With a record number, 40 women are candidates to the governorates of the states where they reside 

Leer en español: Estados Unidos: Mujeres al poder

The participation for the elections of governors in the United States establishes a record because, so far, 40 women have taken the decision to formalize their candidacy for these positions, according to a study published by the Center for Women and American Politics (CAWP).

It should be taken IGNORE INTO account that this electoral process will be dated November 6, where these 40 candidates will be voting in each of the state governments where they reside. In addition, aspiring candidates are accompanied by the main political houses, 24 of them by the Democrats and 16 by the Republican party. The candidacies establish a historical figure, surpassing that registered in the year of 1994 when 34 candidates decided to participate in the elections.

This news has been well received by the women’s union, including the director of CAWP, Debbie Walsh, who stressed that “choosing women governors not only places them in powerful executive positions, but also creates a pool of future presidential candidates”.

Another detail to highlight is that the figure of 40 candidates may increase, because there are still registration processes open in 17 of the 36 states, in which the electoral process will be held on November 6. Even, it is expected that there are states where there is an incentive for a greater female participation, due to the current number of registered. Some examples are Colorado or Maine, where up to five women are opting for state governorship.

Lupe Valdez is an example of potential candidates to compete for the state of Texas. This 70-year-old media candidate, who served as curator in Dallas County and under the Democratic shield, will seek the position of current conservative Governor Greg Abbott.

But this wave of female participation does not stop there. According to the center for studies of women in politics, there are projections of 400 women who will opt for a seat in the House of Representatives of the United States, when the mid-term elections are held and 50 more will seek a place in the Senate.

Record against sexism?

Some media claim that this historical situation of women, in search of political power of the states, is due to sexism and sexual misconduct present in different sectors of society, and even within large industries such as film and music.

In fact, it has also been alleged, part of the responsibility of this situation to the current head of state Donald Trump, for his chauvinistic behavior. He has even received accusations, by the liberal sector and part of American society, to have reached a confidentiality agreement with porn actress Stormy Daniels.

As a statistical data, which could mark a differential value in the elections, 50.6% of the inhabitants of the United States are women, that is 166,350,426. This figure could be a factor in favor of today’s candidates for the states of the country.

Latin American Post | Julio Abella
Translated from “Estados Unidos: Mujeres al poder”