A Note from Bernadette
It was election day.
At my cousin’s wake, nobody said a word about the election. Not once.
We’re not all politically aligned, but connection transcended politics in that room. During those four hours at a not-horribly-depressing Irish wake, I found myself in delightful bubbles of conversation with a dozen of my other cousins. After, I stepped outside and was jolted to remember it was election day.
Later, a friend and I watched the returns and drank Veuve. Grief in the afternoon, a party at night.
The next morning, after the blue wave, was the funeral. Again, no politics. The election matters. A lot. But showing up and choosing to connect mattered most.
I'm cheering you on—
Bernadette
This Week's Good Vibes
Governor's Mansions Finally Look Different
Governor's offices got some long-overdue firsts. Deb Haaland became New Mexico's first Native American woman elected governor. Keisha Lance Bottoms became Georgia's first Black woman governor. Gina Hinojosa became Texas's first Latina governor. Byron Donalds, David Crowley, and Aaron Ford became the first Black governors of Florida, Wisconsin, and Nevada, and Marsha Blackburn became Tennessee's first female governor. Five Black governors will now serve at the same time.
♐️ When the person at the top looks more like the people being led, more people picture themselves leading too.
The Senate Gets Some Fresh Faces
The U.S. Senate is about to look different. Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota, a White Earth Band of Ojibwe citizen, became the first Native American woman elected to the Senate. Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan became the first Muslim American senator. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire became the first openly gay man elected to the Senate. Juliana Stratton won Dick Durbin's Illinois seat, and with Sen. Tammy Duckworth, makes Illinois the first state represented by two female senators of color.
♐️ Firsts are a starting line, not a finish line.
Free Rides Cleared Voters' Path
Getting to the polls took a little help this year. On Election Day, the Maryland Transit Administration waived fares to remove transportation obstacles that can keep people from voting. Lime also offered two free 30-minute bike and scooter rides from Oct. 24 through Election Day, in partnership with the nonprofit HeadCount. Lyft offered ride discounts to the polls.
♐️ Ask your team what small barrier, like a commute or a meeting time, keeps someone from showing up fully. Then remove it.
Where to Vote? MapQuest Knows
Finding your polling place used to mean bouncing between websites. This year, inside the MapQuest app, voters could find early voting sites and Election Day polling places, check hours, and get turn-by-turn directions without switching apps. The location data is official and covered voters nationwide.
♐️ Where do your people already spend their time? Put the information they need there, not on a page they have to hunt for.
Statehouses Welcome Trailblazing Trans Lawmakers
Trans candidates won across the country. Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford is the first trans person elected to the Wisconsin legislature. Bentley Hudgins became Georgia's first nonbinary representative and first Japanese-American lawmaker. Jaelynn Scott will become Washington's first out trans legislator and the first Black trans state lawmaker elected in the U.S. Allison Montgomery became Alabama's first transgender legislator, and Zooey Zephyr won a third term in Montana. Congress is also set to have its most openly LGBTQ+ members ever in 2027.
♐️ Notice whose story your workplace still treats as a surprise, then help make it ordinary.
Good Vibes to Go & Updates
Watch Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story on Netflix. I wasn't familiar with her work but I've never heard anyone bring such hilarity to topics of mental health. She's brilliant.