Winners come 'first': Muslims, black politician create US election history

The House is getting its first two Muslim women and Massachusetts is getting its first black congresswoman while Arizona and Tennessee stand to elect their first woman senators in Tuesday's midterm elections.

The high-profile midterm cycle that produced a record number of women contenders and candidates of colour meant several winners will take office as trailblazers, marking firsts for their race and gender.

What is already the most diverse Congress ever could become even more so after Tuesday's elections and will include several trailblazers.

Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley will represent Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District in the next Congress. Pressley stunned the political establishment in September, defeating a 10-term incumbent in the Democratic primary, and was unopposed on Tuesday.

Also in the House, Democrats Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan will be the first Muslim women to serve in Congress. And regardless of who wins in Arizona's competitive Senate race, the state will elect either Republican Martha McSally or Democrat Kyrsten Sinema as the state's first woman to serve in the chamber.

Also in the Senate, Republican Marsha Blackburn will become Tennessee's first woman senator.

Georgia governor's race candidate Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, was in a fierce battle to become America's first black woman governor, and Florida Democrat Andrew Gillum was bidding to become the first black governor of Florida.