2010 is either the year of the Republican woman in politics, or it's not. I'm glad TIME Magazine has finally caught up with the realization that Republican women are running for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, and for governor in record numbers. But even Time quotes Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics Director Debbie Walsh as saying, they're running but they're not winning their primaries.
What is interesting about this supposed year of the GOP woman is that for the first time since 1978, 2010 could become the year when women in both chambers of Congress see a drop in their numbers. As Time notes:
The increased number of GOP candidates comes at a time when Democratic women candidates seem to be leveling off. This year 134 Democratic women ran for the House compared to 148 in 2008, and 19 Democratic women ran for the Senate this year compared to the record of 22 in 1992. Still, Democratic women far outpace their GOP counterparts: thus far this year 64 Democratic women have won their House primaries and seven have won their Senate primaries.
Now that would be a real tragedy. It's great to see the GOP fielding more women and women of color in this year's Congressional elections. I personally know three black Republican women who ran for the U.S. House. Two of them lost. But it would be a sorry state of affairs to see the number of women in Congress drop way before it has gotten to the point where women in Congress represent their percentage in the U.S. population.
- Check out our editorial cartoons on the 2010 campaigns.
- Follow the money in Congress.
- See a slide show on the women of the Senate.
Reader Comments Read all comments (4)
Muser of NM 11:46PM August 21, 2010
Bill Hedges of MO 1:23AM August 21, 2010
steve of IL 8:19PM August 20, 2010