US women make gains in Congress during midterms
WASHINGTON (WISH) — A record number of women will be a part of the U.S. House and Senate after Tuesday’s elections.
Both chambers set new records for the number of women elected.
Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House leader from California, said, “Women led the way to victory with at least 30 new women coming to the Congress.”
Pelosi likely once again will be Speaker of the House.
Slyvia Garcia, a Democrat representative-elect from Texas, said, “Not only did we elect the first Latina from Texas, to represent Texas in its entire history…”
Voters also elected the first two Muslim and first two Native American women to Congress.
Republican Marsha Blackburn will be the first women to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate, and Republican U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem will become South Dakota’s first female governor.
More than 100 women will serve in the 435-member House of Representatives and at least 23 in the 100-person U.S. Senate. But, those numbers still are not reflective of the U.S. population, which is 50 percent female.
Pelosi said issues such as health care and child care are important to everyone, but female lawmakers should focus on other things, too, “because we view every issue as a women’s issue.
“We believe the national security of our country is a women’s issue, economic security.”
Woman also played a big role in flipping the House of Representatives to Democratic control, with 59 percent of women voting for Democrats, according to CNN exit-poll data.