Overshadowed Election Results

Zoe Stanton-Savitz ’23

The 2020 Presidential election was called this past Saturday, November 7, in favor of Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, appointing the team as president and vice president elect, respectively. Harris changed history as the first Black person, Asian-American person and woman elected as vice president. 

However, other revolutionary election results have been overshadowed by the Democratic win. New state law changes and the appointment of the most diverse congress in American history have been enacted in the last week. The Phoenix offers some notable highlights that voters may have missed. 

Notable Wins for the LGBTQ Community

The election has brought unforgettable firsts for queer candidates. This year gave way to a “rainbow wave” of representatives and this session is projected to have more LGBTQ congress members than ever before.

Torey Harris and Eddie Mannis were elected the first openly queer politicians in the Tennessee State legislature. Harris, a Democrat, will represent Memphis, while Mannis, a Republican, will represent Knoxville.

Meanwhile, in Georgia, Kim Jackson became the state’s first openly female LGBTQ senator in the state’s history. She also adds her name to the list of only three other queer and Black female state senators in the country. 

New York state elected Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones to the House of Representatives, both Black and openly gay Democrats. Torres will become the nation’s first queer, Afro-Latinx elected official to serve in Congress.

Taylor Small won a seat in the Vermont House of Representitives as the first openly transgender member of the Vermont legistlature, and in Kansas, Stephanie Byers will be the first transgender House representative in the predominantly Republican state. In addition, Delaware elected the first openly transgender state senator in the nation, Sarah McBride. 

Featuring Sarah McBride. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

"I hope tonight shows an LGBTQ kid that our democracy is big enough for them, too," McBride posted on Twitter after her win.

Mauree Turner made history as Oklahoma’s first Muslim lawmaker and the first openly non-binary state legislator in United States history.

In a February press release announcing their run for office, Turner said “it has never been a more important time for the next generation to see themselves in our government.”

BIPOC Achievements

The county’s ongoing issues of racial injustice were on the minds of many voters during this election, leading to a wave of newly elected people of color.

Cori Bush will become the first Black woman to serve as a Missouri House representative. Marilyn Strickland, representing Washington in the House, is the first Korean-American woman ever elected to congress and the first Black woman to represent the state. 

Mauree Turner as well as four other Democratic lawmakers have been elected the first Muslim legislature in their respective states: Madinah Wilson-Anton in Delaware, Iman Jodeh in Colorado, Samba Baldeh in Wisconsin, and Christooher Benjamin in Florida.

Jenifer Rajkumar and Zohran Mamdani will become the first two South Asians to serve in congress, both as representatives from New York. 

New Mexico became the first state in U.S. history to elect only women of color to the House of Representatives. The state, with three House seats, elected Deb Haaland, an indigenous woman of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe, Yvette Herell, also an indigenous woman from the Cherokee Nation, and Teresa Leger Fernandewz, a Latina who became the first woman to represent her district in northern New Mexico.

Policy Changes

In addition to diverse representation in the new government, the 2020 election has led to the changing of a plethora of state policies. Here are an assortment of new state laws –– good, bad and bizarre. 

Oregon became the first state to decriminalize the possession of all recreational drugs including heroin and cocaine. Meanwhile, in the Midwest, Illinois legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 and over. This law also pardons individuals with non-violent convictions for marijuana possession. Illinois is now one of 36 states that have legalized marijuana in some capacity and one of 11 states that have legalized the drug recreationally. 

Pay will increase for millions of workers: 21 states and 26 cities and counties have voted to raise minimum wage. Although the federal minimum wage has remained stagnant at $7.95 since 2009, after this election, 32 of these jurisdictions will raise the minimum wage to $15 or higher. 

Gun control policies have loosened in some states and tightened in others. Colorado joined more than a dozen states that have “red flag laws” which allow individuals and law enforcement to petition in order to remove a gun from a person who may pose a threat to themselves or others. On the other hand, Tennessee enacted a bill making it easier for residents to apply for and be granted a concealed carry handgun permit. 

Oregon became the eighth state to ban single-use plastic bags and the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico is gearing up for a similar initiative.

Many states have taken strides to protect personal data. In a landmark law, California now requires companies to inform consumers of whether their personal data is being collected and how it is being utilized, if requested. This law could set a precedent for the rest of the country, prompting other states to consider their own privacy measures. On a smaller scale, Illinois has already restricted DNA collection companies like 23andMe from sharing results with health or life insurance companies without consent. 

Many states have voted to relax deadlines for bringing sexual violence lawsuits to courts. California will suspend the statute of limitations for three years, giving survivors the chance to pursue prosecution and expanding it further for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Survivors will now have until age 40 or five years after the time the abuse was discovered to file lawsuits. In addition, Illinois will remove the statute of limitations on sexual assault and abuse. 

New York state became the most recent state to end cash bail, a policy which has been criticized for its discrimination against poor people and perpetuation of institutional racism in the criminal system. This new law could allow thousands of people incarcerated for misdemeanor and nonviolent felonies to prove their innocence in court and gain their freedom. On the other hand, California voted against ending cash bail. 

In Florida, a law enforcing fines for texting and driving was passed. Massachusetts enacted a similar law, cracking down on phone-use while driving. 

California became the first state to enact The Crown Act, making it illegal to enforce dress code or grooming policies against hairstyles commonly worn by Black-Americans. 

Of course, Biden and Harris made headlines as President and Vice President elect last Sunday –– but while the spotlight shown on them, other progressive victories were celebrated in the shadows.