The incoming class of U.S. senators is full of historic firsts

NPR | By Saige Miller

Published November 6, 2026 at 2:21 PM CST

Josh Turek, Peggy Flanagan, and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed are among several Democratic Senators-elect who made history on Election Day 2026.

When the newest class of U.S. senators are sworn into office in January, it will include some of America's firsts.

The 2026 midterm election resulted in a significant shift in the landscape of Congress as Democrats won in a big way up and down the ballot. While not all the races have been called, Democrats have flipped more than 40 House seats and picked up 7 Senate seats, giving them control of both chambers of Congress.

Here are some of the new faces to expect in the Senate who made history on Election Day.

Josh Turek of Iowa

Josh Turek speaks during an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Turek will be the first Paralympian to serve in the Senate. The Democrat is a two-time gold medalist in wheelchair basketball. Turek is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair due to spina bifida. He beat Republican Ashley Hinson in the general election.

Julia Letlow of Louisiana

Julia Letlow speaks to media during an election night watch party on May 16, 2026, in Baton Rouge, La.

Letlow has now made history twice. She was the first Republican woman elected to the U.S. House from Louisiana in 2021. Letlow ran for the House in a special election to replace her late husband, Congressman Luke Letlow, who died of COVID-19 in 2020. Now, Louisiana voters have decided to send her to the Senate, where she will be the first Republican woman from the state to serve. She will succeed Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who Letlow beat in the primary election.

Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed visits a polling precinct on the campus of the University of Michigan on November 3, 2026 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The incoming Democratic senator is the son of Egyptian immigrants and is the first Muslim person elected to the upper chamber. El-Sayed is an epidemiologist and the former health director for the city of Detroit. He beat Republican Mike Rogers for the hotly contested seat.

Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota

Peggy Flanagan walks with her husband as they arrive to vote at a polling location on Election Day in St. Louis Park, Minn. on November 3, 2026.

Minnesota's Democratic Lt. Governor is the first Native American elected to the Senate. Flanagan is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. She also made political history more than once. She was also the first woman of color elected to state office in Minnesota. Flanagan will replace outgoing Democratic Sen. Tina Smith.

Chris Pappas of New Hampshire

Chris Pappas walks onstage to deliver his acceptance speech at a watch party at the Puritan Backroom on November 3, 2026 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Pappas is the first openly gay man elected to the Senate and is also the first gay man to represent the state of New Hampshire. He served four terms in the House and beat Republican John Sununu in the election.

Annie Andrews of South Carolina

Dr. Annie Andrews takes the stage at an election night event in Charleston, S.C. on November 3, 2026.

In one of the biggest election night upsets, Andrews pulled out an underdog win in deep red South Carolina. Andrews is the first woman elected to the U.S. senate from the Palmetto State. She beat Darline Graham, who was appointed to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham.

Texas and Kansas elect Democratic senators

Democratic candidates James Talarico and Adam Hamilton won their Senate races in Texas and Kansas, respectively.

Both states are reliably Republican and both states are sending pastors to Washington. This midterm election voters broke with the status quo and elected Democrats to represent them in the Senate.

In Texas, voters selected Democrat James Talarico as their next senator. It is the first time the Longhorn State has sent a Democrat to the chamber since 1988. Talarico won against Republican nominee Ken Paxton.

After nearly 100 years, Kansas elected a democratic senator to the chamber. Adam Hamilton will be the first Democrat that has served the state since 1932. He fended off a tough race with incumbent Republican Roger Marshall.