There were big election wins for women in Michigan last week with the positions of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state all going to female candidates. Additionally, Michigan will have five women in the U.S. House come January, while female candidates in other states also ran and won at higher rates. Can the momentum continue into 2020? Louisiana State University professor Nichole Bauer tells us that’s the hope, noting women of color fared especially well this year.
“Women did not increase their representation in Congress in 2016, and I think that was a real moment where women realized that their voices are not going to be heard in legislative institutions unless they are in those legislative institutions.”
While there were increases in the numbers of women and minorities in Congress, Bauer adds the differences in party affiliation are significant. Of the 123 women headed to Congress, only about 6% are Republican.
