Women filed to run for office in record numbers this year.
BY Jenna Barr ★ November 9th, 2026
Photo Credit: Nikki Young
This election cycle, women are running more than ever. Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) reports that 590 women filed to run for the U.S. House, breaking the old record of 583, and a record 85 women are running for governor. The surge is mostly Democratic: 402 Democratic women filed for the House, while 188 Republican women filed, well short of the GOP record of 261.
But filing is only the starting line. Women were still about 27 percent of House candidates, and after primaries, 198 Democratic and 73 Republican women are on House ballots this fall. This is short of the 2020 record of 298 nominees. The Senate looks tougher, with CAWP saying the number of women is unlikely to increase and may decline. Democrats are more optimistic about the House, projecting as many as 113 women in their ranks next year, according to New York Times notes that would take winning every competitive race.
In Washington, the picture looks different. A New York Times report found that four of President Trump’s eight female Cabinet-level officials resigned or were fired in three months: Pam Bondi, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Kristi Noem, and Tulsi Gabbard. All four were replaced by men. Their reasons varied, from scandal to a family health issue, since Gabbard resigned to care for her ill husband.
Critics call it a double standard, pointing to male officials who have faced scrutiny but stayed. The White House says the president judges people on merit and qualifications, and a former senior official points to women still in powerful roles, like chief of staff Susie Wiles. Four women still remain in Cabinet-level positions.
The administration is also courting women voters. The Times reports that polls show only about one-third of women support Trump and the Republican Party. First Lady Melania Trump recently announced a women’s health initiative, which comes two weeks before the midterms and may be an effort to win back women voters. The order creates a new women’s health division at the National Institutes of Health and a White House task force. Advocates welcomed the attention but say it needs funding to matter.
Put together, the numbers show a gap between who is running and who holds power. More women are trying to get in, but records as candidates don’t guarantee records in office. For young women voters, that gap is the story to watch. You can look up who is on your ballot through CAWP’s Election Watch.
Edited by Charlene Nomeny