The Firsts

A lively, behind-the-scenes look at the historic cohort of diverse, young, and groundbreaking women newly elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 as they arrive in Washington, D.C., and start working for change, by a New York Times reporter with sharp insight and deep knowledge of the Hill.
In November 2018, elected to the House of Representatives on a groundswell of grassroots support, a group of women made history. These include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman to be elected to the House; Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland, the first Native American women in Congress; Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the first Muslim women representatives; and several others. The Firsts will tell their stories—their triumphs and obstacles, alliances and controversies—as they arrive in Washington, D.C., ready to carry their historic legacy into institutional change.

Veteran Hill reporter Jennifer Steinhauer will follow these women's attempts...