senatormariacantwell
- Maria Cantwell
- Washington
- 1,935 followers
Election month account growth: +12.33% (+212 followers)
- @senatorbaldwin
- Tammy Baldwin
- Wisconsin
- 10,608 followers
Election month account growth: +4.99% (+504 followers)
Women Governors
Without Instagram: Laura Kelly (D-KS) & Janet Mills (DE-M)
- @governorkayivey
- Kay Ivey
- Alabama
- 3,488 followers
Election month account growth: +13.35% (+411 followers)
- @kimreynoldsia
- Kim Reynolds
- Iowa
- 2,774 followers
Election month account growth: +25.80% (+569 followers)
- @gewhitmer
- Gretchen Whitmer
- Michigan
- 10,476 followers
Election month account growth: +60.29% (+3,929 followers)
- @oregongovbrown
- Kate Brown
- Oregon
- 6,980 followers
Election month account growth: +19.30% (+1,128 followers)
- @ginaraimondo
- Gina Raimondo
- Rhode Island
- 2,474 followers
Election month account growth: +11.74% (+260 followers)
- @repkristinoem
- title
- South Dakota
- 6,675 followers
Election month account growth: +7.58% (+470 followers)
- @replujangrisham
- Michelle Lujan Grisham
- New Mexico
- 3,107 followers
Election month account growth: +16.22% (+434 followers)
So who gained the most followers overall?
In terms of percent gained: Gretchen Whitmer (@gewhitmer) from Michigan, far and away, with a 60.29% increase.
In terms of followers gained: Kirsten Gillibrand (@kirstengillibrand) from New York, also by far, with a 11,300 follower increase.
