US Midterms: Women Candidates Eye Historic Gains in Congress and Governorships

Although women comprise approximately 51% of the United States population, they hold only 28.4% of seats in Congress. Despite this gap, the current number of women serving in both the House of Representatives and the Senate has reached an all-time high of 152. Additionally, a record 28% of US state governors—14 out of 50—are women. However, experts note that structural, financial, and cultural barriers continue to hinder equitable representation.

Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University, highlighted systemic obstacles inherent in the US political framework.