We didn’t win because of the novelty of an all-female slate of candidates. We didn’t win thanks to some kind of “pink wave.” We didn’t win because we focused on “women’s issues,” because every issue is a women’s issue.

Instead, we won because we had strong, highly qualified candidates who each earned their nomination. We each ran forward-looking, positive campaigns focused on issues that are crucial to Michigan families — good-paying jobs, clean water, fixing our roads, strengthening our public schools and ensuring that everyone has affordable health care.

People were not talking about our gender and whether it was O.K. to have women in all of these top positions. Instead, they were talking about our qualifications and who was the best candidate. That, to me, was truly historic.

Think back to 1992, which many people called “The Year of the Woman.” That year, two women, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, won the nominations to represent California in the Senate. It was so extraordinary to have both senators be women that The New York Times ran an item about them at the top of its front page.

Fast forward to this week and halfway across the country. In Minnesota, two women — my friends Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith — both won their races. Minnesota is one of a growing number of states represented by two women in the Senate, including Washington, New Hampshire, Nevada and yes, California.