Record Number of Women Nominated for U.S. Senate in 2018

A record-breaking 19 women have won major-party nominations for U.S. Senate this year, according to data from the Center for American Women and Politics. New nominations secured following tonight's primary elections in Minnesota and Wisconsin edged the tally past the previous record of 18, set in 2012.

Women have broken barriers throughout the primary season this year, with record numbers of women also winning gubernatorial and U.S. House nominations in 2018. Tonight, Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin won her primary seeking a second term in the Senate, while Leah Vukmir topped the GOP race to challenge her in the fall. In Minnesota, popular Democratic incumbent Amy Klobuchar will head to the general election in November, while in a special election to decide who will serve the remainder of former Senator Al Franken's term, Senator Tina Smith (D) and Minnesota State Senator Karin Housley (R) won their respective primaries tonight. These five new nominees seal another 2018 record for women and politics.

"This election season has brought us record numbers of women filing for office, record numbers of women being nominated as candidates for the U.S. House and governor, and, as of tonight, record numbers of U.S. Senate nominees," says CAWP Director Debbie Walsh. "Now we watch to see if these records turn into record numbers of officeholders come November."

Stay tuned to CAWP's Election Watch summary for the latest numbers of women candidates and nominees, and watch for a full analysis of tonight's results first thing tomorrow morning from Gender Watch 2018, a project of CAWP and the Barbara Lee Family Foundation.