Connecticut elects first black congresswoman

Jahana Hayes, a former National Teacher of the Year, will become the first black woman to represent Connecticut in Congress.

Hayes easily won Connecticut’s 5th District in a race against Republican Manny Santos, a military veteran and Trump supporter.

{mosads}The race was open after Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D) announced her retirement following reports that she was slow to act after she learned of allegations that her former chief of staff assaulted and harassed another staffer. 

Hayes, a first-time candidate, received national notoriety when she trounced Mary Glassman, who had been endorsed by the Connecticut Democratic Party.

On the campaign trail, Hayes detailed her childhood growing up in public housing as the daughter of a drug addict.

She became pregnant at 17, but her “community and strong desire for an education propelled her forward,” she says on her website.

Hayes, 45, was buoyed by support from national Democrats like Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif) and former Vice President Joe Biden.