To my fellow WISH Champions for Equality-
Capitol Hill being a man’s world is shocking news to no one. Roughly seven months ago, Florida Congressman Steve Southerland notoriously hosted a “no girls allowed” fundraiser, sending out invitations boldly instructing donors to “tell the misses not to wait up” because of all the whiskey and cigars that would be consumed late into the evening. Sure, that brand of sexism is so achingly 1950’s (“honey I’m home, is dinner ready yet”), maybe it’s supposed to be sorta funny. As if.
Did you know only 18.9% of congressmen are congresswomen? That’s right. Despite the fact that our population is more or less split down the middle, that “marble ceiling” stands firm, and now, almost 100 years after women received the vote, less than 1/5 of our representation is female.
But this year, the big 20% might finally be met for the first time in our government’s history. There’s a slew of women running for office in November, and if things shake out a certain way, we could see some records shattering.
Senate
15 women are running for Senate: 10 Democrats and 5 Republicans.
Incumbents:
- Mary Landrieu (Louisiana) (D)
- Kay Hagan (North Carolina) (D)
- Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) (D)
- Susan Collins (Maine) (R)
Open Seats:
- Michelle Nunn (Georgia) (D)
- Natalie Tennant (West Virginia) (D)
- Amanda Curtis (Montana) (D)
- Constance Johnson (Oklahoma) (D)
- Terri Lynne Land (Michigan) (R)
- Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia) (R)
- Joni Ernst (Iowa) (R)
Challengers:
- Alison Lundergan Grimes (Kentucky) (D)
- Sheena Bellows (Maine) (D)
- Joyce Dickerson (South Carolina) (D)
- Monica Wehby (Oregon)(R)
House of Representatives
On the house side, 108 women are running, slightly down for the Democrats during the 2012 midterm elections, but slightly up for Republicans.
Alabama 2nd District
Martha Roby (R) (Incumbent) v Erick Wright (D)
Arizona 1st District
Ann Kirkpatrick (D) (Incumbent) v Andy Tobin (R)
Arizona 2nd District
Ron Barber (D) (Incumbent) v Martha McSally (R)
Arizona 3rd District
Raul Grijalva (D) (Incumbent) v Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R)
Arizona 9th District
Krysten Sinema (D) (Incumbent) v Wendy Rogers (R)
California 1st District
Doug La Malfa (R) (Incumbent) v Heidi Hall (D)
California 6th District
Doris Matsui (D) (Incumbent) v Joseph McCray Senior (R)
California 12th District
Nancy Pelosi (D) (Incumbent) v John Dennis (R)
California 13th District
Barbara Lee (D) (Incumbent) v Dakin Sundeen (R)
California 14th District
Jackie Speier (D) (Incumbent) v Robin Chew (R)
California 18th District
Anna Eshoo (D) (Incumbent) v Richard Fox (R)
California 19th District
Zoe Lofgren (D) v Robert Murray (D) (Redistricting)
California 21st District
David Valadao (R) (Incumbent) v Amanda Renteria (D)
California 22nd District
Devin Nunes (R) (Incumbent) v Suzanna Aguilera-Marrero (D)
California 24th District
Lois Capps (D) (Incumbent) v Chris Mitchum (R)
California 26th District
Julia Brownley (D) (Incumbent) v Jeff Gorell (R)
California 27th District
Judy Chu (D) (Incumbent) v Jack Orswell (R)
California 32nd District
Grace Napolitano (D) (Incumbent) v Art Alas (R)
California 35th District
Norma Torres (D) (Incumbent) v Christina Gagnier (D)
California 37th District
Karen Bass (D) (Incumbent) v Adam King (R)
California 38th District
Linda Sanchez (D) (Incumbent) v Benjamin Campos (R)
California 40th District
Lucille Royball-Allard (D) (Incumbent) v David Sanchez (D)
California 43rd District
Maxine Waters (D) (Incumbent) v John Wood (R)
California 44th District
Janice Hahn (D) (Incumbent) v Adam Shbeita (R)
California 45th District
Mimi Walters (R) v Drew Leavens (D)
California 46th District
Loretta Sanchez (D) (Incumbent) v Adam Nick (R)
California 48th District
Dana Rohrabacher (R) (Incumbent) v Sue Savary (D)
California 53rd District
Susan Davis (D) (Incumbent) v Larry Wilske (R)
Colorado 1st District
Diana DeGette (D) (Incumbent) v Martin Walsh (R)
Connecticut 2nd District
Joe Courtney (D) (Incumbent) v Lori Hopkins-Cavanagh (R)
Connecticut 3rd District
Rosa DeLauro (D) (Incumbent) v James Brown (R)
Connecticut 5th District
Elizabeth Esty (D) (Incumbent) v Mark Greenberg (R)
Delaware 1st District
John C Carney Jr. (D) (Incumbent) v Rose Izzo (R)
Florida 2nd District
Steve Southerland (R) (Incumbent) v Gwen Graham (D)
Florida 3rd District
Ted Yoho (R) (Incumbent) v Marihelen Wheeler (D)
Florida 5th District
Glorothea Scurry Smith (R) Incumbent v Corinne Brown (D)
Florida 9th District
Carol Platt (R) v Alan Grayson (D) (Incumbent)
Florida 19th District
Curt Clawson (R) (Incumbent) v April Freeman (D)
Florida 22nd District
Lois Frankel (D) (Incumbent) v Paul Spain (R)
Florida 23rd District
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) (Incumbent) v Joe Kauffman
Florida 24th District
Frederica Wilson (D) (Incumbent) v Dufirstson Julio Neree (R)
Hawaii 2nd District
Tulsi Gabbard (D) (Incumbent) v Kawika Crowley (R)
Idaho 1st District
Shirley Ringo (D) v Raul Labrador (R) (Incumbent)
Illinois 2nd District
Robin Kelly (D) (Incumbent) v Eric Wallace (R)
Illinois 3rd District
Sharon Brannigan (R) v Daniel Lipinski (D)
Illinois 8th District
Tammy Duckworth (D) (Incumbent) v Lawrence Kaifesh (R)
Illinois 9th District
Janice Schakowsky (D) (Incumbent) v Susanne Atanus (R)
Illinois 11th District
Darlene Senger (R) v Bill Foster (D) (Incumbent)
Illinois 13th District
Rodney Davis (R) (Incumbent) v Ann Callis (D)
Illinois 17th District
Cheri Bustos (D) (Incumbent) v Bob Schilling (R)
Indiana 2nd District
Jackie Walorski (R) (Incumbent) v Joe Bock (D)
Indiana 5th District
Susan Brooks (R) (Incumbent) v Shawn Denney (D)
Indiana 6th District
Luke Messer (R) (Incumbent) v Susan Hall Heitzman (D)
Indiana 7th District
Catherine Ping (R) v Andre Carson (D) (Incumbent)
Iowa 2nd District
Dave Loebsack (D) (Incumbent) v Mariannette Miller Meeks (R)
Iowa 3rd District
David Young (R) (Incumbent) v Staci Apple (D)
Kansas 2nd District
Lynn Jenkins (R) (Incumbent) v Margie Wakefield (D)
Kansas 3rd District
Kevin Yoder (R) (Incumbent) v Kelly Kultala (D)
Kentucky 6th District
Andy Barr (R) (Incumbent) v Elisabeth Jensen (D)
Maine 1st District
Chellie Pingree (D) (Incumbent) v Isaac Misiuk (R)
Maine 2nd District
Bruce Poliquin (R) v Emily Cain (D)
Maryland 4th District
Nancy Hoyt (R) v Donna Edwards (D) (Incumbent)
Massachusetts 3rd District
Niki Tsongas (D) (Incumbent) v Roseann Ehrhard Wofford (R)
Michigan 7th District
Tim Walberg (R) v Pam Byrnes (D)
Michigan 10th District
Candice Miller (R) (Incumbent) v Chuck Stadler (D)
Michigan 12th District
Debbie Dingell (D) v Terry Bowman (R)
Minnesota 3rd District
Erik Paulson (R) v Sharon Sund (D)
Minnesota 4th District
Betty McCollum (D) (Incumbent) v Sharna Walgreen (R)
Missouri 2nd District
Ann Wagner (R) (Incumbent) v Arthur Lieber (D)
Missouri 3rd District
Courtney Denton (D) v Blaine Luetkemeyer (R) (Incumbent)
Missouri 4th District
Vicky Hartzler (R) (Incumbent) v Nate Irvin (D)
Missouri 8th District
Barbara Stocker (D) v Jason Smith (R) (Incumbent)
Nevada 1st District
Annette Teijeiro (R) v Dina Titus (D) (Incumbent)
Nevada 2nd District
Mark Amodei (R) (Incumbent) v Kristen Spees (D)
Nevada 3rd District
Joe Heck (R) (Incumbent) v Erin Bilbray (D)
New Hampshire 1st District
Carol Shea-Porter (D) (Incumbent) v Frank Guinta (R)
New Hampshire 2nd District
Anne Kuster (D) (Incumbent) v Marilinda Garcia (R)
New Jersey 3rd District
Tom McArthur (R) v Aimee Belgard (D)
New Jersey 7th District
Leonard Lance (R) (Incumbent) v Janice Kovach (D)
New Jersey 9th District
Dierdre Paul (R) v Bill Pascrell (D) (Incumbent)
New Jersey 10th District
Yolanda Dentley (R) v Donald Payne Jr. (D) (Incumbent)
New Jersey 12th District
Alieta Eck (R) v Bonnie Watson Coleman (D)
New Mexico 1st District
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) (Incumbent) v Mike Frese (R)
New Mexico 2nd District
Steve Pearce (R) (Incumbent) v Roxanne Lara (D)
New York 2nd District
Peter King (R) (Incumbent) v Patricia M. Maher (D)
New York 4th District
Kathleen Rice (D) (Incumbent) v Bruce Blakerman (R)
New York 7th District
Nydia Velasquez (D) (Incumbent) v Jose Luis Fernandez (R)
New York 9th District
Yvette D. Clarke (D) (Incumbent) v Daniel Cavanagh (R)
New York 12th District
Nick Di Iorio (R) v Carolyn Maloney (D) (Incumbent)
New York 17th District
Nita Lowey (D) (Incumbent) v Chris Day (R)
New York 18th District
Nan Hayworth (R) v Sean Maloney (D) (Incumbent)
New York 21st District
Elise Stefanik (R) v Aaron Woolf (D)
New York 23rd District
Martha Robertson (D) v Tom Reed (R) (Incumbent)
New York 25th District
Louise Slaughter (D) (Incumbent) v Mark Assini (R)
New York 26th District
Kathy Weppner (R) v Brian Higgins (D) (Incumbent)
North Carolina 2nd District
Renee Ellmers (R) (Incumbent) v Clay Aiken (D)
North Carolina 5th District
Virginia Foxx (R) (Incumbent) v Josh Brannon (D)
North Carolina 6th District
Laura Fjeld (D) v Mark Walker (R)
North Carolina 12th District
Alma Adams (D) v Vince Coakley (R)
North Carolina 13th District
Brenda Cleary (D) v George Holding (R)
Ohio 3rd District
Joyce Beatty (D) (Incumbent) v John Adams (R)
Ohio 4th District
Janet Garrett (D) v Jim Jordan (R) (Incumbent)
Ohio 6th District
Bill Johnson (R) (Incumbent) v Jennifer Garrison (D)
Ohio 9th District
Marcy Kaptur (D) (Incumbent) v Richard May (R)
Ohio 11th District
Marcia L. Fudge (D) (Incumbent) v Mark Zetzer (R)
Oregon 1st District
Suzanne Bonamici (D) (Incumbent) v Jason Yates (R)
Oregon 2nd District
Aelea Christofferson (D) v Greg Walden (R) (Incumbent)
Oregon 5th District
Tootie Smith (R) v Kurt Schrader (D) (Incumbent)
Pennsylvania 1st District
Robert Brady (D) (Incumbent) v Megan Rath (R)
Pennsylvania 4th District
Linda D. Thompson (D) v Scott Perry (R) (Incumbent)
Pennsylvania 7th District
Patrick Meehan (R) (Incumbent) v Mary Ellen Balchunis (D)
Pennsylvania 9th District
Bill Shuster (R) (Incumbent) v Alanna Hartzok (D)
South Carolina 3rd District
Jeff Duncan (R) v Barbara Jo Mullis (D)
South Carolina 7th District
Tom Rice (R) v Gloria Bromwell-Tinubu (D)
South Dakota 1st District
Kristi Noem (R) (Incumbent) v Corinna Robinson (D)
Tennessee 3rd District
Mary Headrick (D) v Charles Fleischmann (R) (Incumbent)
Tennessee 4th District
Lenda Sherrell (D) v Scott Desjarlais (R)
Tennessee 6th District
Diane Black (R) (Incumbent) v Amos Powers (D)
Tennessee 7th District
Marsha Blackburn (R) (Incumbent) v Dan Cramer (D)
Tennessee 9th District
Steve Cohen (D) (Incumbent) v Charlotte Bergmann (R)
Texas 1st District
Shirley Mckellar (D) v Louie Gohmert (R) (Incumbent)
Texas 10th District
Tawana Walter-Cadien (D) v Michael McCaul (R) (Incumbent)
Texas 12th District
Kay Granger (R) (Incumbent) v Mark Greene (D)
Texas 18th District
Sheila Jackson Lee (D) (Incumbent) v Sean Seibert (R)
Texas 35th District
Susan Narvaiz (R) v Lloyd Doggett (D) (Incumbent)
Utah 1st District
Rob Bishop (R) (Incumbent) v Donna McAleer (D)
Utah 4th District
Mia Love (R) v Doug Owens (D)
Virginia 2nd District
Suzanne Patrick (D) v Scott Rigell (R) (Incumbent)
Virginia 10th District
Barbara Comstock (R) v John Foust (D)
Virginia 11th District
Suzanne Scholte (R) v Gerald Connolly (D) (Incumbent)
Washington 1st District
Suzan DelBene (D) (Incumbent) v Pedro Celis (R)
Washington 3rd District
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R) (Incumbent) v Bob Dingethal (D)
Washington 5th District
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) (Incumbent) v Joseph Pakootas (D)
Washington 10th District
Joyce McDonald (R) v Dennis Heck (D) (Incumbent)
Wisconsin 4th District
Gwen Moore (D) (Incumbent) v Dan Sebrig (R)
Wisconsin 7th District
Kelly Westlund (D) v Sean Duffy (R) (Incumbent)
Wyoming 1st District
Cynthia Lumis (R) (Incumbent) v Richard Grayson (D)
Overall, current predictions see a slight gain in female seats which means that 20% threshold could finally be passed. Nothing’s set in stone till the night of November 4th, of course.
Make sure you’ve signed up for absentee voting if you’re not living in your home district. It’s a heated election this year, people. Remember: voting is your right to complain. (And complaining is sort of what I do. Everyone has a beat.)