Republican Women Made Historic Gains in the House

A close and undecided race for president was the focus on election night. Months of both parties claiming that their candidate would deliver a blowout victory met the reality of a sharply divided country and the extended time to count ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic. While most voters focused on the White House prize, the Republican Party quietly made historic gains in the House of Representatives.

The number of women who ran for Congress this year stood at 583, which represents a 20% uptick since 2016. Although the lion’s share of the record was set by Democratic women, more than 200 Republican women entered congressional races this year, nearly 75% more than ran in 2016, according to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP).”

As of Wednesday afternoon, the House GOP added 11 women to its ranks. Considering the number of Republican females in the House only numbered 13 before election day, the nearly 100% increase is remarkable. Unsurprisingly, such gains received little attention from the crowd obsessed with gender dynamics among elected officials. In voters’ minds, these newly elected women were the best option between them and their Democratic Party opponents not because of gender but despite it.

Of these winners, five flipped Democratic seats, and by doing so, they helped reduce the Pelosi-led majority in the lower chamber. In the Democratic stronghold of Miami-Dade County, Maria Elvira Salazar defeated well-known Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala in an upset victory. Shalala may have only been a freshman representative, but she had served as the secretary of health and human services for former President Bill Clinton for the entirety of his administration. In South Carolina, Nancy Mace, notable for being the first female graduate of the Citadel, broke another barrier. On Wednesday morning, she was declared the winner against Democratic incumbent Rep. Joe Cunningham. With her victory, she will be the first Republican woman to represent South Carolina in the House. (Read more from “Republican Women Made Historic Gains in the House” HERE)

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