Record Number of Democratic Women Running for U.S. House

A new record has been set for Democratic women running for U.S. House seats, according to the latest data from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. In the 2026 midterms, 364 Democratic women have filed to run for House seats, beating the previous record of 356, set in 2020. Candidate filing is not yet complete in six states, so this number is likely to rise, and a new record may also be set for the total number of women running for House. Currently, 523 women have filed to run for House seats; the record was set in 2020 at 583. The number of filed Republican women House candidates in 2026 is 159; the record for Republican women House candidates was set in 2022 at 261.

In addition, primary elections were held on Tuesday in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina. Full results for women candidates in federal and statewide executive races are available on this post on our Election Analysis page; there are a number of undecided races featuring women candidates from yesterday's primaries, so this post will be updated as those contests are decided.
 

Maine

• Incumbent U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R) will run for re-election to the U.S. Senate in a November election currently rated as a toss up by Cook Political Report. She was unopposed in the Republican primary election.
• Incumbent U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-01) is strongly favored to win re-election to the U.S. House in November. Another woman candidate remains in the Democratic primary in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, which will move to a ranked choice tabulation.
• Maine’s open-seat gubernatorial election will move on to ranked choice tabulation to select both the Democratic and Republican nominees. Both women candidates for governor remain in the Democratic primary election. Current Governor Janet Mills (D) is term-limited and unable to seek re-election.

Nevada 

• Women are 4 of 8 (50%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Nevada, including 3 of 4 (75%) Democrats and 1 of 4 (25%) Republicans. 
• Both incumbent women U.S. representatives from Nevada are Democratic nominees for re-election to the U.S. House in November. U.S. Representative Susie Lee (D) will compete in a general election contest currently rated as “Lean Democrat” by Cook Political Report. U.S. Representative Dina Titus (D) will face Nevada state Senator Carrie Buck (R) in an all-woman general election contest that is currently rated as “Likely Democrat” by Cook Political Report. 
• Women are 4 of 10 (40%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive office in Nevada, including 3 of 6 (50%) Democrats and 1 of 4 (25%) Republicans. Three women candidates remain in the Republican primary for secretary of state, which is too close to call.
  • A woman is all but assured to win in the all-woman, open-seat contest for attorney general between Nevada state Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D) and Adriana Guzmán-Fralick (R).
  • If successful in her bid for state treasurer, Democratic nominee Tya Mathis-Coleman (D) will be the first Black woman elected to statewide elective executive office in Nevada.
  • Nevada state Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D) won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. She will challenge incumbent Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony (R) in November.
  • No women advanced to the general election for governor. No woman has served as governor in Nevada.

North Dakota

• Incumbent U.S. Representative Julie Fedorchak (R) is strongly favored to win re-election to the U.S. House in November.
• Women are 3 of 14 (21.4%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive office in North Dakota, including 0 of 6 (0%) Democrats, 2 of 6 (33.3%) Republicans, and 1 of 2 (50%) nonpartisans. 

South Carolina

• Annie Andrews (D) won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina. She will challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R) in a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report. If successful, she would be the first woman in the U.S. Senate from South Carolina.
• Women are 4 of 11 (36.4%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in South Carolina, including 3 of 5 (60%) Democrats and 1 of 6 (16.7%) Republicans. In addition, 2 (1D, 1R) women candidates have advanced to runoff elections for the Democratic and Republican nominations in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District. 
• Of the 4 (3D, 1R) women nominees for U.S. House in South Carolina, only incumbent U.S. Representative Sheri Biggs (R) is currently favored to win in November. Incumbent U.S. Representative Nancy Mace (R) will not return to the U.S. House; she was unsuccessful in her bid for governor. 
• Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette (R) has advanced to the runoff election for the Republican nomination for governor. 
• Women are 3 of 10 (30%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive office in South Carolina, including 2 of 6 (33.3%) Democrats and 1 of 4 (25%) Republicans. One woman candidate remains in a Democratic primary contest for secretary of state that is too close to call. 
  • Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Ellen Weaver (R) will be challenged by Democratic nominee Sylvia Wright (D) in an all-woman general election contest.
  • If successful, Democratic nominees Sylvia Wright (superintendent of public instruction) and/or Tiffany Boozer (comptroller) would be the first Black women to serve in statewide elective executive office in South Carolina. 

For more information, see the full analysis of how women fared in yesterday's contests on our Election Analysis page. Complete context about women in the 2026 elections can be found on CAWP's Election Watch.