Record number of women running for state legislature - October 23, 2006 - The Center for American Women in Politics (CAWP), Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University reports that a record 2,431 women are general election candidates for the state legislatives in 2006.  That beats the previous record set in 1992, when 2,375 women ran.  CAWP reports that the 2006 candidates include 1,563 Democrats, 859 Republicans, 7 women running in non-partisan races and 2 Progressive Party members. Two hundred and forty women are currently state legislators not up for re-election this year. 

Twelve women (8D, 4R) have won their parties’ nominations for the US Senate this year, tying the record set in 2002.  Ten women have won major-party nominations in the 37 states with gubernatorial elections in 2006, matching the records set in 1994 and 2002.

One hundred thirty nine women are general election candidates for the House, with two primaries involving women still to be decided in Louisiana.  Three incumbent women are also candidates for non-voting delegates to Congress from the District of Columbia, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. The record for women House candidates was set in 2004, when 141 women won their primaries.

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