Just six years after a blue wave decimated their ranks, Rep. Elise Stefanik—the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House—is spearheading an effort to surpass the record for Republican women sitting in the chamber.
After sounding the alarm about the “crisis level” following the 2018 midterms, when the number of GOP women plummeted to just 13, Stefanik, a Republican from New York who chairs the GOP conference, has been intent on increasing the ranks of Republican women in the House.
Since then, Stefanik and others have been actively seeking out and supporting female candidates in their early stages of the campaign. There are now 36 female Republicans in the House, plus two alternates who do not vote. This is a record number.
This time around, the GOP could use any wins to strengthen their governing majority next year, moving them beyond their present precarious majority that has been weakened by internal strife.
In an exclusive interview this week, Stefanik stated, “It’s a model that has worked effectively, and it’s going to work effectively this time.”.
There are others who are hoping that this year will be the year when the drive to support GOP women reaches a new peak.
While the Winning for Women Action Fund would be thrilled to see a new record set this cycle, Executive Director Danielle Barrow made it clear that they are not taking anything for granted. The House majority is due to Republican women who have taken over competitive districts, and the WFW Action Fund is making every effort to hold on to and even take over more of these districts come November.
However, it may be difficult to achieve this feat again, as the outcome of future contests depends on voter behavior in highly divided districts around the nation and on the impending departure of important figures.
Along with Jenniffer González-Colón, who is running for governor of Puerto Rico, three female GOP senators are retiring: Kay Granger of Texas, Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, and Debbie Lesko of Arizona. Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota and Sheri Biggs of South Carolina won primaries for deeply red vacant seats, thus Republicans are projected to add at least two female representatives to the House.
For the Republican female incumbents and challengers to surpass the present record, they would need to secure victories in a minimum of eleven out of sixteen House races involving female nominees that are deemed competitive according to the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. This includes challenging re-election campaigns as well as eight races involving candidates running in districts held by Democrats.
Stefanik stated, “I still think we can get above where we are now.” She went on to note that the female incumbents, such as Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, Michelle Steel of California, and Young Kim of California, are excellent contenders.
“Those races are challenging,” Stefanik remarked. “It is guaranteed that they will win those races.”
In addition to several other candidates, Stefanik mentioned several women who have the potential to win contested seats. These women include former GOP representatives Yvette Herrell of New Mexico and Mayra Flores of Texas, as well as Alison Esposito of New York and Caroleen Dobson of Alabama.
Stefanik stated the Republicans are still “moving in the right direction” even if they do not achieve a new record.
The number of female Republicans in the House was deemed to have reached a “crisis level” by Stefanik approximately six years ago. Then-National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Tom Emmer of Minnesota and Stefanik had an argument over whether or not it would be a “mistake” for E-PAC to prioritize female candidates. That she “wasn’t asking for permission” was Stefanik’s response back then.
While acknowledging that leadership occasionally aligns with E-PAC on endorsements and that women played a crucial role in the GOP’s gains in 2020, Stefanik noted that since then, Emmer and other GOP leaders have become allies in her endeavor.
According to the Center for Women and Politics at the Rutgers Eagleton Institute of Politics, a record number of female Republican candidates ran for the House that year—261—and that record was broken again the following year. However, only 161 were recorded this year.
Since 2022, when a large number of new candidates were introduced due to redistricting, the overall number of House candidates has decreased. Center for Women and Politics data shows that among Republican women, the decline is most pronounced. In response to a question regarding the drop, Stefanik said that the Republican majority and fewer retirements among GOP targets this year were to blame.
Stefanik claims that the drive to encourage more female Republicans to seek office has been a smashing success.
