By Basant El-Faramawy
Democratic women are poised to make historic gains in the November midterm elections, with a record number of gubernatorial nominees and a push to surpass 100 women in the U.S. House. Nineteen Democratic women are major-party nominees for governor, up from 16 in 2022, while Republicans have seven female nominees, down from nine. Overall, 26 women are major-party gubernatorial nominees, one more than the previous record.
Record Number of Democratic Women Gubernatorial Nominees
Kelly Dittmar of Rutgers’ Center for American Women and Politics said Democrats benefit from a more robust support infrastructure, including training, recruitment programs, PACs, and funding that strengthen the pipeline to elected office. Republican strategist Sarah Chamberlain argued the challenge lies in finding Republican women willing to run, not in party support.
Key Gubernatorial Races
In Ohio, Democratic nominee Dr. Amy Acton would become the state’s first woman governor. She has faced an attack ad from Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy featuring her estranged mother, which Acton condemned. In Michigan, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson highlighted how her miscarriage shapes her healthcare message, noting federal funding cuts have closed three Planned Parenthood clinics. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, the state’s first Democratic woman governor, said voters value authenticity over a "male bro culture."
Barrier-Breaking Candidates
Several nominees could achieve historic firsts: Gina Hinojosa would be Texas’ first Latina governor; Deb Haaland would be the first Native American woman governor in New Mexico; Keisha Lance Bottoms would be Georgia’s first woman governor and the first Black woman to govern any state. The Democratic Governors Association has invested over $120 million since 2018 to elect and re-elect Democratic women governors, including $15 million recently for Bottoms’ race against billionaire Rick Jackson.
Push for 100 Democratic Women in House
Ninety-five Democratic women currently serve in the House, with 198 on the general election ballot. The PAC Elect Democratic Women aims to elect at least 100, which would be a record. Republican women hold 30 seats, down from 34, with 73 on the ballot. Denise Powell, the Democratic nominee in Nebraska’s 2nd District, would be the first woman to hold that seat and emphasizes the need for more mothers of young children in Congress.
