It’s been all over the media how our country had a record amount of women elected into office during the 2018 midterm. With such a tough political climate surrounding the election and its results, it definitely can be nice for anyone, women especially, to look at the successes that this election brought. These are the women who will bring change; these are the women who continue paving the path for the next generation of women because women make this country great.*
More than 270 women were on the ballot:
While not every woman who ran was elected, the number of women who ran was of a very admirable size and showed a sign of definite progress. A majority of women running were out voted to men but the large numbers in participation indicates a future with more opportunities for females to run for positions historically held by males.
This group was diverse:
121 women were elected during the midterms. Made up of and 9 governors, 100 representatives and 12 senators, these women display very diverse group.
Of these 121, 42 are women of color and at least 3 are apart of the LGBTQI+ community. There are 103 women representing the Democratic Party and 18 women representing the Republican Party.
Watching history in the making:
These numbers are record high and are made up of women shaping history by filling positions otherwise untouched by women.
South Dakota and Maine elected their first female governors and New Mexico elected the first Democratic Latina in the United States.
In the House of Representatives, 7 women made history by being the first or second to represent Latinx, Muslim and Native American communities in states that have not previously elected individuals from such backgrounds.
Hope for the future:
While women filling political positions are far from equating that of men in these positions, this does give definite hope for the future. These results indicate that our country is moving forward and progressing in a way that should’ve happened a long time ago.
Countless women in history paved this path for others to continue making history. Even with the all the tension, corruption and lack of representation in our country, we as a whole should be thankful for all these women helping make these changes. These are hopefully steps towards our country’s politics reaching the equality and diversity needed to properly represent and serve its people. Women will continue to make this country great, I just know it.
*All numbers are still considered projected and are as recent as Nov. 7; sources include Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and NPR.