Thread by @politico

🧵 The 117th Congress is the most diverse ever, not only racially and ethnically, it also has more women & members of the LGBTQ community.

We sat down with 5 of the newest members from both sides of the aisle to get a better look at how they tick. politi.co/3nqNYQv

1️⃣ @ByronDonalds is one of only two Black Republicans in the House. He made headlines by running on controversial ideas like speaking out against Covid-19 safety measures and contesting the 2020 election. politi.co/3xAji3X

2️⃣ @NikemaWilliams' election win was marked by history. She became the first woman to represent Georgia’s 5th district, taking over the seat of her mentor, the late civil rights icon John Lewis. politi.co/3nMOnx7

3️⃣ @RitchieTorres Torres is the first Afro Latino openly gay person elected to Congress. Raised in a housing project, Torres struggled with issues all too common among his constituents, and now represents the poorest congressional district in the U.S. politi.co/2PuPuob

4️⃣ @CynthiaMLummis is the first woman to represent Wyoming in the Senate. A self-described ‘libertarian-leaning republican,’ Lummis served four terms in the House but decided not to run for Congress again after her husband’s passing in 2015. politi.co/3aKZ7GD

5️⃣ @SenAlexPadilla is the son of Mexican immigrants and California’s first Latino senator in Washington. He comes from a political career shaped by historical shifts in California, from anti-immigrant policies to the rising influence of Latino voters. politi.co/2RhNOyP