Long-time House Incumbent Defeated; Potential Non-Incumbent Pick-Ups in Congressional Contests

Primary elections were held yesterday in Florida and New York (U.S. House). There were also runoff elections in Oklahoma featuring women candidates. The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, is tracking results for women candidates in these races. Full results are available on the Election Analysis page on the CAWP website. There are still a number of races featuring women candidates that remain too close to call, so this page will update as results are determined. Complete context about women in the 2022 elections, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, is available via CAWP's Election Watch.

Among the most notable results for women:

• 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 would 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.
• Madison Horn (D-OK) won the runoff election for the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK). She joins former U.S. Representative Kendra Horn (D), who won the Democratic nomination for the open-seat U.S. Senate contest in Oklahoma in the June primary. Both contests are currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If elected, either woman would be the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate from Oklahoma. Madison Horn 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.
• Incumbent U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) was defeated in her bid for re-election in NY-12, where she was challenged by incumbent U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY) in an incumbent v. incumbent contest. Maloney has served in the U.S. House since 1993. Learn more about redistricting and the 2022 elections at our fact sheet, Redistricting Effects on Women Congressional Incumbents. With Maloney’s defeat, there are now 18 (13D, 5R) women U.S. House incumbents not returning in 2023 due to retirement, primary defeats, seeking other office, and other reasons.
• More than 70% of Democratic nominees already selected for U.S. House in Florida are women (17 of 24 nominees, or 70.8%).
• Of the non-incumbent women nominees selected for the U.S. House in Florida and New York, 3 (1D, 2R) are currently favored in the general election:
  • Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) won the Republican nomination in FL-13, a contest currently rated as “Likely Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Former Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee (R-FL) won the Republican nomination in FL-15, a contest currently rated as “Likely Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Laura Gillen (D-NY) won the Democratic nomination in NY-04, a contest currently rated as “Likely Democratic” by Cook Political Report.
• There are four woman v. woman general election contests for the U.S. House as a result of August 23, 2022 elections.
  • Danielle Hawk (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Kat Cammack (R) in FL-03, an all-woman contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Carla Spalding (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) in FL-25, an all-woman contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report.
  • State Senator Annette Taddeo (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Maria Salazar (R) in FL-27, an all-woman contest currently rated as “Likely Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Tina Forte (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) in NY-14, in an all-woman contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report.
  • Learn more about woman v. woman elections in 2022 and historically at our fact sheet Woman vs. Woman: Congressional and Gubernatorial Races.
• In Florida, incumbent Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) was unopposed in the Republican primary and will be challenged by Aramis Ayala (D) in an all-woman general election contest.
• In Oklahoma, incumbent Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn (R) won the Republican nomination in the August 23, 2022 runoff and will run for re-election in November. State Senator Kim David (R) won the Republican nomination for corporation commissioner in the August 23, 2022 runoff.

For more information, see the full analysis of how women fared in yesterday's contests on our Election Analysis page. Complete context about women in the 2022 elections can be found on CAWP's Election Watch.