Two primaries were held on Tuesday in Illinois and Ohio. Full context about women in the 2024 elections, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, is available via the Center for American Women and Politics’ (CAWP) Election Watch.
Among the most notable results for women:
- All women U.S. House incumbents from Illinois and Ohio will run for re-election in November. While most are favored to win, two women incumbents from Ohio – Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D) and Emilia Sykes (D) – are seeking re-election in contests currently rated as toss ups by Cook Political Report. Kaptur is currently the longest-serving woman in Congress; she has served since 1983.
- Illinois
- Illinois is unlikely to expand women’s representation in its congressional delegation, as both women nominees running as challengers are competing in districts that strongly favor their incumbent opponent.
- Ohio
- All women U.S. House nominees from Ohio are Democrats. No Republican woman has represented Ohio in Congress since 2013.
- No woman has ever served in the U.S. Senate from Ohio, and that will not change this year, as no women filed as major-party candidates in the 2024 Senate race in Ohio.
Illinois
U.S. Senate
There is no U.S. Senate election in Illinois in 2024.
U.S. House
Women Nominees in 2024: Based on primary election results, women are 8 of 29 (27.6%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Illinois, including 5 of 15 (33.3%) Democrats and 3 of 14 (21.4%) Republicans.
The number of women major-party nominees for the U.S. House falls short of the previous high (14), first set in 2020. Five (3D, 2R) women House candidates were unsuccessful. Of the 8 (5D, 3R) women nominees for U.S. House in Illinois: 6 (5D, 1R) are incumbents and 2 (2R) are challengers.
|
District |
Woman Nominee |
Party |
Seat Status |
Race/Ethnicity |
Current Cook Political Report Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2 |
Robin Kelly |
D |
Incumbent |
Black |
Solid Democrat |
|
2 |
Ashley Ramos |
R |
Challenger |
Latina |
Solid Democrat |
|
3 |
Delia Ramirez |
D |
Incumbent |
Latina |
Solid Democrat |
|
6 |
Niki Conforti |
R |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Democrat |
|
9 |
Jan Schakowsky |
D |
Incumbent |
White |
Solid Democrat |
|
13 |
Niki Budzinski |
D |
Incumbent |
White |
Solid Democrat |
|
14 |
Lauren Underwood |
D |
Incumbent |
Black |
Solid Democrat |
|
15 |
Mary Miller |
R |
Incumbent |
White |
Solid Republican |
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 6 (5D, 1R) of 17 (35.3%) seats in the Illinois delegation to the U.S. House. Twenty-one (12D, 9R) women have served in the U.S. House from Illinois.
Women Candidates in 2024: 13 (8D, 5R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Illinois in 2024. This is not a record high. They were 13 of 46 (28.3%) total major-party candidates for U.S. House in 2024.
Statewide Elective Executive Office
There are no statewide executive elections in Illinois in 2024.
Ohio
U.S. Senate
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: No women currently represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate. No women have ever served in the U.S. Senate from Ohio.
Women Candidates in 2024: No women filed as candidates for the U.S. Senate seat up for election in Ohio in 2024.
U.S. House
Women Nominees in 2024: Based on primary election results, women are 8 of 30 (26.7%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Ohio, including 8 of 15 (53.3%) Democrats and 0 of 15 (0%) Republicans.
The number of women major-party nominees for the U.S. House falls short of the previous high (13), first set in 2020. Four (1D, 3R) women House candidates were unsuccessful. Of the 8 (8D) women nominees for U.S. House in Ohio: 4 (4D) are incumbents, 3 (3D) are challengers, and 1 (1D) is running for an open seat.
|
District |
Woman Nominee |
Party |
Seat Status |
Race/Ethnicity |
Current Cook Political Report Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2 |
Samantha Meadows |
D |
Open |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
3 |
Joyce Beatty |
D |
Incumbent |
Black |
Solid Democrat |
|
4 |
Tamie Wilson |
D |
Challenger |
Black/White |
Solid Republican |
|
8 |
Vanessa Enoch |
D |
Challenger |
Black |
Solid Republican |
|
9 |
Marcy Kaptur |
D |
Incumbent |
White |
Toss Up |
|
10 |
Amy Cox |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
11 |
Shontel Brown |
D |
Incumbent |
Black |
Solid Democrat |
|
13 |
Emilia Sykes |
D |
Incumbent |
Black |
Toss Up |
What to Watch in the 2024 General Election:
- Two women incumbents from Ohio – Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D-OH09) and Emilia Sykes (D-OH13) – are seeking re-election in contests currently rated as toss ups by Cook Political Report. If unsuccessful in November, they would join the 12 (9D, 3R) women incumbents who have already announced that they are not running for re-election to the U.S. House.
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 4 (4D) of 15 (26.7%) seats in the Ohio delegation to the U.S. House. Thirteen (9D, 4R) women have served in the U.S. House from Ohio.
Women Candidates in 2024: 12 (9D, 3R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Ohio in 2024. This is not a record high. They were 12 of 63 (19%) total major-party candidates for U.S. House in 2024.
Statewide Elective Executive Office
There are no statewide executive elections in Ohio in 2024.
For primary results summaries from other states and full results, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, see CAWP’s Election Watch.
