Potential Candidate Summary - 2020

2020 Summary of Potential Women Candidates

(UPDATED 12/4/19)
 

U.S. Senate U.S. House Governor Lt . Governor Other Statewide Elected St. Legislature


State by state listing of potential candidates here.
Rebound Candidates: To see a list of unsuccessful 2018 candidates who are running again in 2020 click here.

Below is the most current data on women who have filed or are likely candidates. Likely candidate information comes from at least two of the following sources: KnowWho Data Services; Campaigns and Elections; House Race Hotline; CQ Politics Daily; Politics1.com; The Hill; Roll Call; and local newspapers in many states. The total number of candidates at each level is the sum of total filed to date plus likely candidates.

Filing deadlines have passed in three states: AL, AR, IL.
Primaries have been held in zero states (the first primary is 3/3/2020 in Alabama). 

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U.S. Senate
 Total Filed to date 2 2R
  Lost Primary 0  
  Won Primary 0  
Likely candidates not yet filed 59 42D, 17R
  Total still in the running 61 42D, 19R

(AK, AR, AL, AZ, CO, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, WY). There are four states that will have open seats (bold) and 29 that will likely have women candidates (red).

The 61 candidates are running for a total of  29 seats. The 42 Democratic candidates are running for a total of 20 seats and the 19 Republican candidates are running for a total of 17 seats.

Incumbent Women Running: 7 (2D, 5R) in 7 states:

  • Martha McSally (R-AZ)
  • Joni Ernst (R-IA)
  • Susan Collins (R-ME)
  • Tina Smith (D-MN)
  • Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
  • Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
  • Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)

Women Running for Open Seats: 11 (6D, 5R) in 4 states:

  • Barbara Bollier (D-KS)
  • Usha Reddi (D-KS)
  • Sarah Smarsh (D-KS)
  • Susan Wagle (R-KS)
  • Elisa Martinez (R-NM)
  • Diane Black (R-TN)
  • Marquita Bradshaw (D-TN)
  • Beth Harwell (R-TN)
  • Diana Onyejiaka (D-TN)
  • Yana Ludwig (D-WY)
  • Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)

Women Running as Challengers: 43 (34D, 9R) in 20 states:
Of the 43 challengers, 37 (31D, 6R) are running as challengers in the general, and 6 (3D, 3R) are running as challengers in the primary (italics). 

  • Ruth Page Nelson (R-AL)
  • Diana Bray (D-CO)
  • Ellen Burnes (D-CO)
  • Kerry Donovan (D-CO)
  • Lorena Garcia (D-CO)
  • Stephanie Rose Spaulding (D-CO)
  • Michelle Ferrigno Warren (D- CO)
  • Angela Williams (D-CO)
  • Trish Zornio (D-CO)
  • Jess Scarane (D-DE)
  • Sarah Riggs Amico (D-GA)
  • Tamara Johnson-Shealey (D-GA
  • Teresa Tomlinson (D-GA)
  • Elaine Whigham Williams (D-GA)
  • Kimberly Graham (D-IA)
  • Theresa Greenfield (D-IA)
  • Nancy Harris (D-ID)
  • Peggy Hubbard (R-IL)
  • Amy McGrath (D-KY)
  • Shannon Liss-Riordan (D-MA)
  • Sara Gideon (D-ME)
  • Betsy Sweet (D-ME)
  • Valerie Willis (R-MI)
  • Cora Neumann (D-MT)
  • Janet Cowell (D-NC)
  • Deborah Ross (D-NC)
  • Erica Smith (D-NC)
  • Sandy Smith (R-NC)
  • Angie Phillips (D-NE)
  • Alisha Shelton (D-NE)
  • Tricia Flanagan (R-NJ)
  • Lisa McCormick (D-NJ)
  • Natalie Rivera (R-NJ)
  • Elysabeth Britt (D-OK)
  • Abby Broyles (D-OK)
  • Gloria Bromell Tinubu (D-SC)
  • Peggy Kandies (R-SC)
  • Scyller Borglum (R-SD)
  • Amanda Edwards (D-TX)
  • M.J. Hegar (D-TX)
  • Sema Hernandez (D-TX)
  • Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez (D-TX)
  • Alissa Baldwin (R-VA)


No incumbent women are running for a different office or retiring.

Senate Records to Beat
   Filed: 53 (31D, 22R) in 2018
   Won primaries: 23 (15D, 8R) in 2018
   Number of women serving: 25 (17D, 8R) in 2019.  

 

U.S. House*
 Total Filed to date 33 20D, 13R
  Lost Primary 0  
  Won Primary 0  
Likely candidates not yet filed 445 288D, 157R
  Total still in the running 478 308D, 170R
* Does not include 4 incumbent women who are likely candidates for non-voting delegate from
American Samoa, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.


To date, there will be 31 (9D, 22R) open seats in 2020.

The 478 candidates are running in a total of 267 districts in 45 states. The 308 Democratic candidates are running in a total of 227 districts in 45 states and the 170 Republican candidates are running in a total of 117 districts in 36 states.

Incumbent Women Running: 96 (85D, 11R)

Women Running for Open Seats: 89 (48D, 41R) in 30 districts, from 19 states

Women Running as Challengers: 293 (175D, 118R)
Of the 293 challengers, 223 (116D, 107R) are running as challengers in the general, and 70 (59D, 11R) are running as challengers in the primary.

Incumbents Not Returning: 5 (3D, 2R)

  • Martha Roby (R-AL) retiring
  • Susan Davis (D-CA) retiring
  • Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) running for President
  • Susan Brooks (R-IN) retiring
  • Nita Lowey (D-NY) retiring

House Records to Beat
   Filed: 476 (356D, 120R) in 2018
   Won primaries: 234 (183D, 51R) in 2018
   Number of women serving: 102 (89D, 13R) in 2019  

 

Governor*
 Total Filed to date 0 0
  Lost Primary 0  
  Won Primary 0  
Likely candidates not yet filed 8 5D, 3R
  Total still in the running 8 5D, 3R
*Does not include 1(1D) candidate running for Governor in Puerto Rico.

 
There are 11 gubernatorial races in 2020 (DE, IN, MO, MT, NH, NC, ND, UT, VT, WA, WV). There are 2 states that will have open seats (bold) and 6 that have likely women candidates running (red).  There will also be a gubernatorial race in Puerto Rico. 

Incumbent Women Running: 0

Women Running for Open Seats: 3 (2D, 1R) in 2 states

  • Reilly Neill (D-MT)
  • Whitney Williams (D-MT)
  • Aimee Winder Newton (R-UT)

Women Running as Challengers: 5 (3D, 2R)
Of the 5 challengers, 4 (3D, 1R) are running as challengers in the general, and 1 (1R) is running as a challenger in the primary (italics). 
 

  • Nicole Galloway (D-MO)
  • Holly Grange (R-NC)
  • Rebecca Holcombe (D-VT)
  • Brenda Siegel (D-VT)
  • Rebecca Henderson (R-WV) 
 

Incumbents Not Returning: 0

Gubernatorial Records to Beat
   Filed: 61 (41D, 20R) in 2018 (record was made in a regular election year where 36 gubernatorial seats were up for election).
   Won primaries: 16 (12D, 4R) in 2018
   Number of women serving: 9 in 2004, 2007, and 2019 

Lieutenant Governor
 Total Filed to date 0 0
  Lost Primary 0  
  Won Primary 0  
Likely candidates not yet filed 6 3D, 3R
  Total still in the running 6 3D, 3R

Incumbent Women Running: 2 (1D, 1R)

Women Running for Open Seats: 4 (2D, 2R)

Women Running as Challengers: 0

The record number of nominees for lieutenant governor is 29, set in 1994.

Other Statewide
Elective Executives
 Total Filed to date 3 1D, 2R
  Lost Primary 0  
  Won Primary 0  
Likely candidates not yet filed 31 25D, 5R, 1NP
  Total still in the running 34 26D, 7R, 1NP

Incumbent Women Running: 11 (6D, 4R, 1NP)

Women Running for Open Seats: 9 (7D, 2R)

Women Running as Challengers: 14 (13D, 1R)

State Legislatures
State legislature candidate information will be available after the primaries.