Making History: Record number of women will serve in US Congress

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The election was also historic - in breaking race and gender barriers. More women than ever ran for office - and won. CGTN's Karina Huber has more.

Washington is about to get a lot more female. The midterm elections saw a record number of women winning seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Prior to the elections, there were 84 female representatives. Now there will be at least 95-the vast majority of them Democrats.

The female victories come on the back of the #metoo movement and the election of Donald Trump that provoked women's marches across the United States and motivated many women to run for office for the first time - including Jahana Hayes.

JAHANA HAYES CONNECTICUT DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL WINNER "And you said we are not having it, that we need somebody to go that is us, who understands us, who understands what we're going through, who is close to the pain that we're experiencing."

Hayes became the first black Democrat from Connecticut to win a seat in the House.

There were many other firsts on election night. Two Democratic candidates: Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib will be the first Muslim women in Congress come January.

ILHAN OMAR MINNESOTA DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL WINNER "The choices we're making right now do not sit well with the values that I think most Americans share."

Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland will be the first female Native American representatives.

Sylvia Garcia and Veronica Escobar, both Democrats, will become the first Hispanic women from Texas headed to the House.

And at 29 years-old, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York will be the youngest woman in Congress.

Republican women also scored some wins. Tennessee elected its first female senator.

MARSHA BLACKBURN TENNESSEE REPUBLICAN US SENATE WINNER "They want leaders who are going to be there to work with the president and keep this nation on the path to prosperity that we are on today."

KARINA HUBER NEW YORK "Blackburn's views will be the minority among the women headed to Washington this January. Most of the new female representatives are more liberal, diverse and critical of Trump's policies. Based on their campaigns, they will undoubtedly want more checks on presidential power, not less. Karina Huber, CGTN, New York."