Women ride midterm blue wave to historic gains
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Women candidates won enough races Tuesday to set a new record for Democratic women's representation in the U.S. House — among other historic firsts in Congress and governor's races nationwide.
The big picture: The spike for Democratic Women's Caucus members in the House alone marks an increase of more than 60% since 2016.
- At least 100 Democratic women and 16 Republican women have won House seats as of Wednesday morning, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
- The total is expected to climb for candidates across both parties, with dozens of races still uncalled.
What they're saying: "Despite Republican attempts to silence us and take away our rights, we have built a coalition in Congress that is bigger and more powerful than ever," DWC Chairwoman Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) said in a statement.
- "We smashed through a glass ceiling," she added. "Because of the hard work of so many, Congress will look more like America."
The intrigue: Women veterans are poised to make gains in Congress after 38 ran in Tuesday's general election — up from 21 in 2024, per civic organization With Honor Action.
- Several Democratic women veterans are leading in competitive House races that could flip Republican-held seats.
In South Carolina, retired Navy Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, who was removed as chief of the Navy Reserve under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, leads Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt in the race for former Rep. Nancy Mace's seat.
- In Arizona, Marine veteran JoAnna Mendoza leads Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani.
- In Ohio, Air Force veteran Kristina Knickerbocker leads Republican Rep. Mike Turner.
The AP had not called any of the three races as of Wednesday morning
State of play: Democratic women could gain powerful committee chair positions as control of Congress shifts.
- Currently, just one woman chairs a standing House committee: Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who leads the powerful Rules Committee. She's locked in a razor-thin reelection race against Democrat Chuck Hubbard.
- Among those already likely positioned for gavels: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) on their chambers' Appropriations committees, which oversee federal spending.
- Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), currently Democrats' minority whip, could become the first woman to serve as majority leader, two decades after Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) become the first woman speaker of the House.
Zoom out: Women are also taking over governor's mansions across the nation. Progressive, pro-women EMILYs List said Wednesday that a record-high number of Democratic women governors are poised to serve in 2027.
- That includes Keisha Lance Bottoms, who boxed Republicans out in Georgia and will become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history.
- Deb Haaland, who won New Mexico's gubernatorial election, has become the first Indigenous woman elected governor of a U.S. state, per AP.
There were also historic firsts for Republican women: Republican Julia Letlow is Louisiana's first Republican woman elected to the Senate.
- Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) will be Tennessee's first woman governor.
What we're watching: There's still plenty of dust still to settle in the wake of a massive midterms shakeup. But one thing is clear: A historic coalition of women is headed to Capitol Hill.
