A record number of women won the primaries of the two major US parties for governor, senator and representative positions, opening the door to heated struggles in the mid-term elections in November. Many victories could raise the percentage of women elected and change the public debate on issues such as health, immigration, the right to abortion, education and control of weapons.
Some of these candidates could also play a decisive role in the Democrats’ ability to take over the House of Representatives.
Most of these aspiring politicians are democrats. Some of them are in their first steps in politics and cite as the main reason for this great leap the election of Donald Trump to the presidency and the stranglehold of Republicans on the Congress.
But other factors also influenced their choice: the #MeAso movement, the women’s protests and Trump’s appointment of highly conservative Brett Kavanaugh to replace Anthony Kennedy in the Supreme Court.
Republican Mikie Sherrill, a former US Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor who is planning a congressional seat in New Jersey, says she, for one, was inspired by all those women who have begun to get involved in her community. a new way.
Ms. Sherrill is one of about 200 women to have won their primary in the House of Representatives, according to an analysis of the results. Of this, 94 were in a race with 3 or more candidates.
Only 167 women were able to reach this milestone in 2016, according to the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics.
In the Senate, 19 women won the nomination, a record. And for the first time, 13 women will run for governorship during the same election year. And it’s not over, since nine states have not yet held their primary.
Greater diversity
This wave of female candidates also has a beneficial effect on diversity in general within the American political landscape.
Michigan will most likely send the first Muslim Muslim Democrat Rashida Tlaib to Congress. Not only has the latter emerged victorious from a race where the candidates were numerous, but it will not have to face a Republican opponent in November, since none will appear in this district resolutely Democrat.
Nearly 50 African-Americans are also seeking a seat in Congress this year. In Georgia, Democrat Lucy McBath will try to defeat Republican Representative Karen Handel while Stacey Abrams will try to become the first black governor in the country.
In Idaho, Paulette Jordan could also make history by becoming the first Aboriginal woman to hold governorship.
Finally, in Vermont, the Democrats chose Christine Hallquist as a candidate for the state’s governorship, making Ms. Hallquist the first transgender woman to win a big party primary for this type of function.
Agnes is a technical writer, being in touch with reports to come up with the latest tech leaks.
