Women in Congress have made significant gains in recent elections, but progress has stalled, with incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola losing her race to Republican Nick Begich in Alaska. The number of women in the next Congress will likely fall short of the current record, signaling the first decline since 2010, with GOP Rep. Michelle Steel also locked in a tight race in Southern California.
While Democratic women are set to match their current record numbers in the House and Senate, Republican women are facing a slight decrease due to losses and retirements. Despite some gains in Republican women representation, there is still a need for more support to close the gap between the parties.
Republican women have not had the same institutional support as Democratic women, who have been backed by organizations like Emily’s List for years. Groups like Winning for Women and View PAC are working to increase representation for Republican women but need more support to continue making progress.
The stalled progress for women in Congress is also due to both parties’ recent pickups being largely won by men, with few female candidates winning competitive races. The future of women’s representation in Congress remains uncertain, but there is hope for continued gains if more support and resources are provided to female candidates from both parties.
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