No major gains projected for count of women in Congress after midterms

Kelly Dittmar of the Center for American Women and Politics told reporters the number of women in the Senate is unlikely to rise, and could fall, after November, even as Peggy Flanagan and Mary Peltola could become the first Native American women senators and Juliana Stratton's win in Illinois would put a record three Black women serving concurrently. Six new women would need to win just to keep the Senate's current female representation level.

Only four non-incumbent women are currently favored to win, with two more in competitive races, while incumbent Sen. Susan Collins is considered vulnerable. The House, where 125 of 435 seats are held by women, has 271 women on the ballot, enough to potentially surpass the prior record of 127 serving simultaneously.

CAWP's Chelsea Hill noted a record 590 women launched campaigns this cycle, though that number narrowed through primaries, and women remain underrepresented as a share of all congressional candidates. Only Latina candidates reached new highs in House candidacies this cycle, while Native American and Alaska Native Senate nominees reached a historic high of three.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.