The number is a small jump from the record set by the current Congress. (File)
Washington:
A record number of women are expected to sit in the next Congress, as enough female candidates have won victories this week, while the vote count for many congressional races continues.
According to figures released Thursday afternoon by Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), which tracks women’s political participation in the United States, at least 131 women, consisting of 100 Democrats and 31 Republicans, will sit at the 117th Congress, The Hill reported.
The number is a small jump from the record set by the current Congress, which started with 127 women at the start of 2019.
So far 106 female candidates, including 83 Democrats and 23 Republicans, have won their House of Representatives race, surpassing the record of 102 women elected to the House for the current Congress, according to the CAWP. However, that number may change soon, as 29 races have yet to be called.
According to The Hill, this year a record 583 women showed up for the House, more than 20% of the 2018 peak, which saw 476 women show up. While the 2018 record was largely due to female Democrats, this year’s peak was in part attributable to female Republican women, while female Democrats maintained their high numbers two years ago.
Meanwhile, for the Senate, the CAWP said only 25 women are expected to sit in the chamber next year starting Thursday afternoon, which includes 17 Democrats and eight Republicans. However, that number could also drop, pending the outcome of the election of Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
The record for the number of women in the Senate was set at the current Congress, with 26 women, according to the CAWP.
“Progress for women has to come from both sides of the aisle if women are to achieve equal representation in Congress,” said Debbie Walsh, director of the political unit.
