Nov 4, 2020 - Politics & Policy

House GOP adds at least 10 women to their ranks

Maria Arias

Republican congressional candidate-elect Nancy Mace. Photo: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

A record number of Republican women ran for federal office this year and so far the GOP has boosted the number of women in the House by at least 10 members.

Why it matters: The new representatives reflect a big win for the Republican Party — and a payoff in their efforts to recruit women to run for office. Only 13 women held seats in the House in the 116th Congress; those numbers are now expected to be at least 23 (the AP has called at least 12 races and two of the current female representatives are retiring).

By the numbers: Of the 227 Republican women who filed to run for the House, a record 94 won their primaries. This shatters the previous the record high of 53 set in 2004, according to the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics.

Of the 13 in office, Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN 5th District) and Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL 2nd District) are not running for re-election, so Republicans needed two more women just to maintain the status quo in the House, a goal they easily achieved.
The NRCC announced last year it would target 55 Democratic seats, and backed 22 female nominees this cycle.

Details: So far the new representatives that have officially won according to the Associated Press are:

Kat Cammack (FL),
Mary Miller (IL)
Diana Harshbarger (TN)
Maria Elvira Salazar (FL)
Nancy Mace (SC)
Marjorie Taylor Green (GA)
Lauren Boebert (CO)
Stephanie Bice (OK)
Yvette Herrell (NM)
Michelle Fischbach (MN)
Lisa McClain (MI)
Ashley Hinson (IA).

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House GOP adds at least 10 women to their ranks

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