26-year-old  Mari Manoogian, a former U.S. State Department worker, won the Michigan State House District 40 seat, currently held by Republicans.

Birmingham resident and Democrat Mari Manoogian defeated Republican David Wolkinson in the Nov. 6 election.

Manoogian received 30,223 votes compared to 23,221 for Wolkinson, a former vice chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.

Lorig Charkoudian, the Democratic candidate for Maryland’s House of Delegates was elected to serve as one of the three delegates for District 20 in the November 6th midterm elections becoming the first Armenian American in recent memory – and perhaps ever – to serve in the Maryland state legislature.