ICYMI: Firsts for women in this election

Your definitive guide to women, politics and power.

Nov 15, 2024 View in browser   By Dana Nickel Illustration by Jade Cuevas/POLITICO (source images via AP, Getty Images, and iStock) Morning, Rulers! Happy Friday. How are we doing? Between the election and President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet selections, I feel like we’ve had about two months' worth of news within the last two weeks. It’s easy to wonder if we’ve missed some important updates.  This week, I talked to experts and elected officials about the historic moments for women in this election cycle. From state ballot measures to history in Congress, I’ve got you covered.  Let’s get into it.  This election proved to be a mixed bag for women. Overall, fewer women ran for elected office, and Vice President Kamala Harris lost her historic presidential bid against Donald Trump. Still, this election still saw many firsts for women up and down the ballot — even though women candidates largely avoided putting their identities front and center on the campaign trail. “The president has kind of a unique position in our country. And that bar is definitely higher, and it does have a feeling of ‘two steps forward, one step back,’ when it comes down to electing the first woman president,” says Betsy Fischer Martin, the executive director of American University’s Women and Politics Institute. “But,” adds Fischer Martin, “there are plenty of other really positive stories when you think about women in elected office.” This election cycle, 20 percent fewer women ran for office — and data indicates that fewer Republican women won their congressional primaries, according to data from Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics. “We had a record number of incumbent women who either retired from office, ran for a different office or lost their primary,” Debbie Walsh, director of CAWP, tells Women Rule. Walsh adds that women had fewer “electoral opportunities” this year in part due to decennial redistricting, a process she says can make races much more competitive. Here’s a breakdown of some of the wins we’re seeing this election season: History in Congress  Two Black women — both Democrats — will serve in the Senate together for the first time. In Maryland, Sen.-elect Angela Alsobrooks made history as the first Black woman to represent the state in the Senate. In Delaware, Sen.-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester, who already made history as the state’s first woman and Black person elected to Congress, became the first Black person and the first woman to represent the state in the Senate. “I am proud to represent the people of Delaware in this new role. In addition, we now have two Black women serving in the United States Senate at the same time for the first time in history,” Blunt Rochester tells Women Rule in a statement. “The Senate is an opportunity to bring our lived and professional experiences to the table. As someone who has built my career on creating jobs and economic opportunities for women and working families, I am excited to continue building on this work in the Senate.” Walsh tells Women Rule the election of Alsobrooks and Blunt Rochester helps dispel “an antiquated notion that women of color can only win in places where people of color are a significant minority or the majority.” As Fischer Martin sees it, the women’s victories are examples of what embracing diverse coalitions can do for a candidate. “I think both of those races are examples of those women being able to build a very broad coalition that is made up of a very diverse group,” she says. “Black, white, Hispanic [voters] have seen [Alsobrooks and Blunt Rochester] as the most qualified and most reflective of their positions.” In Washington, Rep.-elect Emily Randall (D) became the first openly LGBTQ+ Latina woman to represent the state in the House. Democratic Rep.-elect Julie Johnson will be the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent Texas in the House. In Delaware, Democratic Rep.-elect Sarah McBride made history as the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. “I take seriously the responsibility of being a first,” McBride tells Women Rule in a statement. “And I know how much this win would have meant to me as a young person as I faced my own crisis of hope and wondered whether the heart of this nation was big enough to love me too.” Annise Parker , President and CEO of the Victory Fund, a national organization that works to elect LGBTQ+ leaders to public office, tells Women Rule that McBride was one of more than 400 candidates across local, state and federal levels the Victory Fund supported. “[McBride] will be the first person to say that she is not a trans member of Congress, but she’s a member of Congress who is also transgender,” Parker says. “That’s the kind of thing that we preach to our candidates. First and foremost, you’re there to represent your constituents, and then you’re there to bring your lived experience so that you can represent that as well.” Parker adds that more LGBTQ+ representation in Congress and down-ballot is essential for policy-making decisions. “Democracy only works when everyone is represented,” she says. “When you’re from marginalized communities, if you’re not in the room, then the conversation is happening without you. … we need [to be in] the room to speak for ourselves.” Republican Rep.-elect Julie Fedorchak made history as the first woman from North Dakota to be sent to the House of Representatives. Mississippi is the only state to have never elected a woman to the House of Representatives. State and local races The election of Republican Kelly Ayotte as governor of New Hampshire means that 13 women will serve as state governors next year. Ayotte’s victory over Democrat Joyce Craig in what was widely considered this year’s most competitive gubernatorial race puts the total number of women governors at 13. The previous high was 12, a record set during the historic gains for women in the 2022 elections. Before that, the highest number of women serving as governors was nine, a record set in 2004. Next year, when South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is expected to be confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, the number of women governors will return to 12. Walsh told Women Rule that gubernatorial races have always provided more of a challenge for women candidates than a state house race. “This is still the case that voters see legislative positions, positions where you are working with others on committees in sort of group settings, … fits more of the stereotype of women's leadership,” she says. “And so when women run to be the chief executive, to be the final decider, the place where the buck stops. That still comes up against a bit of the stereotype of women's leadership qualities. I think there's still the question of, 'Are they strong enough?'" State legislatures made history by achieving gender parity. California’s state Senate is now 50 percent women, and, depending on a few undecided races, the Legislature could also reach gender parity for the first time. Only three other states — Colorado, Arizona and Nevada — have ever reached gender parity in their state legislatures. Keturah Herron (D) became the first LGBTQ+ woman elected to the Kentucky state Senate. Also in Kentucky, Emma Curtis will be the first openly transgender person to hold city office in the state, serving on the Lexington City Council. In Iowa, Aime Wichtendahl (D) is the first openly transgender person elected to the state Legislature. Ballot measures  Voters in 10 states decided on Election Day whether or not to cement abortion protections in their state constitutions. Seven states — New York, Colorado, Missouri, Arizona, Maryland, Nevada and Montana — voted to maintain or expand abortion access, while three others bucked the national trend of favoring abortion access. Nebraska, South Dakota and Florida made history by rejecting measures to enshrine abortion access in their state constitutions. In Colorado, Hawaii and California, residents voted to protect marriage equality. Nevada became the 20th state to remove sales tax on diapers. New York voters approved its equal rights amendment to the state’s constitution. The amendment protects against discrimination based on pregnancy, sexuality and gender identity. Illinois voters approved a referendum to expand coverage for reproductive health treatments, including IVF.   The lame duck session could reshape major policies before year's end. Get Inside Congress delivered daily to follow the final sprint of dealmaking on defense funding, AI regulation and disaster aid. Subscribe now.     POLITICO Special Report Alex Wong/Getty Images Abortion opponents prepare to undermine just-passed ballot measures by Alice Miranda Ollstein for POLITICO: “Anti-abortion groups on Tuesday unveiled their ‘Make America Pro-Life Again Roadmap,’ an effort to chip away at federal and state access, including in nearly a dozen states that enshrined protections through ballot measures over the last two years. Drawing on the playbook they successfully used under Roe v. Wade to regulate clinics out of existence and outlaw particular methods of abortion, conservative groups plan next year to file lawsuits targeting federal regulation of abortion pills and push legislation in Congress and in at least 15 states they believe can circumvent constitutional amendments and court rulings protecting the procedure.” Trump picks House ally Elise Stefanik for UN ambassador by Eric Bazail-Eimil, Connor O’Brien, Joe Gould and Meridith McGraw for POLITICO: “‘I am honored to nominate Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cabinet as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations,’” President-elect Donald Trump said. ‘Elise is an incredibly strong, tough and smart America First fighter.’ With Stefanik, Trump is elevating a fierce critic of the U.N. as his emissary to the world body — the latest sign that he plans to make good on pledges to strongly support Israel on the world stage and play hardball with international organizations and alliances.” Why Susie Wiles Is So Good at Managing Donald Trump by POLITICO MAGAZINE for POLITICO: “The announcement Thursday evening that Susie Wiles would serve as Donald Trump ’s White House chief of staff prompted two equally strong reactions that boiled down to ‘Who?’ and ‘Of course.’ The people who have covered Trump’s inner circle for the past nine years are not surprised in the least that Trump picked the 67-year-old operative for this most-important position.” Number of the Week Read more here. MUST READS Adnan Beci/AFP via Getty Images Pay first, deliver later: Some pregnant people are being asked to prepay for their baby by Renuka Rayasam for KFF News in partnership with 19th News: “On online baby message boards and other social media forums, pregnant people say they are being asked by their providers to pay out-of-pocket fees earlier than expected. The practice is legal, but patient advocacy groups call it unethical. Medical providers argue that asking for payment upfront ensures they get compensated for their services.” ‘I feel betrayed’: For Black women, Harris’ loss creates a new wound by Anumita Kaur, Emmanuel Felton and Brianna Tucker for the Washington Post: “Black women have long been the bedrock of the Democratic Party. But while their votes have been key to delivering victories for Democrats, some Black women leaders say they are frustrated that they have largely been excluded from top positions in government. There has been a steady increase in Black women being elected to political office since the early 1990s. And they account for a greater proportion of Black elected officials, research shows. As of 2018, there were more than 3,000 Black women holding elected office across the country, primarily at the local level.” Even Exercise Has a Gender Gap by Danielle Friedman for The New York Times: “It’s a story that’s played out in millions of homes, as women feel pulled between taking care of themselves and taking care of family. In one recent study of 400,000 Americans, only 33 percent of women met weekly recommendations for aerobic exercise, as opposed to 43 percent of men.”   Policy change is coming—be the pro who saw it first. Access POLITICO Pro’s Issue Analysis series on what the transition means for agriculture, defense, health care, tech, and more. Strengthen your strategy.     QUOTE OF THE WEEK Read more here. on the move Sarah Van Wallaghen is joining The Rotunda Group as a partner. She’s served as executive director of the Kentucky GOP since 2017. (h/t POLITICO Influence) Anne Marie Chaker has left the Wall Street Journal after 27 years to prepare for the launch of her upcoming book, “LIFT: How Women Can Reclaim Their Physical Power and Transform Their Lives.” (h/t New York Playbook) Shriya Annamaneni is now a communications associate at Moyer Strategies. She is a recent graduate of Georgetown University. (h/t POLITICO Influence)   Follow us on Twitter Dana Nickel @delizanickel Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing @giselleruhiyyih Katherine Long @katherinealong Emma Cordover @Emma_Cordover   Follow us

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