Election Day was on Tuesday, and across the country, people were rejecting Donald Trump and his policies and supporters.
Among those victories were several Black candidates, who swept seats in a widely-spread movement to bring more diverse voices to the table.
Charlotte elected its first Black woman mayor in Vi Lyles. Other mayors included Melvin Carter of St. Paul, Jamael Brown of Youngstown and Paula Hicks-Hudson of Toledo.
–Andrea Jenkins is first openly trans Black woman elected to public office–
In Virginia and New Jersey, Justin Fairfax and Sheila Oliver were elected to be lieutenant governors, and Detroit elected Garlin Gilchrist to be its clerk.
In Charlotte and in Hyattsville, Maryland, city councils saw the additions of Justin Harlow and Laurie-Anne Sayles, respectively.
South Carolina’s legislature now has Marvin Pendarvis in its ranks, and Jennifer Carrol Foy was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.
There are still other elections across the country too close to call and others where candidates were elected to replace Trump supporters, with Virginia’s gubernatorial race in the spotlight as Ed Gillespie, who received support from Trump and his family, lost his bid for election.
Across the country, the message was clear: the people are rejecting the reactionary politics that have taken hold of our country under the new administration, and the election results reflect that.