Next year’s Congress will feature at least 51 women of color – more than ever before. Ballots are still being tallied in two close races, so the number could climb. Marilyn Strickland is the first Black person to represent Washington state at the federal level and is one of three Korean American women ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. And New Mexico will have its first House delegation that is all women of color.
Jackeline Luna is a former senior producer for video series. Before joining the Los Angeles Times, she interned for Politico, ABC7 and the Mercury News. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a master’s in journalism in May 2018.
Sandhya Kambhampati is a data reporter on the Los Angeles Times Data Desk, where she covers the demographics and diversity of California and the nation. She previously worked at the Chronicle of Higher Education, Correctiv and ProPublica Illinois. Send her tips at sandhya@latimes.com .