Welcome: whose voices shaped this election?
Welcome, whatever language you speak at home and wherever your family's story began. This election brought several historic firsts, and many of our communities can see themselves in the people who won. Below, we share who made history, what the results may mean for language access and English learners, and what may come next for immigrant and multilingual families. We end with simple steps you can take to keep your voice heard after Election Day.
Part 1: Historic firsts
History made: Deb Haaland elected governor of New Mexico, first Native American woman elected governor of any U.S. state
Governor-elect Deb Haaland in her official U.S. Department of the Interior portrait. Photo: U.S. Department of the Interior, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) has been elected governor of New Mexico, becoming the first Native American woman elected governor of any U.S. state. Haaland defeated Republican Gregg Hull 57.2% to 42.8% (412,834 to 308,315 votes), with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial New Mexico Secretary of State results as of Nov. 4, 11 a.m. ET. The AP called the race on the night of Nov. 3. Results become official when the state certifies them. Haaland, a former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, will succeed Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is term-limited. (KUNM; Daily Lobo; Tri-City Record)
This is a historic milestone for Native communities across the country. As a Native-founded organization, we share in a proud moment for Native communities across these lands, including ours.
Also historic: Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate race, first Muslim U.S. senator
Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed testifying before a U.S. Senate committee in 2024. Photo: U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Abdul El-Sayed (D) won Michigan's U.S. Senate race over Mike Rogers (R), 52.5% to 45.5% (about 2.50 million to 2.16 million votes), with about 97% of the expected vote counted as of Nov. 4, 11 a.m. ET. AP and NBC News called the race. He will be the first Muslim U.S. senator. Vote totals are still being updated. (AP; NBC News)
History made on Election Day
Several other winners also made history on Nov. 3, according to NPR:
Keisha Lance Bottoms (Georgia) will be the first Black woman elected governor of any state!
Keisha Lance Bottoms, governor-elect of Georgia. Photo: Executive Office of the President of the United States, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Gina Hinojosa (Texas) will be the first Latina governor of Texas.
Gina Hinojosa, governor-elect of Texas. Photo: LBJ Library, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Xavier Becerra (California) will be the first elected Latino governor of California.
Xavier Becerra, governor-elect of California. Photo: Office of the Attorney General of California, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Byron Donalds (Florida) will be the first Black governor of Florida.
Byron Donalds, governor-elect of Florida. Photo: Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
David Crowley (Wisconsin) will be the first Black governor of Wisconsin.
David Crowley, governor-elect of Wisconsin. Photo: Office of U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee) will be the first woman to win the governor's office in Tennessee.
Marsha Blackburn, governor-elect of Tennessee. Photo: U.S. Senate Photographic Studio, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota) will be the first woman governor of Minnesota.
Amy Klobuchar, governor-elect of Minnesota. Photo: United States Senate, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Amy Acton (Ohio) will be the first woman and first Jewish governor of Ohio.
Amy Acton, governor-elect of Ohio. Photo: U.S. Air National Guard (Senior Airman Gwendalyn Smith), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Why Ohio flipped
Amy Acton, who led Ohio's health department early in the COVID-19 pandemic, beat Vivek Ramaswamy by about 52.3% to 44.4%, with roughly 98% of the expected vote counted. That makes her the first Democrat to win the office in 20 years. According to AP and NBC News, Acton told voters that Ramaswamy, a billionaire, could not relate to families squeezed by the cost of gas, groceries and health care, and she pointed to her own childhood growing up poor in Youngstown. AP also reported that she won even though more than $100 million was spent against her. Ohio's legislature remains under Republican control, so many of her plans will need lawmakers' support. (Sources: AP; NBC News; Le Monde)
Governor races: who won
Updated Nov. 4, 2026, 11:18 a.m. ET. 36 governorships were on the ballot this year. Below are selected races called by AP and other major outlets. Vote shares are unofficial and may change as counting continues; * means a large share of the vote was still uncounted.
The tally so far: As of 7:38 a.m. ET on Nov. 4, Democrats had won 22 governor's races and Republicans 12, with 2 (Kansas and Alaska) not yet called. Five offices changed hands, all to Democrats. (Source: Ballotpedia)
See the map: 270toWin has interactive maps of every race.
State | Winner | Party | Vote share | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Georgia | Keisha Lance Bottoms | D | 54.3% | First Black woman elected governor of any state (flip) |
New Mexico | Deb Haaland | D | 57.2% | First Native American woman governor |
California | Xavier Becerra | D | 64.0%* | First elected Latino governor of California |
Texas | Gina Hinojosa | D | 52.8% | First Latina governor of Texas (flip) |
Florida | Byron Donalds | R | 50.0% | First Black governor of Florida |
Wisconsin | David Crowley | D | 54.1% | First Black governor of Wisconsin |
Nevada | Aaron Ford | D | 51.7%* | First Black governor of Nevada (flip) |
Tennessee | Marsha Blackburn | R | 45.5% | First woman governor of Tennessee |
Minnesota | Amy Klobuchar | D | 55.5% | First woman governor of Minnesota |
Ohio | Amy Acton | D | 52.3% | First woman elected governor of Ohio (flip) |
Iowa | Rob Sand | D | 55.5% | Flip |
"First" notes are from NPR. Vote shares from NBC News results. For every race, see AP's full governor results.
Other election results (as of Nov. 4, 11:15 a.m. ET)
Congress: Democrats won majorities in both the House and the Senate, according to AP race calls. The new Congress starts in January. In the Senate, Democrats hold at least 54 seats (including two independents) to Republicans' 44, with seven seats changing parties: Iowa, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas. Alaska and Mississippi had not been called as of Wednesday morning. (NPR; Ballotpedia; The Guardian) The final House count is not settled. As of about 9 a.m. ET on Nov. 4, Democrats had won at least 228 House seats and Republicans 139, with about 68 races still uncalled. Final numbers will change.
Governors: Democrats flipped governor's offices in Texas, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and Nevada (NBC News).
Ohio: Amy Acton (D) defeated Vivek Ramaswamy (R) for governor, 52.3% to 44.4%, with about 99% of the expected vote counted. The AP called the race. (AP; Cleveland 19) Sherrod Brown (D) won the U.S. Senate special election over Sen. Jon Husted (R), 50.0% to 45.2% (Cleveland 19; Ballotpedia). Voters passed Issue 3, which adds a photo ID requirement for voting to the state constitution, 65.3% to 34.7% (NBC News/AP). Ohio already required photo ID for in-person voting under a 2023 law; Issue 3 puts that rule in the constitution. Issue 3 was Ohio's only statewide measure. Many local school levies were also on the ballot, so check your county board of elections for results. (10TV; Cleveland Magazine)
State ballot measures: Voters decided about 145 statewide measures (Ballotpedia). Early results show voters supporting measures that limit voting to U.S. citizens, including Arkansas Issue 1 at about 69% yes. A citizenship-to-vote amendment was also on the ballot in West Virginia. California voters approved Proposition 3, which keeps higher income tax rates on high earners to fund education and health care, and rejected a voter ID measure, Proposition 39. (Poliwave live results) Many measures are still being counted. Our search did not find statewide measures specifically about school vouchers or language access. Please confirm the details before relying on them.
Updated Nov. 4, 2026, 11:18 a.m. ET. Some races are still being counted. We mark anything that is not final.
Part 2: What it means for language access and English learners
Voters went to the polls on Nov. 3, 2026. In the same year, federal support for English learners (ELs) has been reorganized and is facing new budget fights. Here is what happened, in plain language, and what it may mean for multilingual and immigrant families.
Federal policy for English learners and multilingual education
The federal English learner office has closed. The U.S. Department of Education dissolved the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA). It told Congress about the plan in a Feb. 13 letter. Title III state grants moved to the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, and teacher training grants moved to another office. (Education Week, April 2026; K-12 Dive)
Title III money is still flowing for now. Title III got $890 million in FY2026, the same as in the three years before (U.S. Dept. of Education). It helps schools serve more than 5 million English learners.
The fight over next year's budget is still open. The House Appropriations Committee voted 34–28 to advance an FY2027 bill that would eliminate Title III. A short-term funding law reportedly keeps the government funded through Dec. 11. Advocates are asking Congress for $1 billion instead. (Latin Times) This is not final: the full Congress has not passed FY2027 education funding. A new Congress takes office in January.
Teacher training grants are coming back in a smaller form. A new National Professional Development grant group of about 10–13 projects is planned for fall 2026. A lawsuit over earlier grant cuts was filed in June 2026. (Education Week, July 2026)
Old guidance was withdrawn, but students' rights stay the same. The 2015 federal "Dear Colleague" letter on English learners was withdrawn in 2025. On Oct. 23, 2026, the Departments of Justice and Education said that guidance and six other documents are not enforceable (Federal Register). However, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Equal Educational Opportunities Act, and the Supreme Court's Lau v. Nichols decision are still the law. Schools must still help students overcome language barriers. (Education Law Center; Colorado Dept. of Education)
English as official language: A March 2025 executive order made English the official federal language. It did not change any of the laws above. Schools that receive federal money must still provide language help to students and communicate with families.
What the data shows
Several states reported fewer English learners in 2025–26. Local reports connect part of the drop to immigration enforcement and families leaving. Massachusetts reported about 7,000 fewer English learners (WBUR, Jan. 2026). Connecticut's multilingual learners fell 3.8% (School + State Finance Project). Delaware reported drops in 11 of 16 traditional districts (Spotlight Delaware, Feb. 2026). Utah reported a decline of nearly 12%, partly because it changed its proficiency standard (KUER, Nov. 2, 2026). Minnesota schools lost at least 1,700 students after a federal enforcement operation (Sahan Journal). National 2025–26 totals are not available yet.
Part 3: What it means for immigrant and multilingual families
The new Congress takes office in January. It will decide FY2027 funding, including whether Title III continues. The current funding deadline is reported to be Dec. 11, and decisions before then will be made by the current Congress.
Immigration enforcement and federal benefit rules are set by the executive branch and current law. The election does not change them right away.
New governors and legislatures in states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Wisconsin will shape state education budgets and services next year (Ballotpedia).
The ballot results send mixed signals. Voters in several states backed citizenship and ID requirements for voting, and the same electorate shifted control of Congress.
Know your rights and resources
Know your school rights. Under Plyler v. Doe, every child has a right to a free public K-12 education regardless of immigration status. Schools must provide language support and communicate with parents in a language they understand.
Ask for an interpreter. You can ask for free interpretation at school meetings and for translated notices.
Keep attending. If you have concerns, contact your district's EL or multilingual coordinator.
File a complaint if needed: U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights.
Learn more: Education Law Center EL Q&A; ED: Equal opportunities for English learners; find low-cost legal help at ImmigrationAdvocates.org.
Build skills. Local adult education, ESL, digital literacy, and workforce programs are available through your American Job Center.
Your voice after Election Day
Check your local results. Your county board of elections posts final results for local races and school levies once they are certified.
Go to local meetings. Attend school board and city council meetings, and sign up for public comment to share what your family needs.
Ask for language help. You can ask for an interpreter and for translated materials at school meetings and notices.
Use free help and resources. Find low-cost legal help at ImmigrationAdvocates.org, adult education and ESL through your American Job Center, and file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights.
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W.I.S.E.C.E.O. is nonpartisan. This newsletter is for general information and is not legal advice.
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