2018 Summary of Women Candidates

2018 Summary of Women Candidates

(UPDATED 11/14/18)
 

U.S. Senate U.S. House Governor Lt . Governor Other Statewide Elected St. Legislature

State by state listing of congressional and statewide candidates here and state legislative candidates here.

Below is the most current data on women who have filed and won or lost their primaries. 

Filing deadlines have passed in all fifty states. Primaries have been held in forty-nine states with the exception of Mississippi's special senate election and Louisiana who will hold jungle primaries on election day. 

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U.S. Senate
 Total Filed to date 53 31D, 22R
  Lost Primary 30 16D, 14R
  Won Primary 23 15D, 8R
Likely candidates not yet filed - - -
  Total still in the running 23 15D, 8R

There are 35 Senate races in 33 states in 2018 (AZ, CA, CT, DE, FL, HI, IN, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, ND, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY). There are three states that will have open seats with incumbents not running (bold) and 16 that will have women candidates (red).

Incumbent Women Running: 13 (11D, 2R) in 12 states:

  • Diane Feinstein (D-CA)
  • Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
  • Elizabeth Warren (D-MA
  • Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
  • Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  • Tina Smith (D-MN)
  • Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
  • Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
  • Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
  • Deb Fischer (R-NE)
  • Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
  • Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
  • Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

 

Women Running for Open Seats: 4 (2D, 2R) in 3 states:

  • Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)
  • Martha McSally (R-AZ)
  • Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
  • Jenny Wilson (D-UT)

Women Running as Challengers: 6 (2D, 4R) in 6 states: 

  • Karin Housley (R-MN)
  • Jane Raybould (D-NE)
  • Jacklyn Rosen (D-NV)
  • Chele Chiavacci Farley (R-NY)
  • Susan Hutchison (R-WA)
  • Leah Vukmir (R-WI) 

No incumbent women are running for higher office or retiring.
Senate Records to Beat
   Filed: 40 (28D, 12R) in 2016, record beaten in 2018.
   Won primaries: 18 (12D, 6R) in 2012, record beaten in 2018.
   Number of women serving: 23 (17D, 6R) in 2018. 
 

U.S. House*
 Total Filed to date** 476 356D, 120R
  Lost Primary 237 169D, 68R
  Won Primary*** 234 183D, 51R
Likely candidates not yet filed - - -
  Total still in the running 233 181D, 52R
* does not include 3 incumbent women, one challenger and one candidate running for an open seat for non-voting delegate from American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
**Five candidates from California and one from Ohio filed to run for the House but withdrew before the primary.
*** Includes Aja Brown in CA who unofficially withdrew before the primary but won the nomination and will appear on the general election ballot. Also includes April Freeman in FL who won the nomination but passed away before the general election and was replaced on the ballot. Does not include Brenda Jones in MI who won a special election that coincided with the regular primary for a partial term (November-January) or Anya Tynio in VT who lost the primary but then was appointed nominee after the original nominee withdrew. 

To date, there will be 66 (24D, 43R) open seats in 2018, including four incumbents who lost their primary. 

Incumbent Women Running: 71 (54D, 17R)

Women Running for Open Seats: 46 (33D, 13R) in 39 districts, from 22 states

Women Running as Challengers: 116 (94D, 22R)

Incumbents Not Returning: 13 (7D, 6R)*:

  • Martha McSally (R-AZ) running for U.S. Senate
  • Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) running for U.S. Senate
  • Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) retiring
  • Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) retiring
  • Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) ran for governor
  • Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) retiring
  • Niki Tsongas (D-MA) retiring
  • Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) retiring
  • Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) running for governor
  • Jacky Rosen (D-NV) running for U.S. Senate
  • Kristi Noem (R-SD) running for governor
  • Diane Black (R-TN) ran for governor
  • Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) running for U.S. Senate

  *Louise Slaughter (D-NY) passed away on March 16th, 2018. The date for the special election for that seat has not yet been set.
House Records to Beat
   Filed: Previous record 298 (190D, 108R) in 2012, record beaten in 2018.
   Won primaries: Previous record 167 (120D, 47R) in 2016, record beaten in 2018.
   Number of women serving: 85 in 2016. 
 

Governor
 Total Filed to date 61 41D, 20R
  Lost Primary 44 28D, 16R
  Won Primary* 16 12D, 4R
Likely candidates not yet filed -  - -
  Total still in the running 16 12D, 4R
 
*One candidate from MD withdrew before the primary.
 

There are 36 gubernatorial races in 2018 (AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, WI, WY). There are 17 states that will have open seats with incumbents not running (bold) and 16 that have women candidates running (red). 

Incumbent Women Running: 4 (2D, 2R):

  • Kay Ivey (R-AL)
  • Kim Reynolds (R-IA)
  • Kate Brown (D-OR)
  • Gina Raimondo (D-RI)

Women Running for Open Seats: 8 (7D, 1R) in 8 states

Women Running as Challengers: 4 (3D, 1R)

Incumbents Not Returning: 2 (2R):

  • Susana Martinez (R-NM) term-limited
  • Mary Fallin (R-OK) term-limited

Governor Records to Beat
   Filed: Previous record 34 (18D, 15R, 1ACP) in 1994, record beaten in 2018.
   Won primaries: Previous record 10 (6D, 3R, IInd.) in 1994. The record was tied in 2002, 2006 and 2010, with 10 (9D, 1R), 10 (5D, 5R) and 10 (5D, 5R)
     women winning their primaries. Record beaten in 2018.
   Number of women serving: 9 in 2004 and 2007 
 

Lieutenant Governor
 Total Filed to date 66 38D, 28R
  Lost Primary 37 20D, 17R
  Won Primary* 28 17D, 11R
Likely candidates not yet filed - - -
  Total still in the running 28 17D, 11R

  *One candidate from MD withdrew before the primary.

                                                                                                                                                                 

Incumbent Women Running: 5 (1D, 4R)

Women Running for Open Seats: 18 (11D, 7R)

Women Running as Challengers: 7 (6D, 1R)

The record number of nominees for lieutenant governor is 29, set in 1994.

Other Statewide
Elective Executives
 Total Filed to date 122 69D, 51R, 2NP
  Lost Primary 32 14D, 17R, 1NP
  Won Primary* 87 54D, 32R, 1NP
Likely candidates not yet filed - - -
  Total still in the running* 86 54D, 31R, 1NP

*Johanna Cox (R-NM) won her primary but withdrew and was replaced on the general election ballot. Therefore, she is included in the primary winners count but not in the total still in the running.

 

Incumbent Women Running: 24 (10D, 14R)

Women Running for Open Seats: 28 (16D, 11R, 1NP)

Women Running as Challengers: 34 (28D, 6R)

 

State Legislature*
Total Candidates in 46 States 3418 2402D, 993R, 14NP, 4I, 5P
  Incumbents 1276 809D, 455R, 3NP, 4I, 5P
  Challengers 1194 918D, 269R, 7NP
  Open Seats 948 675D, 269R, 4NP
* Only includes major party primary winners, third party incumbents, and nonpartisan
candidates from Nebraska.
 
 
.
States with no legislative races in 2018: 4 (LA, MS, NJ, VA).

 
 State by state listing of state legislative candidates here.
  Women State Legislative Candidates - historical summary by state (2000-2018)

State Senate
Total Candidates in 46 States 638 455D, 169R, 14NP
  Incumbents 204 129D, 72R, 3NP
  Challengers 239 193D, 39R, 7NP
  Open Seats 195 133D, 58R, 4NP

 

State House
Total Candidates in 46 States 2780 1947D, 824R, 4I, 5P
  Incumbents 1072 680D, 383R, 4I, 5P, 
  Challengers 955 725D, 230R
  Open Seats 753 542D, 211R

 

Records to beat:
  Won primaries: 2649 (1727D, 900R, 4I, 12NP, 1 WFP, 5PRG) in 2016, record beaten in 2018.
  Number of women serving: 1879 (1144D, 708R, 14NP, 1WFP, 7I, 5PRG) in 2018.