Jahana Hayes has won the race for Connecticut's 5th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Hayes becomes the first African-American woman to represent Connecticut in Congress.
She defeated Republican Manny Santos.
She thanked her supporters during her victory speech Tuesday night.
“People have said to me, she doesn’t have what it takes, she’s not built for this. Not only am I built for this, I’m Brass City built for this,” Hayes said.
Hayes, a first-time candidate, is a former National Teacher of the Year from 2016 who rose to fame following her selection for the award. It led to an appearance on Ellen Degeneres’ talk show, and meetings with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
“I don’t think you realize what just happened. Yesterday marked 50 years since Shirley Chisholm was elected as the first African American woman to go to Congress,” Hayes said to supporters Tuesday night. “Today, we made history by sending me to Congress.”
