Results from Primaries and Runoffs in VA, AL, and GA: More All-Woman Races and Potential Milestones

CAWP Staff

LAST UPDATED: 6.22.22 10am ET (final results)

 

A primary election was held on Tuesday in Virginia and congressional and statewide executive office primary runoff elections were held in Alabama and Georgia. Full context about women in the 2022 elections, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, is available via the Center for American Women and Politics’ (CAWP) Election Watch.

Among the most notable results thus far for women:

  • All 3 (3D) incumbent women in Virginia’s U.S. House delegation will advance to the general election, with 2 (2D) – Representatives Luria (VA-02) and Spanberger (VA-07) – being challenged by Republican women nominees – State Senator Jen Kiggans (VA-02) and Yesli Vega (VA-07) – in contests currently deemed toss ups by Cook Political Report. Learn more about all-woman congressional and gubernatorial races this year and historically at this fact sheet.
  • Two (1D, 1R) women nominees for the U.S. House in Virginia could make history in November. If elected, Republican nominee Yesli Vega (R, VA-07) will be the first Latina to represent Virginia in Congress and Democratic nominee Taysha DeVaughan (D, VA-09) will be the first Native American woman to represent Virginia in Congress. All women who have represented Virginia in Congress to date have been white.
  • Katie Britt (R) won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Alabama and is favored to win in November. If successful, Britt will be the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama. Two (2D) women have previously served in the U.S. Senate from Alabama via appointment.
  • In Alabama, Yolanda Flowers won the Democratic nomination for governor to challenge incumbent Governor Kay Ivey (R) in a contest currently rated as "Solid Republican" by Cook Political Report. Flowers is the third Black woman to be a major-party nominee for governor in the U.S. If successful in November, she will be the first Black woman elected statewide in Alabama and the first Black woman governor in the U.S. 
  • In Georgia, State Representative Bee Nguyen (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger (R). If successful in November, Nguyen will be the first Asian American woman elected statewide in Georgia. Janice Laws Robinson (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Insurance Commissioner John King (R). If successful in November, she will be the first Black woman elected statewide in Georgia. All women who have served in statewide office in Georgia to date have been white.

Virginia

Alabama Runoff

Georgia Runoff

 

Virginia

U.S. House

Women currently hold 3 (3D) of 11 (27.3%) seats in the Virginia delegation to the U.S. House. Seven (4D, 3R) women have ever served in the U.S. House from Virginia.

In 2022, 11 (6D, 5R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Virginia.

Based on primary election results, women are 8 of 22 (36.4%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Virginia, including 5 of 11 (45.5%) Democrats and 3 of 11 (27.3%) Republicans. Three (1D, 2R) women candidates for the U.S. House were unsuccessful.

  • All 3 (3D) incumbents are nominees for re-election.
    • Incumbent Representative Jennifer Wexton (D) was unopposed in the primary election and will run for re-election in VA-10, a general election contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report.  
    • Incumbent Representative Elaine Luria (D) was unopposed in the primary election and will run for re-election in VA-02, a general election contest currently rated as a Democratic toss up by Cook Political Report.
    • Incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger (D) was unopposed in the primary election and will run for re-election in VA-07, a general election contest currently rated as a Democratic toss up by Cook Political Report.
  • 5 (2D, 3R) women won nominations to challenge incumbents in November. 
    • State Senator Jen Kiggans (R) won the  Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Representative Elaine Luria (D) in VA-02, an all-woman contest currently rated as a Democratic toss-up by Cook Political Report.
    • Jennifer Lewis (D) secured the Democratic nomination via party convention to challenge incumbent Representative Ben Cline (R) convention in VA-06, a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
    • Yesli Vega (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Representative Abigail Spanberger (D) in VA-07, an all-woman contest currently rated as a Democratic toss-up by Cook Political Report. If elected, Vega will be the first Latina elected to the U.S. House from Virginia.
    • Karina Lipsman (R) secured the Republican nomination via party convention to challenge incumbent Representative Don Beyer (D) convention in VA-08, a contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report.  
    • Taysha DeVaughan (D) secured the Democratic nomination via party convention to challenge incumbent Representative Morgan Griffith (R) in VA-09, a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If elected, DeVaughan will be the first Native American woman elected to the U.S. House from Virginia.

Of the 8 (5D, 3R) women nominees already selected for U.S. House in Virginia, 1 (1R) – Vega (VA-07) – is Latina, 1 (1D) – DeVaughan (VA-09) – is Native American, and 6 (4D, 2R) – Luria (VA-02), Kiggans (VA-02), Lewis (VA-06), Spanberger (VA-07), Lipsman (VA-08), and Wexton (VA-10) – are white. All women who have served in the U.S. House from Virginia to date are white.
 

Alabama – Primary Runoff

U.S. Senate

Katie Britt (R) won Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate and will run in a general election contest currently rated as "Solid Republican" by Cook Political Report. Britt was endorsed by retiring Senator Richard Shelby, for whom she previously served as chief of staff.

If successful in November, Britt will be the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Alabama. Two (2D) women have previously served in the U.S. Senate from Alabama via appointment:

  • Maryon Pittman Allen (D) was appointed to fill a vacancy caused by the death of her husband and served from June 8, 1978 to November 7, 1978. While she did run in the special election to serve the remainder of her husband’s term, she was unsuccessful. 
  • Dixie Bibb Graves (D) was appointed by her husband – then-Governor Bibb Graves – to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Hugo Black (to serve on the Supreme Court). She served from August 20, 1937 to January 10, 1938, when she resigned.

 

Statewide Elective Executive Offices

Women were 2 of 10 (20%) statewide executive candidates in the June 21, 2022 runoff election, including 2 of 2 (100%) Democrats and 0 of 8 (0%) Republicans.

  • Yolanda Flowers won the Democratic nomination for governor to challenge incumbent Governor Kay Ivey (R) in a contest currently rated as "Solid Republican" by Cook Political Report. Flowers is the third Black woman to be a major-party nominee for governor in the U.S. If successful in November, she will be the first Black woman elected statewide in Alabama and the first Black woman governor in the U.S.

Combined with primary election results from May, women are 3 of 12 (25%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive offices in Alabama, including 2 of 3 (66.7%) Democrats and 1 of 9 (11.1%) Republicans.

Of the 3 (2D, 1R) women nominees for statewide executive office in Alabama, 2 (2D) – Flowers (governor) and Laffitte (secretary of state) – are Black and 1 (1R) – Ivey (governor) – is white. All women who have served in statewide office from Alabama to date are white.
 

Georgia – Primary Runoff

U.S. House

Women were 3 of 12 (25%) U.S. House candidates in the June 21, 2022 runoff election, including 3 of 4 (75%) Democrats and 0 of 8 (0%) Republicans.

  • Tabitha Johnson-Green won the Democratic nomination in GA-10, an open-seat contest currently rated as "Solid Republican" by Cook Political Report.

Combined with primary election results from May, women are 5 of 28 (17.9%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Georgia, including 4 of 14 (28.6%) Democrats and 1 of 14 (7.1%) Republicans.

Of the 5 (4D, 1R) women nominees for U.S. House in Georgia, 4 (4D) – Williams (GA-05), McBath (GA-07), Johnson-Green (GA-10), and Johnson (GA-12) – are Black and 1 (1R) – Greene (GA-14) – is white.

 

Statewide Elective Executive Offices

Women were 4 of 8 (50%) statewide candidates in the June 21, 2022 runoff election, including 4 of 8 (50%) Democrats. There were no Republican primary runoff elections for statewide executive offices.

  • State Representative Bee Nguyen won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger (R). Nguyen became the first Asian American woman to serve in the Georgia state legislature in 2017. If successful in November, she will be the first Asian American woman elected statewide in Georgia.
  • Janice Laws Robinson (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Insurance Commissioner John King (R). If successful in November, she will be the first Black woman elected statewide in Georgia.

Combined with primary election results from May, women are 8 of 20 (40%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive offices in Georgia, including 8 of 10 (80%) Democrats and 0 of 10 (0%) Republicans.

Of the 8 (8D) women nominees for statewide executive office in Georgia, 5 (5D) – Abrams (governor), Edwards (public service commissioner), Hemingway (commissioner of agriculture), Robinson (insurance commissioner), and Searcy (superintendent of public instruction) – are Black, 1 (1D) – Nguyen (secretary of state) – is Asian American, and 2 (2D) – Durand (public service commissioner) and Jordan (attorney general) – are white. All women who have served in statewide office from Georgia to date are white.

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For primary results summaries from other states and full results, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, see CAWP’s Election Watch.

CAWP Staff