Election 2022: Potential Milestones and Firsts

Below is a list of potential milestones and firsts for women running for congressional and statewide elective executive offices in 2022.

Alabama Alaska Arkansas Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia
Illinois Indiana Iowa Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi
Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma
Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina Texas Vermont Virginia    

National

  • Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) won the Republican nomination for governor of Arkansas and is strongly favored to win in November. She would be the first woman governor of Arkansas, as well as the first daughter of a former governor to fill the position formerly held by her father. Mike Huckabee was governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.
  • No state in U.S. history has had women concurrently serving as both governor and lieutenant governor. That can change this year, as Arkansas, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Oklahoma have selected women from the same party as nominees for both governor and lieutenant governor. In two of those states - Massachussetts and Ohio - these women are running as a general election ticket.
  • Former State Representative Stacey Abrams (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary for governor of Georgia. She will challenge incumbent Governor Brian Kemp (R) in November, marking a rematch of the 2018 gubernatorial election where Abrams lost to Kemp by 1.4 points. Abrams became the first Black woman to be a nominee for governor of any state in 2018; if successful this year, she will be the first Black woman governor in the U.S. as well as the first woman governor of Georgia. She would also be the first Black woman elected statewide in Georgia.
  • Diedre DeJear (D) has won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Governor Kim Reynolds (R) in November. If elected, DeJear will be the first Democratic woman, first Black woman, and the first woman of color governor of Iowa, as well as the first Black woman governor in the U.S.
  • Maura Healey, the Democratic nominee for governor in Massachusetts and Tina Kotek, the Democratic nominee for governor in Oregon, are both openly lesbian women candidates who have won major-party gubernatorial nominations this year. Should they win, they will be the first openly lesbian women governors in U.S. history.
  • Karoline Leavitt (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D) in NH-01, a contest currently rated as a Democratic toss-up by Cook Political Report. If successful in November, Leavitt could become the youngest woman elected to the U.S. Congress.
  • Madison Horn (D-OK) won the runoff election for the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK). If elected, Horn will be the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate from Oklahoma, the first Native American woman to represent Oklahoma in Congress as well as the first Native American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.
  • In South Carolina, State Representative Krystle Matthews (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Tim Scott in a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If successful, she will be the first woman in the U.S. Senate from South Carolina and the first Black woman in the U.S. Senate from a Southern state.

 

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. 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. 
  • Diamond Arnold-Johnson (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary for state auditor. If successful, she will be the first Black woman elected statewide in Alabama.
  • Katie Britt (R) won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate 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. Britt would also be the first Republican woman to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate.

 

Alaska

  • Jessica Cook (D) advanced to the general election as part of the gubernatorial ticket with Les Gara (D). Cook identifies as multiracial, both Black and white. If elected, she will be the first Black woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in Alaska.

 

Arkansas

  • Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) won the Republican nomination for governor of Arkansas and is strongly favored to win in November. She would be the first woman governor of Arkansas, as well as the first daughter of a former governor to fill the position formerly held by her father. Mike Huckabee was governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.
  •  The lieutenant governor’s race will be contested by two women, current Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (R) and Kelly Ross Krout (D), meaning there is a high likelihood that the next Arkansas governor and lieutenant governor will both be women. No state in U.S. history has had women concurrently serving as both governor and lieutenant governor.
  • Natalie James (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Senator John Boozman (R) in Arkansas, a contest that is currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If successful, James will be the first Black woman elected statewide in Arkansas.

 

Colorado

  • Heidi Ganahl (R) will challenge incumbent Governor Jared Polis (D) in a general election contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report. If successful, she will be the first woman to serve as governor of Colorado.
  • State Representative Yadira Caraveo (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary in CO-08, an all-woman general election contest currently rated as a Republican toss up by Cook Political Report. If elected, Caraveo will be the first Latina/Hispanic woman elected to Congress from Colorado.

 

Connecticut

  • Leora Levy (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Senator Richard Blumenthal (D) in a general election contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report. If successful, Levy will be the first Latina/Hispanic woman elected to the U.S. Congress from Connecticut.

 

Delaware

  • Lydia York (D) won the Democratic nomination for state auditor. If successful in November, she will be the first Black woman to be state auditor and the second Black woman to be elected to statewide executive office in Delaware.

 

Florida

  • Current U.S. Representative Val Demings (D-FL) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) in a general election contest currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report. If elected, she will be the first Democratic woman and the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Florida. There are currently no Black women in the U.S. Senate.

 

Georgia

  • Former State Representative Stacey Abrams (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary for governor of Georgia. She will challenge incumbent Governor Brian Kemp (R) in November, marking a rematch of the 2018 gubernatorial election where Abrams lost to Kemp by 1.4 points. Abrams became the first Black woman to be a nominee for governor of any state in 2018; if successful this year, she will be the first Black woman governor in the U.S. as well as the first woman governor of Georgia. She would also be the first Black woman elected to statewide executive office 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 to statewide executive office 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 to statewide executive office in Georgia.
  • Alisha Thomas Searcy (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Richard Woods (R) in November. If successful, she will be the first Black woman elected to statewide executive office in Georgia.
  • Shelia Edwards (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Public Service Commissioner Fitz Johnson (R, District 3) in November. If successful, she will be the first Black woman elected to statewide executive office in Georgia.
  • Nakita Hemingway (D) won the Democratic nomination for commissioner of agriculture. If successful, she will be the first Black woman elected to statewide executive office in Georgia.

 

Illinois

  • State Representative Delia Ramirez (D) won the Democratic nomination in IL-03, a contest currently rated as “Solid Democratic” by Cook Political Report. If successful, she will be the first Latina/Hispanic woman elected to Congress from Illinois.
  • Catalina Lauf (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Bill Foster (D) in IL-11, a contest currently rated as "Likely Democratic" by  Cook Political Report. If successful, she will be the first Latina/Hispanic woman elected to Congress from Illinois.

 

Indiana

  • Jennifer-Ruth Green (R) will challenge incumbent Representative Frank Mvran in IN-01, a district currently rated as a Democratic toss-up by Cook Political Report. If successful, Green – who identifies as Black and Asian – will be the first Asian woman to represent Indiana in Congress. She would also be just the second Black Republican woman to serve in Congress.

 

Iowa

  • Diedre DeJear (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Governor Kim Reynolds (R) in November. If elected, DeJear will be the first Democratic woman, first Black woman, and the first woman of color governor of Iowa, as well as the first Black woman governor in the U.S.

 

Maryland

  • State Delegate Brooke Lierman (D) won the Democratic nomination for comptroller. If elected, she will be the first woman to serve as comptroller in Maryland.
  • Former State Delegate Aruna Miller (D) won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor as the running mate of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Wes Moore. If elected, Miller will be the first Asian American woman elected to statewide executive office in Maryland.

 

Massachusetts

  • Incumbent Attorney General Maura Healey (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor and will run in a general election contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report. If successful in November, Healey will be the first woman elected governor of Massachusetts; former acting Governor Jane Swift (R) served in the role upon the resignation of her predecessor. Healey – along with Tina Kotek, the Democratic nominee for governor in Oregon – is also one of two openly lesbian women candidates who have won major-party gubernatorial nominations this year. Should they win, they will be the first openly lesbian women governors in U.S. history.
  • Mayor Kim Driscoll (D) won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. Driscoll will run on the same ticket as Democratic gubernatorial nominee Maura Healey (D) in the general election. Women have never served simultaneously as governor and lieutenant governor in any state.
  • Rayla Campbell (R) was unopposed in the Republican primary for secretary of state. If elected, she will be the first Black woman (or one of the first Black women) elected to statewide executive office in Massachusetts.
  • Former Boston City Councilwoman Andrea Campbell (D) won the Democratic nomination for attorney general. If elected, she will be the first Black woman (or one of the first Black women) elected to statewide executive office in Massachusetts.

 

Michigan

  • Whittney Williams (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D) in MI-06, an all-woman general election contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report. If elected, Williams will be the first Asian American woman elected to Congress in Michigan.

 

Minnesota

  • May Lor Xiong (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Betty McCollum (D) in MN-04, an all-woman general election contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report. If elected, Xiong will be the first Asian American woman elected to Congress in Minnesota.

 

Mississippi

  • Dianne Black (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Representative Trent Kelly (R) in MS-01, a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If successful, she will be the first woman to serve in the U.S. House from Mississippi as well as the first Black woman to represent Mississippi in Congress.

 

Nevada

  • Sigal Chattah (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Attorney General Aaron Ford in November. No Republican woman has served as attorney general of Nevada. If elected, she will be the first Middle Eastern/North African woman to serve in statewide elective executive office in Nevada.

 

New Hampshire

  • Karoline Leavitt (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D) in NH-01, a contest currently rated as a Democratic toss-up by Cook Political Report. If successful in November, Leavitt could become the youngest woman elected to the U.S. Congress.

 

New Mexico

  • Lara Montoya (D) won the Democratic nomination for treasurer in New Mexico. No woman has served as treasurer in New Mexico.

 

New York

  • Incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul (D) – who became the first woman governor of New York when she ascended to the governorship upon the resignation of former Governor Andrew Cuomo in August 2021 – will run to hold her seat in a general election contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report. If successful, she will be the first woman elected governor of New York.

 

North Carolina

  • Former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Cheri Beasley (D) won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. If elected, Beasley will be the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from North Carolina and the first Black woman elected statewide outside of judicial offices.

 

North Dakota

  • No woman has ever served in the U.S. House from North Dakota and no women filed as major-party candidates for the U.S. House in North Dakota in 2022, ensuring that North Dakota will remain a state that has never sent a woman to the U.S. House.
  • Melanie Moniz (D) is a nominee for North Dakota public service commissioner. If elected, she will be the first Native American woman elected statewide in North Dakota.

 

Ohio

  • Nan Whaley (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor. She will challenge incumbent Governor Mike DeWine (R) in November. If successful, she will be the first woman elected as governor of Ohio. Just one woman has served as governor of Ohio: Nancy Hollister (R), who was lieutenant governor, served as governor for 11 days (December 31, 1998 – January 11, 1999) when her predecessor took a U.S. Senate seat and the successor had not yet been sworn in.
  • Whaley selected Cheryl Stephens (D) as her running mate and potential lieutenant governor. There has never been a case in the U.S. where a woman governor and lieutenant governor have served at the same time.
  • Both Chelsea Clark (D) - the Democratic nominee for secretary of state - and Stephens have the potential to make history as the first Democratic Black woman/en elected to statewide executive office, as the only Black woman to hold statewide elective executive office in Ohio to date – Jennette Bradley (R) – was a Republican.

 

Oklahoma

  • Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister (D) will challenge incumbent Governor Kevin Stitt (R) in a general election contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. Hofmeister was elected statewide as a Republican and changed parties from Republican to Democrat in October 2021. If successful, she will be the first Democratic woman to serve as governor of Oklahoma.
  • Melinda Alizadeh-Fard won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, setting up an opportunity for a woman governor and lieutenant governor to serve at the same time for the first time in the U.S. In Oklahoma, candidates and nominees for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in the primary and general election.
  • Madison Horn (D-OK) won the runoff election for the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) in a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If elected, she will be the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate from Oklahoma. She would also be the first Native American woman to represent Oklahoma in Congress as well as the first Native American woman to serve in the U.S. Senate.

 

Oregon

  • State Representative Andrea Salinas (D) won the Democratic nomination in OR-06, a contest currently rated as "Lean Democratic" by Cook Political Report. If successful, Salinas will be the first Latina/Hispanic woman elected to Congress from Oregon.
  • Former Speaker of the Oregon House Tina Kotek (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor of Oregon. Kotek was the nation’s first openly-lesbian speaker of a state house. If elected, Kotek will be the first openly-lesbian woman governor in the U.S. Incumbent Governor Kate Brown (D), who identifies as bisexual, was the first openly LGBTQ woman elected governor in the U.S.
  • Former State Representative and House Minority Leader Christine Drazen (R) won the Republican nomination for governor, creating an all-woman gubernatorial contest in November. Either woman would be the third woman governor of Oregon, though Drazen would be the first Republican woman to hold the post.

 

Pennsylvania

  • State Representative Carrie DelRosso (R) won the Republican nomination for the open-seat contest for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. No Republican woman has served as lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania.
  • State Representative Summer Lee (D) won the Democratic nomination in PA-12 and is strongly favored to be the first Black woman elected to represent Pennsylvania in Congress.

 

South Carolina

  • Rosemounda Butler (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Secretary of State Mark Hammond (R) in the general election. If elected, Butler will be the first Black woman elected statewide in South Carolina.
  • State Representative Krystle Matthews (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Tim Scott in a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If successful, she will be the first woman in the U.S. Senate from South Carolina and the first Black woman in the U.S. Senate from a Southern state.

 

Texas

  • Rochelle Garza (D) won the Democratic nomination to compete to challenge incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in November. No woman has ever served as attorney general of Texas. Garza would also be the first Latina/Hispanic woman to serve as attorney general of Texas.
  • Susan Hays (D) will challenge incumbent Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller (R) in the general election. No Democratic woman has ever served as Texas’ Commissioner of Agriculture.
  • Dawn Buckingham (R) won the Republican nomination for Texas land commissioner. She would be the first woman land commissioner in Texas history.

 

Vermont

  • State Senate President Pro Tem Becca Balint (D) won the Democratic nomination for Vermont’s at-large U.S. House seat. She will compete in a general election contest currently rated as “Solid Democratic” by Cook Political Report and is strongly favored to become the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress from Vermont. Vermont is the only state that has never sent a woman to Congress.
  • Charity Clark (D) won the Democratic nomination in the open-seat contest for attorney general. If successful in November, she will be the first woman elected attorney general in Vermont. Current incumbent Attorney General Susanne Young (R), the first woman to hold the office, was appointed by Governor Scott (R) in July 2022 to fill a vacancy. She did not run for a full term.

 

Virginia

  • 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/Hispanic woman 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.

 

Wyoming 

  • Lynette GreyBull (D) won the Democratic nomination for Wyoming’s at-large U.S. House seat and will face Harriet Hageman (R) in a woman v. woman general election contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If elected, GreyBull will be the first Native American woman to serve in the U.S. House from Wyoming.