Boston

Boston elected its first woman and first Asian American as mayor, former City Councilor Michelle Wu. Prior to Wu, Boston had elected only white men to serve as mayor.

Wu, 36, cruised to victory over rival City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George, a 47-year-old Arab American, in the race to replace interim Mayor Kim Janey.

 Durham, N.C.

The city of Durham, N.C., also elected its first woman of color, Elaine O’Neal, as mayor. O’Neal, a former judge, essentially ran uncontested, defeating Javiera Caballero.

New York City

Democrat Eric Adams  won the New York mayoral race, becoming just the second Black mayor in the city’s history. The first, David Dinkins, served from 1990 to 1993. Adams, a former New York City police captain and Brooklyn borough president, defeated Republican Curtis Sliwa in the race to replace outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The mayor-elect was not the only candidate to make history in New York on Tuesday. Democrat Alvin Bragg became Manhattan’s first Black district attorney, after beating out a crowded primary field earlier this year. Bragg is a former federal prosecutor.

 New Jersey

A number of women running for the New Jersey State Assembly made history! Democrats Ellen Park, who is Korean American, and Shama Haider, a Muslim woman who was born in Pakistan, became the first Asian American women to win seats in the Legislature, both hailing from the 37th District in the north of the state.

 Dearborn, Mich.

Democratic state Rep. Abdullah Hammoud made history as the first Arab American and Muslim to be elected mayor in Dearborn, Mich. Hammoud, 31, defeated 66-year-old Gary Woronchak, a former state representative and Wayne County commissioner, by nearly 10 points.

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AAPI Victory Fund Congratulates Aftab Pureval on Victory as Cincinnati’s First-ever Indian-Tibetan Mayor

WASHINGTON — Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval, won his election bid, and became Cincinnati’s first ever Indian-Tibetan American mayor of a major American city. In March of this year, AAPI Victory Fund endorsed Aftab as “a necessary progressive voice that has been able to achieve success with Democrats and Republicans alike” in its slate of mayoral candidates. Today, AAPI Victory Fund congratulates Pureval on his impressive victory, and is proud to support him as he commences the position of Cincinnati’s City Mayor and beyond.

AAPI Victory Fund Founder and Chairman Shekar Narasimhan issued the following statement:

“Today, AAPI Victory Fund celebrates Aftab Pureval’s historic win as the first Indian-Tibetan American mayor of a major city, who has a bold vision to move Cincinnati forward. This is a triumph for not only Aftab Pureval but also for the AAPI community nationwide. Aftab’s victory is a major step forward for AAPI political representation. It is more important than ever to elect diverse leadership across local, state and federal governments, and Aftab will bring his unique experience to lead Cincinnati toward a more equitable, inclusive, and just city..”

“We at AAPI Victory Fund hope that Aftab’s historic win will encourage the next generation of AAPI leaders to run and believe that the power to enact change is accessible to all, regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender. We are incredibly proud of Aftab Pureval, and we’re excited to watch him excel as Cincinnati City Mayor.” 

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The AAPI Victory Fund is focused on mobilizing Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) eligible voters and moving them to the ballot box.