Women File to Run for U.S. House Seats in Record Numbers

The number of women running for the U.S. House set a record Thursday, most of them Democrats, reports the Associated Press . In many places, women are running for seats that have never had female representation. "It's about time," says Kara Eastman of Nebraska, one of two Democrats trying to win a primary and the right to challenge a GOP incumbent in a district based in Omaha. After Virginia issued its candidate list on Thursday, 309 women from the two major parties have filed candidacy papers to run for the House, exceeding the previous record of 298 in 2012. Even with these record numbers, women are still outnumbered by male candidates. However, experts say the sheer number of female candidates combined with numerous House seats open due to retirements or resignations provides one of the best opportunities for women to make significant gains in terms of representation and a shift in priorities. Many candidates have focused their campaign messages on healthcare, education, early childhood development, family leave, and workplace equality. Eastman says she was motivated by the GOP's attempts to reduce health coverage for low-income people and rollbacks of environmental protections.