Halfway through 2025, there are notable opportunities for women candidates unfolding, from the certainty that Virginia will elect its first-ever woman governor to women being well-positioned in elections for governor in New Jersey, lieutenant governor in Virginia, a House seat in Arizona, and mayor in cities like Boston, Detroit, New Orleans, and Seattle. We’re also seeing growing energy for the 2026 midterm cycle, when elections will decide every U.S. House seat, a third of U.S. Senate seats, and the great majority of governors and state legislators. This week, we lift up candidate news, as well as new research.
Let me start by observing that it’s far easier to track intentional efforts to elect women Democrats than women Republicans. EMILYs List keeps showing the value of “early money is like yeast” in boosting Democratic women where there’s a real chance to win, with other entities focused on Democratic women’s electoral success, including the Electing Women Alliance, Emerge America, Higher Heights Leadership Fund, and many others.
Republican counterparts are hard to find. The Susan B. Anthony List rarely backs women these days, instead focusing most of its energy in 2022 and 2024 on Republican men in prominent contests like the president and U.S. Senate. The National Federation of Women calls for electing more Republican women in its mission, but it seems to be an afterthought in their news releases. Winning 4 Women focuses only on Republican women candidates, and so far, is backing incumbents running in 2026.
There is a real opportunity for groups supporting conservative women to get involved in the primaries, where gains for women’s representation are most possible in our current electoral system. With such an imbalance in effort and intentionality, don’t be surprised if the gender gap in representation keeps growing until Republicans act with more focus or we adopt better systems that help all women candidates.
Virginia State Legislative Races Offer New Opportunities for Women This Year
Women running for state legislature in Virginia this year. Source: Virginia Mercury.
EMILYs List issued a news release last month on endorsed candidates moving to the general election.
“EMILYs List congratulates the following candidates: May Nivar (VA-HD57). Leslie Mehta (VA-HD73), Lindsey Dougherty (VA-HD75), Kacey Carnegie (VA-HD89).
Additionally, EMILYs List is thrilled to congratulate Elizabeth Guzmán (VA-HD22), Lily Franklin (VA-HD41), Jessica Anderson (VA-HD71), and Kimberly Pope Adams (VA-HD82) on advancing to the general election in their critical races. EMILYs List proudly supported Guzmán, Franklin, Anderson, Dougherty, and Adams during previous election cycles. This year, if elected, Nivar would become the first Asian-American to represent District 57, and Mehta would become the first Black woman to represent District 73.”
The Electing Women Alliance has more on these Virginia races. The Alliance highlights in its material the sobering statistics that “Women make only 37 percent of political donations—despite making over 85 percent of purchasing decisions in the US.” The “impact” page includes:
“Over the past four cycles, Electing Women has helped close the political gender giving gap and empower Democratic women running for elected office. Since founding our national network in 2015, Electing Women has raised over $30 million for women candidates through over 700 local events. Candidates now rely on the Electing Women network to raise funds and establish their campaigns, especially early in the cycle. And donor communities are forming and thriving around the country in support of women. These networks are also being mobilized for in-state, down-ballot races.”
Women Candidates Garner Support in Detroit Mayoral Election
Mary Sheffield with her grandmother and cousin. Source: Detroit Free Press.
With long-time mayor Mike Duggan running for governor as an independent, Detroit this year will elect a new mayor for the first time in 12 years. With an August 5th primary looming that will reduce the nine-candidate field to two, leading candidates include city council president Mary Sheffield and former city council president Saunteel Jenkins. The Detroit Free Press reviewed the full field of candidates and landed on an endorsement for Sheffield. Here’s an excerpt from its editorial:
“Sheffield made history in 2013, at age 26 the youngest person ever elected to the Detroit City Council, and again in 2021, when she became the youngest person chosen to serve as council president. We believe she’s poised to make history again, as the first woman elected to serve as Detroit's mayor…
All of the candidates we interviewed emphasized that Detroit needs a mayor who understands what the community needs and how the city works, can connect residents with programming and resources and develop new programs to meet unaddressed needs. Sheffield's plans were the most clear and precise. And her performance as council president shows she has the ability to bring her ideas to fruition.
Sheffield is able to discuss the minutiae of city government with ease and depth. She has delivered substantive public policy. She prides herself on meeting her constituents live, identifying the places people naturally gather and getting out to those places to tell residents about city services and programs.”
Kamala Harris and the Election for California Governor in 2026
Kamala Harris on the campaign trail in 2024. Source: The New Yorker
California has never elected a woman as governor, and now has two men likely to represent the state in the U.S. Senate for years to come – due in part to the state’s Top-Two voting system that is being pushed in NYC. Several women are among the contenders for governor in 2026, but one name stands out: former vice-president and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Harris has not officially announced her candidacy, but her recent activities, including donor meetings and local appearances, indicate she is seriously considering it. A new University of California Irvine poll shows Harris leading the field, but not without caveats. On the one hand, she garners 41% support among likely voters in a hypothetical matchup, far ahead of any named Democratic or Republican rival. Still, nearly 30% say they’d vote for a generic Republican, 16% remain undecided, and another 14% say they wouldn’t vote at all in that race.
The hesitancy is not just partisan. Politico notes that even prominent California Democrats are wary of a Harris candidacy, citing lingering disappointment from her 2024 presidential campaign exit. This reaction, rooted in both political trauma and strategic calculation, illustrates the unique hurdles faced by women re-entering the arena after national losses. Women, even those with significant credentials, face intense scrutiny and often must prove themselves in ways male candidates often do not.
In early 2025, the United States achieved a record with 14 women serving as governors, surpassing previous records. However, California remains one of 18 states that have never had a female governor. A profile by 19th News highlights how Democratic women governors, such as Massachusetts’s Maura Healey, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, and New York’s Kathy Hochul, support each other through mentorship and solidarity, strengthening leadership pipelines through their collaboration. We’ll see if Harris or one of the other prospective women candidates for governor is added to that community in the 2026 elections.
Women Running in Special Elections on July 15 in DC and Arizona
Adelita Grijalva is among the frontrunners to complete her father’s term in Congress in Arizona. Source: Tucson Spotlight.
Keep an eye out for women running in special elections for vacant seats on the Washington, D.C. city council and in the U.S. Congress. In Washington, D.C., seven candidates are running to represent Ward 8. Among the leading candidates is one woman, Sheila Bunn, who worked for long-time congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and former mayor and Ward 7 council member Vincent C. Gray (D).
Trayon White Sr., who was unanimously ousted from office by his former city council colleagues in February, may be boosted by the lack of ranked choice voting – although voters backed RCV by a 73% to 27% margin in 2024, this election will still be held with plurality voting where White’s opponents may split the vote. The Washington Post this week editorialized on the value of the city council moving ahead with implementing RCV in time for elections next year with an editorial starting as follows
“Democrats talk a big game about making the U.S. electoral system fairer. But, so far, they are failing to live up to that commitment in D.C. Last November, D.C. voters overwhelmingly passed Initiative 83 to establish ranked-choice voting in the District and allow voters unregistered with a party to participate in partisan primaries. These reforms would dramatically improve democracy in the city.
Ranked-choice voting, also known as instant-runoff voting, would ensure that government officials could not be elected with just a sliver of a split vote. And semi-open primaries would give independent voters, who have long been shut out of the primary process, a voice in the city’s most important races. But many of D.C.’s elected officials — who might face some real competition under this new system — are stalling the reforms.”
Meanwhile, Arizona’s 7th congressional district has been vacant since Democrat Raúl Grijalva died in March. The Democratic primary on July 15th will likely decide who serves the rest of the term following the general election on September 23rd. The frontrunner is Adelita Grijalva, Grijalva’s daughter and a Pima County supervisor. Other candidates include, as Roll Call reported, “Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old social media influencer and Gen Z activist who has built her campaign around calls for a fresh political perspective.”’
2025 Ruth B. Mandel Dissertation Research Awardees
Ruth B. Mandel Dissertation Research Awardees A.J. Boyd, Samyu Comandur, India S. Lenear, and Alex Snipes. Source: CAWP
The Center for American Women in Politics last week announced its four 2025 recipients of the Ruth B. Mandel Dissertation Research Awards for their research on the role of gender in American political life. You can read about the winners and their research on the CAWP website. Here’s a summary of the winning research by Alex Snipes of Emory University:
“Identity, Ideology, and Strategic Context in Congressional Elections: In addition to examining how gender-ideology stereotypes shape the electoral opportunities and outcomes for women congressional candidates in the U.S., this dissertation theorizes that Trumpism has created a pathway for Republican women candidates to align with the hypermasculine ethos of the MAGA movement while still embracing stereotypically feminine messaging.”
Ireland to Elect New President with Ranked Choice Voting
Mary Robinson’s comeback win in 1990. Source: Wikipedia.
Ireland’s executive power resides with its prime minister in elections held with the proportional form of ranked choice voting, but its president commands attention and influence. Mary Robinson was the country’s first woman president elected to a seven year term in a comeback win with ranked choice voting in 1990, and was followed by Mary McAleese who served from 1997 to 2011.
With an open seat to be filled in a ranked choice voting election on November 11th, a number of women are among prospective candidates. This RTE News article cites contenders as including Mairead McGuinness with the Fine Gael party, Mary Hanafin with Fianna Fáil, and progressive coalition candidate Catherine Connolly. The field likely won’t be settled until September.
Former Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy Heralded
Carolyn McCarthy on the night of her first election in 1996. Source: New York Times
Former Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy died on June 26th. The New York Times published a lengthy obituary about her career and impact. EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler released the following statement:
“Former Rep. Carolyn McCarthy was a trailblazer who broke barriers for women in politics and turned personal loss into lasting impact. As a nurse, she ran for office after her husband was killed and her son was wounded in a mass shooting on the Long Island Rail Road, flipping a Republican seat by a wide margin. In office, she became one of the most prominent voices for gun control, bringing her lived experience to fight tirelessly for a cause that was extremely personal. Her nearly two decades of work in Congress inspired generations of survivors and advocates who are still fighting against gun violence today. We honor her life and her legacy as a symbol of resilience and strength.”
Last week, I made three batches of pesto with my garden basil, two cakes, brownies, and cookies for the centennial anniversary of my family’s cabin in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey!
Notable milestones this week include: ratification of the 14th Amendment (1868); Geraldine Ferraro nominated for vice president (1984); and the founding of the National Women’s Political Caucus (1971). Birthdays include: Amanda Farias, majority leader on the NYC Council; Sarah Hanzas, Vermont Secretary of State; authors Jane Hamilton & Jhumpa Lahiri; and my dear daughter Anna Richie.
P.S. Ms Studios has a brand new podcast Looking Back Moving Forward with host Carmen Rios that launched on July 4th. I am so pleased to be among the women experts interviewed. Here is an excerpt from a piece Carmen wrote for Ms:
“In each episode, I chronicle the changes we’ve seen in one of five major parts of the feminist movement—the campaign for equitable political representation, the fight for reproductive freedom, the charge for economic justice, the struggle to end gender-based violence, and the urgency of enshrining the Equal Rights Amendment—and talk to the feminists who continue to work at the frontlines of these critical battles for gender equality.
By looking back at the stories of our collective history shared in more than 50 years of Ms. reporting, I believe we can find the map for how to move forward to the intersectional feminist future we’re fighting for.”
