Record number of female candidates in 2026 midterms

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - The 2026 midterm elections are set to be historic. More women are on state and federal ballots this cycle, with a record number running for the House of Representatives, according to Kelly Dittmar of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.Women make up 50% of the population and are the most consistent voting bloc in American elections, even though women have only been able to legally cast a ballot for just over a century.This year, an increase in candidates nationwide has led more women to run for office, with a historic number of women having been nominated ahead of the Nov. 3 election.“We have a record number of women running for the House overall, a record number of Democratic women running. That’s also true when we look at gubernatorial contests,” Dittmar said.Dittmar said the trend gives the upcoming 120th Congress a chance to be more than just 28% female, the current makeup on Capitol Hill.With women across all ethnic and racial gr