As Sher Watts Spooner wrote last week, 2018 promises to be the year of the Democratic women. In addition to running, women are donating to the campaigns of Democratic women and we are voting, in large numbers, for other women.
Suddenly the media are full of stories about the number of Democratic women running and winning primaries. About how the midterms could feature a record gender gap between men and women voters. About how women are establishing “giving circles” to make sure candidates are funded and to give more interested women a way to get involved.
Early Thursday morning, Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report tweeted:
xSo far tonight, in Dem House primaries featuring at least one man, one woman & no incumbent on ballot, a woman has won 9/11 times (82%). On GOP side, 1/5 (20%).
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) August 8, 2018With some of the races still undecided Wednesday morning, 185 women in both parties had earned spots in House general elections, topping the previous high of 167 set in 2016.
At the state level, women have won 11 primaries for governor, beating the record of 10 set in 1994.
Currently, women make up about 20 percent of Congress, and 23 percent of statewide elective executive offices (including six governors), according to the Center for American Women and Politics.
That is simply not enough. If every woman nominated went on to win her race (assuming all were competing against men and not other women), women would then only make up close to 35 percent of Congress and 22 percent of the governorships. And that would do little to overcome the gender bias that permeates our society.