Recent elections have brought a notable rise in the number of women in legislative positions, yet progress appears to have stalled for the first time since 2016, falling short of peak levels.
One prominent example is Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who is projected by NBC News to lose her seat to Republican Nick Begich in Alaska. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Michelle Steele is narrowly trailing Democrat Derek Tran in a closely contested race in Southern California.
Should Steele also be defeated, the total number of women in the House and Senate in the forthcoming Congress would drop to 150. The most recent successful election for Democratic Rep. Christina Bohannon bodes well for women, but overall, this would mean one less woman than the 151 currently serving since Election Day, as reported by the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. This marks the first decrease since 2010 and only the second instance since 1978.
If Steele secures her seat, the number would remain at 151, matching the current total of women in Congress on Election Day. This decline is particularly significant as it interrupts a trend since 2016 when the election of President Donald Trump resulted in an uptick in women’s representation.
Despite the advances seen in the 2018 and 2020 elections, progress slowed down in 2022 due to redistricting and other factors that affected House races, according to Kelly Dittmar, a research director and scholar at the U.S. Center for Women and Politics.
Both scenarios would mean that Congressional representation for women would drop below the existing record of 152, despite recent wins for Texas Democratic Rep. Erica Lee Carter in a special election.
“The advancement of women in politics is not guaranteed,” Dittmar noted. While notable gains were observed in 2018 and 2020, women remain underrepresented in Congress, holding only 28% of the seats despite making up half of the population.
“Slowing progress means it will take longer to achieve equality. It raises questions about our commitment to representative democracy,” she stated. “Any reduction in numbers represents a setback in the pursuit of parity.”
Democratic women are poised to reach the current record of 94 in the House of Representatives, with 16 Democratic women in the Senate—matching the existing record. Notably, for the first time, two Black women are serving together: Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland and Lisa Blunt Rochester from Delaware, both of whom secured victories for open seats. On the Republican side, nine women will hold Senate seats, setting a new record.
However, there is an expected decline in the number of Republican women in the House, decreasing from 34 to 31 or 32, depending on the outcomes for Steele and Miller-Meeks. Yet, overall, there has been a notable rise in Republican women in the House since the low point of 13 in the aftermath of the 2018 midterms, driven by initiatives spearheaded by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and her E-PAC group.
“While we are excited about the progress Republican women have made since 2018, there is always more work to do,” said Daniel Barrow, director of the Winning For Women Action Fund, a super PAC dedicated to electing Republican women. He highlighted a decrease in competitive House races this year and an overall reduction in both male and female candidates.
“That emphasizes the need for commitment toward supporting quality female candidates during primaries,” he explained. This organization has raised over $13 million this election cycle to support GOP female candidates and plans to continue its efforts in the coming year.
Dittmar pointed out the historical disparity in support for women from both parties where Democratic women have benefited from established organizations like Emily’s List. In contrast, Republican women have not received similar backing historically.
“We know the time is crucial and we are determined to increase representation at every layer of the political landscape,” declared Sarah Spain, a spokesperson for Emily’s List.
Dittmar noted that groups like Winning for Women and View PAC are addressing the need for more support on the Republican front, but emphasized the importance of building additional resources.
“It’s essential to acknowledge that more work is needed, especially now,” she concluded. “Greater funding, capacity, and backing are crucial for these organizations to succeed.”
An additional challenge is the male-dominated support within both parties, which impacts women’s advancement in Congress directly.
For example, out of the seven House Democratic flips, only two were led by female candidates: Janelle Bynum from Oregon, who won against a Republican woman, and Laura Gillen from New York. Conversely, all seven Republican flips were achieved by male candidates.
Three Republican Senate victories in West Virginia, Ohio, and Montana solidified the Republican majority, further complicating the situation. Following Trump’s election in 2016, there was a surge in Democratic women seeking congressional positions in 2018, and this was followed by an increase in Republican female candidates in 2020. The landscape for the 2026 midterm elections remains unpredictable.
“Historically, women have stepped up during challenging times. It’s vital that they recognize now as the moment to take action,” Dittmar said.
