There are a record number of female gubernatorial candidates in primaries this year, with 24 Democrats and 16 Republicans having filed to run in state governors’ races as of March 30.
The previous record was 34 women candidates for governorships in 1994, The Hill reported.
The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University released the findings.
“Much of the coverage of election 2018 has focused on the Congressional midterm contests. However, with 36 states holding gubernatorial elections, there are tremendous opportunities for women to advance as chief executives,” CAWP Director Debbie Walsh said in a news release, The Hill reported. “Electing women governors not only places them in powerful executive positions, but it also builds the pipeline of future presidential candidates.”
More women also are projected to run for House seats (more than 400) and Senate seats (more than 50), according to The Wall Street Journal.
In ads released so far for primary campaigns, female candidates seem to be taking on more taboo topics that would have been avoided in previous campaigns, Politico noted. Two women have breastfed their children on camera in ads, and others have talked about being sexually abused as children or young adults.
Some are pointing to the unconventionality of President Donald Trump’s successful campaign as a reason for taking more liberties, asserting that the current “winning” playbook was written mostly by men and may not be applicable to them.
“The idea that women will still have to walk this very narrow tightrope to be taken seriously and [be] seen as credible, I just think women candidates and women voters, they’ve had enough,” Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Kelda Roys said, Politico reported.
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