Women and Minorities Outnumber White Men as Democratic House Nominees for the First Time Ever
This year has already been heralded as a year that women have made unprecedented gains when it comes to the number of female candidates leading up the November’s midterm elections.
But the surge isn’t limited to women—there have also been increased numbers of people of color and first-time candidates running. And now that wave has placed white men in the minority for one of the very few times in political history when it comes to Democratic house races, a new analysis from Politico finds.
According to the report, women in the Democratic Party have secured 180 House nominations this election cycle, up from the previous record of 120, according to Rutgers’ Center for American Women and Politics. Additionally, there are 133 nominees of color, and 158 first-time candidates (some of these categories overlap with one another).
A groundswell of women began showing interest in running for office following the 2016 presidential election, and they have made history at all levels of government. Some key records include an all-time high for female governor candidates and U.S. Senate nominees running in a single year.
To add to it all, women have been pulling off stunning wins, particularly in House primaries. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shocked most of the country when she beat 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in New York’s Fourteenth District and Ayanna Pressley followed suit in Massachusetts when she defeated another 10-term incumbent, Mike Capuano, a surprise to no one watching her political career. These wins bode well for other progressive candidates who represent a buck in the political status quo.
The midterms are still weeks away, so it remains to be seen how increased diversity in the candidate pool will actually affect final races. Women and people of color make up less than 20 percent of lawmakers in the 115th Congress—and that means there’s still so much more room to make the government look reflective of the people it represents.
In a pivotal election year, Glamour is keeping track of the historic number of women running (and voting) in the midterm elections. For more on our latest midterm coverage, visit www.glamour.com/midterms.
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