Record number of at least 131 women to serve in the next Congress

WASHINGTON - A record number of at least 131 women have been elected to serve in the 117th Congress, according to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP).

The next Congress will have at least 100 female Democrats and 31 female Republicans, according to CAWP, which tracks women’s political participation in the United States.

While there still remain 25 congressional races with female candidates that are too close to call, enough female contenders for congressional seats have already secured victories to break the record number of women slated to serve in Congress.

“Following the record-setting 2018 midterm elections, we’ve been cautiously optimistic that we were seeing the emergence of a new normal, rather than a one-time surge,” said Debbie Walsh, director of CAWP. “With record levels of candidates and nominees in 2020, that optimism seems justified.”

At least 106 women — 83 Democrat and 23 Republican — will serve in the U.S. House of Representatives next year. Twenty-five women — 17 Democrat and eight Republican — will serve in the next U.S. Senate.

On the state side, at least 89 women — 49 Democrat, 38 Republican and 2 No Party — will serve in statewide elected offices in 2021.

“Successes like these don’t just happen. They require the dedicated attention of parties, donors, activists, and voters, as is particularly evident from the expanded number of Republican women candidates this year,” added Walsh. “It takes hard work. And the work continues.”