Election Analysis

 

With filing deadlines passed in all 50 states, the Center for American Women and Politics can confirm that more women are running for U.S. House and U.S. Senate in 2020 than ever. Putting these aggregate numbers into context offers additional insights into women’s candidacies over time, across parties, as well as clarifying racial and ethnic diversity in the candidate pool.

Here are some key take-aways from this year’s totals.

A record number of women are running for the U.S. House and Senate this year.

The 2018 election broke nearly all records in women’s major-party candidacies for the U.S. House and Senate. That year, 476 women ran for the U.S. House, up from the previous high of 299 (+59.2%). In 2020, 583 women are candidates for the U.S. House, a 22.5% increase from the record set two years ago.

The shattering of previous records was entirely due to Democratic women in 2018 House contests; 356 Democratic women ran for the U.S. House in 2018, compared to a previous high of 189 (+88.4%), while the 120 Republican women candidates fell short of their record high (133, -9.8%). In contrast, Republican women are responsible for the jump in women’s House candidacies in 2020. This year, 227 Republican women are candidates for U.S. House, a 70.7% rise from the previous high. Democratic women matched their previous record for women’s candidacies; 356 Democratic women are running for U.S. House in 2020.

Both Democratic and Republican women broke records for U.S. Senate major-party candidacies in 2018, though by smaller margins than they did in House contests. In 2018, 53 women ran for the U.S. Senate, up from the previous high of 40 (+32.5%). In 2020, 60 women are candidates for the U.S. Senate, a 13.2% increase from the record set in the last election. Unlike in the U.S. House, both Democratic and Republican women contributed to the record-breaking Senate numbers in 2018; 31 Democratic women ran for the U.S. Senate in 2018, up from a previous high of 27 (+14.8%), while the 22 Republican women candidates broke their previous record of 17 (+29.4%). In 2020, six more Democratic women are running for the U.S. Senate than did in 2018 (+19.4%) and the Republican women have surpassed their record for senate candidacies by one (23, +4.5%).

Changes in the number of women congressional candidates were larger from 2016 to 2018 than they are between 2018 and 2020, though Republican women’s House candidacies have seen the largest swing over the past two election cycles.

One of the most notable facts of the last election cycle was that Democratic women doubled their candidacies from 2016 to 2018. This year, Republican women House candidates have neared, but not matched, that jump; Republican women’s House candidacies increased from 120 to 227 (+89.2%) between 2018 and 2020. But because there was no increase in Democratic women House candidates from 2018 to 2020, the overall increase in women’s House candidacies is notably smaller this year (+22.5%) than it was between 2016 and 2018 (+74.4%).

The increase in women’s U.S. Senate candidacies is also smaller from 2018 to 2020 (+13.2%) than it was between 2016 and 2018 (+32.5%). In 2018, the number of Republican women senate candidates (22) was especially larger than the previous cycle (13, +69.2%), while that number only increased by one (+4.5%) between 2018 and 2020. Democratic women’s rise in senate candidacies is not notably different between the 2018 cycle (+14.8% from 2016) and this year’s election (+19.4% from 2018).

Despite breaking records, women remain underrepresented among all candidates for elected office in 2020.

Women are more than 50% of the U.S. population, but remain less than a third of all major-party candidates for congressional and statewide executive offices in the 2020 election. More specifically, women are 29.1% of all U.S. House candidates and 23.9% of U.S. Senate candidates in 2020. In addition, while many SEEO offices around the country are not up for election this year, women make up just 25.6% of candidates for these offices in 2020.

 

Consistent with previous elections, women are better represented among Democratic than Republican candidates in 2020. Women are 37.9% of Democratic House candidates, 31.1% of Democratic Senate candidates, and 32.3% of Democratic candidates for statewide executive offices. In contrast, women are 21.3% of Republican House candidates, 17.4% of Republican Senate Candidates, and 20.6% of Republican candidates for statewide executive offices.

While women continue to fall short of parity with men in candidate pools, they are a greater percentage of all candidates for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate this year than they were in 2018. Republican women are also a larger percentage of their party’s House and Senate candidates in 2020 than in 2018 and Democratic women are a larger proportion of their party’s House, but not Senate, candidates this year.

A record number of women of color are running for congressional office in 2020, and women of color are also a larger percentage of all women running for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate this year.

At least 248 women of color – including women who identify as Asian or Pacific Islander (API), Black, Latina, Middle Eastern or North African (MENA), Native American, and/or multiracial – are running for the U.S. House in 2020. This number is higher than any other election year. The numbers of Democratic (162) and Republican (86) women of color House candidates are also record highs. As of August 5^th, racial identification is unavailable for 12 (6D, 6R) women House candidates (from 2004 to 2020, unavailable cases range from 0 to 14).

Women of color are also a larger percentage of all women running for the U.S. House this year than in any other year since this data has been collected. Women of color are at least 42.5% of all women, 45.5% of Democratic women, and 37.9% of Republican women House candidates in 2020.

At least 18 women of color are running for the U.S. Senate in 2020. This number is higher than any other year since CAWP collected comprehensive race data on Senate candidates in 2004. The numbers of Democratic (13) and Republican (5) women of color Senate candidates are also higher in 2020 than in any other year in our records. As of August 5^th, racial identification is unavailable for 2 (1D, 1R) women Senate candidates (from 2004 to 2020, unavailable cases range from 0 to 6).

Women of color are at least 30% of all women running for the U.S. Senate in 2020, which matches 2016. The percentage of women of color among Republican women Senate candidates is greater in 2020 (21.7%) than in any other year since this data has been collected. Finally women of color are 35.1% of Democratic women Senate candidates in 2020, a smaller percentage than in 2016 (44.4%).

These aggregate counts provide a broad view of the growing racial and ethnic diversity among women running for congressional office, but are inadequate in capturing the full range of racial and ethnic representation among women congressional candidates. That is why CAWP has conducted independent and in-depth analyses of Asian or Pacific Islander (API), Black, Latina, Middle Eastern or North African (MENA), and Native American women candidates in 2020 to provide more detail on women candidates and nominees within specific racial and ethnic groups to provide historical context and trends that do not lump women of color into a single group.

Even in a record year for Republican women candidates, Democratic women are the majority of women running for the U.S. House in 2020.

It is important to celebrate the rise in and record number of Republican women’s candidacies in 2020, especially due to the persistent underrepresentation of Republican women in the U.S. Congress. But there remains a partisan gap in women’s candidacies. In 2020, 61.1% of women candidates for the U.S. House are Democrats. While that gap was larger in 2018 (74.8% of women House candidates were Democrats), this year’s party break mirrors what we saw more than a decade ago. Republican women have only closed this gap more – and near completely – in one cycle since 2004; in 2010, 49.1% of women candidates for the U.S. House were Republicans.

This data point merits additional context. According to the most recent Pew Research Center survey on party identification, about 38% of women identify as Republicans. If we assess representativeness in the candidate pool by party identification breaks by gender among the public, the numbers above indicate a less concerning story for Republican women. These data do not, however, resolve the persistent underrepresentation of women in either party’s total pool of candidates.

As noted above, the number of Republican women of color candidates for the U.S. House is greater in 2020 than in previous years. In 2020, 34.7% of the women of color House candidates are Republicans, a larger percentage of women House candidates than any other year in which CAWP has comprehensive race data. We will continue to analyze Democratic and Republican’s women’s representation among women of color, women overall, and all candidates as primaries conclude to see if the party gap closes further, expands, or stays the same among U.S. House nominees.

What to Watch

Now that all filing deadlines have passed, we will continue to monitor how women candidates fare in primary elections nationwide. We will assess women’s comparative success in both the primary and general elections to men, by party, and among women in different racial and ethnic groups. We will also continue to track records in women’s nominations and officeholding and watch to see if the rise in candidacies this year will result in new highs for women in elected office in 2020. Stay tuned to CAWP’s Election Watch for all of the latest numbers and analysis, and follow us on Twitter for real-time results and context for this year’s campaigns.

 

 

“There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow.”

These words from former Vice President Joe Biden made headlines back in March when he solemnly pledged to pick a woman as his running mate during the Democratic primary debates. The promise elicited mixed feelings from viewers – some were pleased, others felt slighted – but it once again put gender at the center of the conversation on political credentials. Research has demonstrated that women are held to higher standards by voters and question their own qualifications to run at all, leading to significant differences between the quality of women and men officeholders. Not surprisingly, women increase the quality of representation within institutions, and the high standards they set up the ante for their male colleagues. While this may be good for constituents who benefit from better candidates and representatives, it means women are often working harder just to end up in the same position as men.

This phenomena has been called running a dual campaign by CAWP scholar Kelly Dittmar. Women must prove themselves to be not only the best candidate for the job — but also that they can win. This juxtaposition reminds us of the false myth of campaigns as meritocracies. If women are the most qualified, why isn’t that enough? See all of Hillary Clinton 2016. At the same time, women are required to prove themselves again and again, and due to gender norms, they must do so without appearing as though they actually want the job. While women must have experience and talents in abundance, they cannot have the ambition to match. Knowing that these higher standards exist and the tightrope qualified women must walk, we’re going to take on some of this additional labor and provide the receipts proving the extensive and diverse qualifications of the women on Biden’s short list.

Here we explore the veepstakes through the lens of prior experience. Women in politics do not always share the same professional backgrounds as their male counterparts. Because of gender segregation in the workplace, women’s occupations and social networks have not always been a natural trajectory for a career in public office. These differences have meant women have had to make the case for their qualifications and work very hard for the same campaign support men receive. The women on Biden’s shortlist come from a variety of backgrounds, each one bringing vital skills to the table.

Some of this year’s vice presidential contenders boast executive experience. These include Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. All three have garnered national attention in recent months, each drawing on her unique qualifications to lead a robust response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bottoms, a former attorney and Atlanta city councilwoman, has implemented a controversial mask mandate in all public spaces and is encouraging residents to stay home rather than rushing the reopening of businesses. Accustomed to standing her ground against Republicans, Bottoms has not hesitated to challenge Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on his fast-tracked recovery plan and unwillingness to heed the recommendations of medical experts. Lujan Grisham, the country’s first Democratic Latina governor, has drawn on her extensive knowledge of public health policy to control the outbreak. The former health care consultant, congresswoman, and New Mexico Secretary of Health took swift and decisive action to mitigate the crisis that is now paying off: epidemiologist Helen Wearing remarked that “hundreds of lives were saved because of what the state did early on, and that’s using conservative estimates.” Whitmer has spearheaded an aggressive containment strategy in Michigan, one of the hardest hit states, which has been lauded by progressives and condemned by conservatives. The former state legislator and Ingham County prosecutor implemented some of the nation’s strictest stay-at-home orders, which were well-intentioned but sparked right-wing rebellion. 

Despite the significant challenges they have all faced in keeping the virus under control, these women have demonstrated executive experience during a crisis, which is essential for a vice president in 2020. Perhaps the most important criteria for a vice president is readiness should the moment require them to step into the presidency. Historically, women have held few executive posts like governorships that would demonstrate the kind of individualistic, buck-stops-here leadership many consider essential for a president. These women have those bona fides. But, as we know, having the goods is not always enough.

Stacey Abrams, who almost became the governor of Georgia in 2018, is also a potential candidate. Her resume is similar to that of President Barack Obama, who was a community organizer and state legislator prior to his U.S. Senate tenure and ultimately successful presidential campaign. Abrams narrowly lost her statewide election to Republican Brian Kemp amid concerns about voter suppression. Abrams, a former state legislator, attorney, and college professor, has since risen to national prominence as a full-time voting rights activist. She has started two grassroots organizations – Fair Fight and Fair Count – to ensure that all people are counted in the Census and that their voices are heard at the ballot box. Some have questioned her readiness for the vice presidency, as the highest title she has held to date is minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives. Others are inspired by the zeal she could bring to the ticket. While she does not presently hold elected office, she has become an important Democratic voice on the preservation of democratic values. Will Biden consider her potential, like Obama and many men like him have been afforded, or require a more lengthy record to see her worth? If we are to expand the pool of potential political leaders beyond what has long been the status quo, we have to not only credit men and women equally for their accomplishments, but also expand the types and sources of qualifications we seek and value in candidates and officeholders.

Susan Rice, who served as the national security advisor and ambassador to the United Nations under President Barack Obama, is reportedly on the top of Biden’s short list.  Rice would be an unexpected selection, as she has never held elected office, and her name recognition is likely much lower than that of other women being considered. Her foreign policy chops, however, might be an asset when it comes to repairing our alliances and reestablishing the U.S.’s global reputation. They are also especially important for women, who are less likely than men to be viewed as holding foreign policy and defense expertise. Joe Biden brought foreign policy experience to the ticket when he ran as vice president with then-Illinois Senator Barack Obama, who did not have extensive international experience. Rice’s background then may be a redundancy this time around with Biden at the top of the ticket.  

Different from executive posts or ambassadorships, legislative experience may also be an asset for a vice president. Vice President Joe Biden, as a former long-serving senator, played a key role in policymaking under President Obama — including during the adoption of his signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act. Biden is considering a handful of members of Congress from both chambers. California Senator Kamala Harris is seen by many as the favorite. Harris ran a strong campaign for president this cycle and has amassed a national following since her election to the Senate in 2016.  She is also, though, a former prosecutor whose controversial record, which has been decried by many in the Black community, could be a liability at this moment in history. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who also ran for president this year, is another possibility. Warren, a former professor and economist, is a staunch progressive. While some find her divisive, her experience handling bankruptcy and establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) might prove useful in helping the country rebound from economic depression. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth has received renewed attention in recent weeks, after Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused her of hating America. An Iraq War veteran and double amputee with a moderate track record, Duckworth’s valiant military service and legislative experience certainly qualify her to be commander-in-chief and challenge biases that women are less prepared to handle issues of national defense. They also place her in direct opposition to President Trump, whom she calls “President Bone Spurs” in reference to his avoidance of military service. Running and winning Senate campaigns are made especially difficult for women, so these women have certainly proved their wider appeal.  

The Biden campaign is also considering women members of the U.S. House. Representative Val Demings (FL-10) appears on just about every speculated version of Biden’s shortlist. Demings rose to national prominence when she was selected as one of the House’s impeachment managers in December 2019. Prior to her run for Congress, Demings served as the chief of the Orlando Police Department, a role which may now be met with scrutiny but may also uniquely position her to fundamentally change policing in America — a top priority among Democratic voters. Representative Karen Bass (CA-37), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, is one more potential pick. Formerly the speaker of the California Assembly, Bass is a progressive with a history of working across the aisle to pass bipartisan legislation. Her deft leadership on the House’s most recent police reform bill would make her a prudent choice.

All but two of the women listed here have served in state or federal legislatures. Working within raced and gendered legislative institutions designed to marginalize women like them, Whitmer, Abrams, and Bass excelled in their state legislative roles, rising through the ranks to hold leadership positions.[1] Their ability to garner the support of their party colleagues suggests they are adept at networking, bringing factions together, and strategic decision making like where to assign bills and which committees to place members on for the best outcomes. This is consistent with what both women state legislators and women in Congress report themselves; in previous CAWP research, they note that they see themselves and are seen by their colleagues as coalition builders and responsible for bringing new voices to the process. These qualities may be important for the next vice president of the United States and are just as important as experience garnered through executive positions. As the presidential campaign continues to define leadership as masculine and individualistic, highlighting legislative experience where one is part of a collective required to work with others to accomplish goals helps to dilute political norms centering masculinity. Whether in Congress or state legislatures, women have gained valuable collaborative experience to bring to the executive branch.

Americans are aware of the higher standards to which we hold women candidates. Several talented Democratic women ran for president this cycle, but none of them were ultimately able to secure the party’s nomination for the top spot despite their incredible resumes. While some may view the selection of a woman vice president as a consolation prize, it is a step toward better representation of women. In declaring he would choose a woman as VP, Biden has given us all another chance to examine the different standards to which we hold women and men. Aware of the frequent demand for women – versus men – to prove themselves as capable, here we have provided evidence of potential women nominees’ extensive and valuable experience.

There have always been women qualified to serve. The question is — when will those qualifications be deemed enough? Today or tomorrow?

Congressional and statewide primaries were held on Tuesday in five states: Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington. Due to the reliance on mail-in voting, many races remain too close to call, so this post will be updated as results are determined. Full context about women in the 2020 elections, including candidate lists, summaries, results from previous primaries, and historical comparisons, are available via the Center for American Women and Politics’ Election Watch page.

Among the most notable results for women thus far:

• Cori Bush (D) defeated incumbent Representative Lacy Clay (D) in the Democratic primary. She is favored to win in November and would become the first woman of color and first Black woman to represent Missouri in the U.S. Congress. Including Bush, women are 5 of 6 Democratic House nominees in Missouri this year.  
• All five Democratic congressional (U.S. House and U.S. Senate) nominees from Kansas are women, including U.S. Senate candidate Barbara Bollier (D) and U.S. House candidate Michelle De La Isla (D, KS-02), who are nominees in competitive open-seat contests this fall. In Kansas’ 3^rd congressional district, Representative Sharice Davids (D) will be challenged by Amanda Adkins (R) in a competitive all-woman contest.
• Hiral Tipirneni (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge Representative David Schweikert (R) in Arizona’s 6^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report. If successful, Tipirneni would be the first woman of color to represent Arizona in the U.S. Congress.
• Lisa McClain (R) won the Republican nomination and Kimberly Bizon (D) won the Democratic nomination to set up an all-woman general-election contest in Michigan’s 10^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
• As of yesterday, there is now a new record for all-woman general-election congressional contests. In 2020, there are 38 such contests, including 34 House races and 3 Senate races. The previous record for all-woman congressional races was 33, set in 2018. See here for additional information about all-woman races in 2020 and historically.

Arizona

Kansas

Michigan

Missouri

Washington

 

Arizona

U.S. Senate

On Tuesday, Senator Martha McSally (R) secured the Republican nomination for November’s general-election U.S. Senate contest in Arizona. The winner will serve the remainder of the term of former Senator John McCain (R), which will end in 2022. McSally will be challenged by Democratic nominee Mark Kelly. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Democratic” by Cook Political Report.

Arizona is one of 6 states currently represented by two women in the U.S. Senate. Both women – Senators McSally (R) and Sinema (D) – have served in the U.S. Senate since 2019. 

U.S. House

Women are currently 2 (1D, 1R) of 9 members of the Arizona delegation to the U.S. House (22.2%).

Women are 6 (4D, 2R) of 18 (33.3%) major-party nominees already selected for U.S. House in Arizona, including 4 of 9 (44.4%) Democrats and 2 of 9 (22.2%) Republicans. 4 (3D, 1R) women House candidates were unsuccessful in their primary bids for the U.S. House.

• Both (1D, 1R) of Arizona’s incumbent women House members are nominees for re-election.
  • Representative Ann Kirkpatrick (D) won the Democratic nomination for re-election in Arizona’s 2^nd congressional district. Her re-election contest is currently rated as “Solid Democratic” by Cook Political Report.
  • Representative Debbie Lesko (R) was unopposed in the Republican primary for re-election in Arizona’s 8^th congressional district. Her re-election contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
• 3 (3D, 1R) women will run as challengers to incumbents in November, and 1 (1R) woman challenger remains in a contest that is too close to call.
  • Hiral Tipirneni (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge Representative David Schweikert (R) in Arizona’s 6^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report. Tipirneni was the House Democratic nominee in Arizona’s 8^th congressional district in 2018, where she was defeated by incumbent Representative Debbie Lesko (R-AZ).
  • Tiffany Shedd (R) won the Democratic nomination to challenge Representative Tom O'Halleran (D) in Arizona's 1st congressional district. This contest is current rated as “Lean Democratic” by Cook Political Report. Shedd also ran, but was unsuccessful, for the Republican nomination in this district in 2018.
  • 2 (2D) more Democratic women – Delina DiSanto (D, AZ-04) and Joan Green (D, AZ-05) – are nominees in districts that strongly favor the Republican incumbents.

Of the 6 (4D, 4R) women who are already selected as major-party nominees for the U.S. House from Arizona, 1 (D) is a woman of color. Hiral Tipirneni (D, AZ-06), who is South Asian, would be the first woman of color to represent Arizona in the U.S. Congress.

Statewide Elected Executive Offices

Women currently hold 5 (3D, 2R) of 11 statewide elected executive offices in Arizona (45.5%). Just three of those offices – three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission – are up for election in 2020.

Women are 3 (2D, 1R) of 5 major-party nominees for corporation commission.

• Incumbent Commissioner Lea Marquez Peterson (R) has advanced to the general election. She was first appointed to her position in 2019.
• 2 (2D) more women – Shea Stanfield (D) and Anna Tovar (D) – will compete for the open seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Of the 3 (2D, 1R) women nominees for statewide elected executive office, 2 (1D, 1R) are Latinas: Lea Marquez Peterson (R) and Anna Tovar (D). Commissioner Lea Marquez Peterson (R) is the first and only Latina serving in statewide executive office in Arizona.

 

Kansas

U.S. Senate

On Tuesday, Kansas State Senator Barbara Bollier (D) secured the Democratic nomination for Kansas’ open-seat U.S. Senate contest. Bollier, who changed her party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in December 2018, will face Roger Marshall (R) in November. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report.

Two (2R) women have served in the U.S. Senate from Kansas: Sheila Frahm (1996) and Nancy Kassebaum (1978-1997). No woman has served in the U.S. Senate from Kansas since 1997.

U.S. House

There is currently 1 (1D) woman in the four-member Kansas delegation to the U.S. House (25%).

Women are 5 (4D, 1R) of 8 (62.5%) major-party nominees already selected for U.S. House in Kansas, including 4 of 4 (100%) Democrats and 1 of 4 (25%) Republicans. There are 3 (1D, 2R) women candidates who were unsuccessful in their primary bids for the U.S. House.

• Incumbent Representative Sharice Davids (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary in Kansas’ 3^rd congressional district. She will be challenged by Amanda Adkins (R) in an all-woman contest in November. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Democratic” by Cook Political Report.
• Kali Barnett won the Democratic nomination for the open U.S. House seat in Kansas’ 1^st congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
• Michelle de la Isla (D), Mayor of Topeka, won the Democratic nomination in Kansas’ 2^nd congressional district. This contest was rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report going into Tuesday’s primary election in which incumbent Representative Steve Watkins (R) was defeated by a primary challenger.
• 2 (1D, 1R) women will run as challengers to incumbents in November.
  • Amanda Adkins (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Representative Sharice Davids (D) in an all-woman contest in Kansas’ 3^rd congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Democratic” by Cook Political Report.
  • Laura Lombard (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Ron Estes (R) in Kansas’ 4^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.

Of the 5 (4D, 1R) women selected as major-party nominees for the U.S. House from Kansas, 2 (2D) are women of color, including Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS01) – who is Native American – and Michelle De La Isla (D-KS02) – who identifies as Latina, Black, and white.

 

Michigan

U.S. Senate

No women candidates filed to challenge incumbent Senator Gary Peters (D) this year. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D), who is the only woman who has represented Michigan in the U.S. Senate (2001 to present), is not up for re-election this year.

U.S. House

Women are currently 5 (5D) of 14 members of the Michigan delegation to the U.S. House (35.7%).

Women are 9 (8D, 1R) of 28 (32.1%) major-party nominees already selected for U.S. House in Michigan, including 8 of 14 (57.1%) Democrats and 1 of 14 (7.1%) Republicans. 11 (4D, 7R) women House candidates were unsuccessful in their primary bids for the U.S. House.

• All 5 (5D) incumbent women representatives have secured nomination for re-election this year, including 2 (2D) incumbent women in competitive general-election contests.
  • Representative Haley Stevens (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 11^th congressional district. Her re-election contest is currently rated as “Lean Democratic” by Cook Political Report.
  • Representative Elissa Slotkin (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 8^th congressional district. Her re-election contest is currently rated as “Lean Democratic” by Cook Political Report.
• 3 (2D, 1R) women are nominees in open-seat House contests.
  • Hillary Scholten (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary in Michigan’s 3^rd congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Kimberly Bizon (D) won the Democratic nomination and Lisa McClain (R) won the Republican nomination to set up an all-woman general-election contest in Michigan’s 10^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
• 1 (1D) woman will run as a challenger in November. 
  • Gretchen Driskell (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Tim Walberg (R) in Michigan’s 7^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.

Of the 9 (8D, 1R) women who are already selected as major-party nominees for the U.S. House from Michigan, 2 (2D) are women of color. Incumbent Representative Brenda Lawrence (D) is Black and incumbent Representative Rashida Tlaib is Middle Eastern. 

 

Missouri

U.S. House

Currently, women are 2 (2R) of 8 members of the Missouri delegation to the U.S. House (25%).

Women are 9 (7D, 2R) of 16 (56.3%) major-party nominees already selected for U.S. House in Missouri, including 7 of 8 (87.5%) Democrats and 2 of 8 (25%) Republicans. 8 (3D, 5R) women House candidates were unsuccessful in their primary bids for the U.S. House.

• Both (2R) incumbent representatives are nominees for re-election this year.
  • Representative Ann Wagner was unopposed in the Republican primary in Missouri’s 2^nd congressional district. She will be challenged by Democratic nominee Jill Schupp (D) in an all-woman contest. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Representative Vicki Hartzler (R) won the Republican nomination for re-election in Missouri’s 4^th congressional district. She will face Democratic nominee Lindsey Simmons (D) in an all-woman contest that is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
• Cori Bush (D) defeated incumbent Representative Lacy Clay (D) in the Democratic primary in Missouri’s 1^st congressional district. She will now face Anthony Rogers in an open-seat contest in November in a district currently rated as “Solid Democratic” by Cook Political Report. If elected in November, Bush will be the first Black woman and the first woman of color to represent Missouri in the U.S. Congress. Bush is a rebound candidate who ran for and lost the Democratic nomination in MO-01 by nearly 20 points in the 2018 election.  
• 6 (6D) women will run as challengers to incumbents in November.
  • Jill Schupp (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Ann Wagner (R) in Missouri’s 2^nd congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Lindsey Simmons (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Vicki Hartzler (R) in Missouri’s 4^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Teresa Montseny (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Billy Long (R) in Missouri’s 7^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Kathy Ellis (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Jason Smith (R) in Missouri’s 8^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.

Of the 9 (7D, 2R) women who are already selected as major-party nominees for the U.S. House from Missouri, 3 (3D) are women of color, including Cori Bush (D, MO-01) and Gena Ross (D, MO-06) – who are Black – and Teresa Montseny (D, MO-07) – who identifies as multiracial. No woman of color has represented Missouri in the U.S. Congress.

Statewide Executive Offices

Women currently hold 1 of 6 statewide elected executive offices in Missouri (16.7%). All but one statewide office is up for election this year.

Women are 3 (3D) of 10 (30%) major-party nominees for statewide executive offices in Missouri, including 3 of 5 (60%) Democrats and 0 of 5 (0%) Republicans.

• Current State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D) won the Democratic nomination for Governor of Missouri. She will challenge incumbent Governor Mike Parson (R) in a contest currently rated as “Likely Republican” by Cook Political Report. If elected, Galloway would be the first woman governor of Missouri.
• Alissia Canady (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (R).
• Vicki Englund (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick (R) this fall. If successful, she would be the third woman to serve as Missouri State Treasurer.

Of the 3 (3D) women nominees for statewide executive office, Alissia Canady (D) – who is Black – is the only woman of color. No woman of color has ever been elected statewide in Missouri.

 

Washington

U.S. House

Currently, women are 5 (3D, 2R) of 10 members of the Washington delegation to the U.S. House (50%).

As of August 9th, women are 9 (6D, 3R) of 19 (47.4%) of U.S House candidates that have already advanced to the general election in Washington, including 6 of 11 (54.5%) Democrats and 3 of 8 (37.5%) Republicans who have already advanced. There is one Republican woman candidate in a race still too close to call. Thus far, 6 (3D, 3R) women House candidates were unsuccessful in their primary bids for the U.S. House.

• All 5 (3D, 2R) incumbent women representatives advanced to the general election for re-election this year.
  • Representative Suzan DelBene (D) advanced to the general election in her bid for re-election in Washington’s 1^st congressional district. Her re-election contest is currently rated as “Solid Democratic” by Cook Political Report.  
  • Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) advanced to the general election in her bid for re-election in Washington’s 3^rd congressional district. Her re-election contest is currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report. Herrera Beutler is currently the only Republican woman of color in the U.S. House.
  • Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) advanced to the general election in her bid for re-election in Washington’s 5^th congressional district. Her re-election contest is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Representative Pramila Jayapal (D) advanced to the general election in her bid for re-election in Washington’s 7^th congressional district. Her re-election contest is currently rated as “Solid Democratic” by Cook Political Report.
  • Representative Kim Schrier (D) advanced to the general election in her bid for re-election in Washington’s 8^th congressional district. Her re-election contest is currently rated as “Likely Democratic” by Cook Political Report.
• Marilyn Strickland (D) and Beth Doglio (D) will advance to the general election in the open-seat contest in Washington’s 10th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Democratic” by Cook Political Report. 
• At least 2 (1D, 1R) women will run as challengers to incumbents in November. Another woman challenger remains in a contest that is too close to call.
  • Carolyn Long (D) advanced to the general election to challenge incumbent Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) in Washington’s 3^rd congressional district. Long was Herrera Beutler’s general-election opponent in 2018 and lost by 5.4 points. This contest is currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Elizabeth Kreiselmaier (R) advanced to the general election to challenge incumbent Representative Derek Kilmer (D) in Washington’s 6^th congressional district. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Democratic” by Cook Political Report.

Of the 8 (5D, 3R) women House candidates who have already advanced to the general election in Washington, 3 (2D, 1R) are women of color, including current Representatives Jayapal (D, WA-07) – who is South Asian - and Herrera Beutler (R, WA-03) – who is Latina. If elected in November, Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10) would be the first Black woman to represent Washington in the U.S. Congress.

Statewide Elected Executive Offices

Women currently hold 3 (2D, 1R) of 9 statewide elected executive offices in Washington (33.3%). All offices are up for election this year.

As of August 9th, women are 3 (2D, 1R) of 14 (21.4%) statewide executive candidates who have already advanced to the general election, including 2 of 8 (25%) Democrats and 1 of 6 (16.7%) Republicans who have advanced to the general election. There are 4 (1D, 2R, 1NP) women candidates in contests still too close to call.

• Incumbent Secretary of State Kim Wyman (R) will be challenged by Gael Tarleton (D) in an all-woman contest for her re-election in November.
• State Auditor Pat McCarthy (D) advanced to the general election in her bid for re-election.
• Commissioner of Lands Hilary Franz (D) leads in a contest that has not been decided.

 

The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) has tracked women’s political candidacies for three decades. Since 2004, CAWP has collected women candidates’ racial identification, relying primarily on candidate self-identification. This year, we are reporting this data pre-election and in greater depth than we have before, providing summary information on the increasing diversity among women candidates in addition to specific analyses of Asian or Pacific Islander (API), Black, Middle Eastern or North African (MENA), Latina, and Native American women running for the U.S. Congress and statewide executive offices.

The data below include all major-party women candidates who identify as Latina alone or Latina in combination with other races; multiracial women will be included in counts and analyses for each group with which they identify. There remain a small number of candidates in CAWP’s database for whom we were unable to determine racial identification. Those women are included here to calculate percentages of all women candidates and are alluded to when we say “at least” before reported counts of Latinas.

A record number of Latinas are running for congressional office in 2020.

At least 75 (41D, 34R) Latinas are congressional candidates in 2020, including 72 (39D, 33R) Latina candidates for the U.S. House and 3 (2D, 1R) Latina candidates for the U.S. Senate. These numbers include all Latina filed candidates, including those who may have already lost their primary elections. They do not include candidates for non-voting offices in the U.S. House. This is the largest number of Latinas who have run for the House or Senate, overall and in both parties, in a single election year.

A record number of Latinas are already nominees for the U.S. House in 2020 with primaries still to be held in 14 states.

With primaries to be held in 14 more states, 27 (17D, 10R) Latinas have already won major-party nominations for the U.S. House. This number of Latina House nominees is already seven more than in 2018, when 20 (16D, 4R) Latinas were House nominees.

As of August 1^st, Latinas are no longer in the running for U.S. Senate nominations in 2020. This is a site of persistent underrepresentation for Latinas. In 2017, Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) became the first and remains the only Latina to serve in the U.S. Senate. Three Latinas were unsuccessful in U.S. Senate primary elections in 2020.

The percentage of all women running for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate who are Latinas is not a record high this year overall or for women within either major party.

Women candidates who identify as Latina alone or in combination with other race(s) are at least 12.3% of all women running for the U.S. House in 2020. Latinas are at least 11% of Democratic and 14.5% of Republican women House candidates, which are percentages similar to recent cycles.

Latinas are 5% (3 of 60) of all women candidates for the U.S. Senate this year. They are 5.4% (2 of 37 of Democratic women Senate candidates and 4.3% (1 of 23) of Republican women Senate candidates, which are not record highs.

These levels of representation are important indicators of the racial diversity among women candidates, but even more telling will be the racial diversity among women congressional nominees and winners in 2020.

Latinas remain underrepresented in the full candidate pools for U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

Recent U.S. Census estimates note that women who identify as Hispanic alone or in combination with other races represent about 9.1% of the U.S. population. In 2020, women in this group are 3.6% of all candidates for the U.S. House. Latinas are slightly better represented among Democratic (4.2%) than Republican (3.1%) House candidates this year.

There are opportunities for Latinas to make history down-ballot this year.

In 2018, five new Latinas were elected to the U.S. House, including two – Representatives Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) – who were the first Latinas to represent Texas in Congress. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) defeated a Democratic incumbent to become one of the youngest women to ever serve in the U.S. House. Two of these congresswomen – Representatives Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM) and Debbie Murcarsel Powell (D-FL) – were among the women members who flipped House seats from Republican to Democrat in 2018; both will again face competitive elections this fall.

Two other Latina candidates made history in election 2018. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) became the first Democratic woman of color governor in the U.S. and the first Democratic woman governor of New Mexico. Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez (R-IL) became the first Latina elected statewide in Florida.

The 2020 election offers more opportunities for Latinas to make history. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) won the Democratic nomination for the open seat in New Mexico’s 3^rd congressional district. Cook Political Report currently rates this contest in her favor (“Solid Democratic”). Three more non-incumbent Latina nominees are running in contests deemed toss-ups by Cook Political Report. Christina Hale (D-IN) would become the first Latina to represent Indiana in Congress if successful in the open-seat contest in Indiana’s 5^th congressional district. Candace Valenzuela (D-TX), the Democratic nominee in Texas’ 24^th congressional district, has the potential to become the first Afro-Latina in Congress. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) – who identifies as Latina and white – would become the first Republican woman of color to represent New York in Congress if she is successful in challenging incumbent Representative Max Rose (D-NY) in New York’s 11^th congressional district.

San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez (D-CA) is facing another Democratic woman in the open-seat general election contest to replace Representative Susan Davis (D-CA) in California’s 53^rd congressional district. Mayor Michelle De La Isla – who identifies as Latina, Black, and white – is the Democratic nominee in Kansas’ 2^nd congressional district. Her opponent defeated incumbent Representative Steve Watkins (R) to create an open-seat general election contest in a district already deemed competitive in November.

Latinas are already U.S. House nominees in four of 43 states – Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, and  Kansas – that have never sent a Latina to Congress. Latinas are also running in forthcoming primary contests or runoff elections in Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Tennessee – all states that have never sent a Latina to Congress.