May 01, 2018
NEWS & NOTES
A newsletter to keep you informed about all things women and politics from the Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University.

Primaries Ahead
Gender Watch 2018 has issued outlooks for each of the four states (IN, NC, OH, WV) holding primary elections next Tuesday, May 8th. Each outlook includes the number of women candidates running in 2018 (by party, office, and status), women as a proportion of all candidates in each state, and historical comparisons for women running and serving. 
Women in Congress Hit Record 20%
With the election of Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) to the House and appointment of Cindy Hyde Smith 
(R-MS) to the Senate, women will hold a record 20% of all congressional seats; 19.3% of the House and 23% of the Senate. Upon Lesko's swearing-in , 107 women will serve in the 115th Congress (78 Ds and 29 Rs). 

With the addition of   Lesko, 84 women will serve as voting members   of the House of Representatives (61 Ds and 23 Rs); t he number briefly dipped to 83 with the passing of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. 
 
Check out CAWP's website for current numbers of women running and serving at every level.
Voters, Candidates, and #MeToo
Tarana Burke's #MeToo movement, which launched a national conversation about sexual harassment, shows no signs of slowing down. New research by the Barbara Lee Family Foundation , conducted in partnership with Lake Research Partners and Bellwether Research & Consulting, reveals what voters think about the #MeToo movement and how their thoughts might translate into voting decisions.
MA Attorney General Maura Healey 
Delivers Inspired Talk
Healy's April 19th  talk on "The Role of State Attorneys General in the Current Political Climate" wowed the audience here at the Eagleton. Watch the video here.

May your generous tax deductible gift help CAWP foster women's political equality in America. Donate $50 or $100 today!

The Struggle is Real
Few big-city mayors see running for higher office as appealing , according to four political scientists from BU and MIT who collected data from nearly 200 large US cities and interviewed 94 mayors, "especially if they are women or black."
 
Michelle Cottle reports in The Atlantic on Why Congress Remains Hostile to Women , despite relaxing its rules to allow babies onto the Senate floor.
 
Republican women wonder when they'll get a female speaker of the House , according to Lauren Fox of CNN. "At this point, no women and no minorities are in contention..."
 
 
 
On the Horizon  
Margaret Talbot assesses The Women Running in the Midterms During the Trump Era in The New Yorker. "This year's wave of female candidates has some striking features besides its sheer size." Article showcases interactive maps drawing on CAWP's extensive candidate data.

  Is Stacey Abrams Assembling a New Democratic Majority? b y Aimee Allison, Op-Ed contributor for The New York Times. 

A Peaceful World Requires More Women Politicians , President Jimmy Carter told Reuters VOA.
 
Trailblazers  
 
' She Would Love All This Fuss ,' reports Lindsey McPherson in Roll Call about Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, who passed away in March after serving in the US House for three decades.


Center for American Women and Politics
Eagleton Institute of Politics
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