DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement:

“Last night, Democrats elected the most diverse group of candidates in our party’s history. Voters across the country sent a loud and clear message that our leaders should represent the diversity of our country.

“Michelle Lujan Grisham was elected as the first Latina Democratic governor, while Sylvia Garcia and Veronica Escobar became Texas’ first two Latina congresswomen. We sent the first Native American women to Congress in Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids, the first Muslim women to Congress in Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, and the youngest women ever to be elected to Congress in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Abby Finkenauer. Ayanna Pressley and Jahana Hayes both made history as the first-ever African-American women elected to Congress from all of New England, while Lauren Underwood became the first African-American woman elected to serve Illinois’ 14th District. New York elected Tish James as its first African-American woman attorney general and Jared Polis became the nation’s first openly gay man elected governor and Colorado’s first Jewish governor. And military veterans like Mikie Sherrill and Elaine Luria flipped at least six House seats from red to blue.

“These are just a few highlights from a historic night – and the results are still coming in. From Andy Kim to Gina Ortiz Jones, several inspiring candidates are still locked in tight races that are still too close to call. And in Georgia, we stand fully behind Stacey Abrams as she continues to fight for victory in the face of unprecedented voter suppression efforts by Brian Kemp and Georgia Republicans.

“Even in races where we didn’t come out ahead, voters turned out in record numbers to support candidates who shared their values. In Florida, Andrew Gillum ran an inspiring campaign that energized millions of Floridians and sparked hope across the Sunshine State. Andrew is a rising Democratic star, and he gives me confidence that our party’s future is bright in Florida and across the country.

“Representation matters. When the people we entrust with political power reflect the great diversity of the people they represent, we are stronger as a nation. The DNC was proud to support such a historic slate of candidates in races from the school board to the Senate across the country. And make no mistake: the diversity of our candidates, our organizers, and our voters were key to flipping the House and electing Democrats up and down the ballot. Democrats believe diversity is our nation’s strength, and we look forward to lifting up Democrats from every background as we work to win even more elections in the future.

“Democrats put hope on the ballot last night, and that’s why the American people elected Democratic candidates across the country. We never backed down from our values of inclusion and opportunity, because we know that those are not only our party’s values, they’re America’s values.”