June 25, 2024

We have analyzed and shared our top takeaways for women candidates in recent primaries in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Virginia. Here's a snapshot of what to expect in the November elections:

• Maine is expected to maintain its current level of women's congressional representation with Chellie Pingree (D) favored to retain her U.S. House seat, while Demi Kouzonas (R) faces a tough Senate race against incumbent Angus King (I). 
• Nevada's three incumbent women in Congress, including Senator Jacklyn S. Rosen (D), are in competitive races that do not guarantee their re-election, potentially affecting women’s representation in the state. 
• North Dakota is poised to make history by electing Julie Fedorchak (R) as the first woman to represent the state in the U.S. House. 
• In Oklahoma, women’s representation in the U.S. House is unlikely to change, with incumbent Stephanie Bice (R) favored to win re-election.
• South Carolina is likely to maintain its women’s representation in Congress with Nancy Mace (R) favored in her re-election bid. 
• Virginia faces potential declines in women’s representation with two incumbents, Abigail Spanberger (D) and Jennifer Wexton (D), not running, although Jen Kiggans (R) and Jennifer McClellan (D) are expected to win their respective races. 



For more details, visit our Election Watch Results and Analysis hub.

We are pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of our Ruth B. Mandel Dissertation Research Awards. The Mandel Awards support dissertation research on women, gender, and U.S. politics and are $2,000 each in value. Congratulations to our four award winners:

These awards were established in honor of our founding director, Ruth B. Mandel, whose leadership was critical in building CAWP into a national center with multi-faceted research, education, public service, and information programs, helping to define and build the field. Learn more about the awards here, and the remarkable life of Ruth B. Mandel here.

NEW Leadership® Virginia

Our associate director, Jean Sinzdak, visited the inaugural NEW Leadership® Virginia summer program this month. Hosted by the Gender and Policy (GAP) Center at George Mason University’s (GMU) Schar School of Policy and Government, the his non-partisan, five-day residential program took place from June 9 – 14, 2024, in Arlington, Virginia.

During the program, students from colleges and universities across the Commonwealth had the opportunity to engage with women leaders, explore the role of women in American policy, politics, and public life, and develop their leadership skills through various panel discussions, workshops, and projects. NEW Leadership® Virginia’s Faculty in Residence included Majority Leader Charniele Herring, Virginia House of Delegates; Shea Holman, counsel and COO of The Purple Method, and Bonita Pennino, former government relations director for the American Cancer Society. Among the highlights of the program was a visit to Capitol Hill, where students met with members of Congress, including Representative Jennifer McClellan (pictured). Upon completing the summer institute, participants joined NEWL’s prestigious national network of distinguished alumni.

On the other side of the country, our partners at Saint Mary’s College are holding their inaugural NEW Leadership® Northern California this week!

Reflecting on Juneteenth

This month, we honored Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reaching the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas — more than two years after it was signed. In our social media spotlight, we recognized the remarkable contributions of Black women in politics who have fought tirelessly for freedom, justice, and representation, including Shirley Chisholm, who was the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first Black person to run for president on a major-party ticket. Chisholm was CAWP’s inaugural Senator Wynona Lipman Chair in Women’s Political Leadership and her papers are archived here at Rutgers.

In fact, this year marks the centennial of Shirley Chisholm's birth. To honor Chisholm, the Museum of the City of New York and the Shirley Chisholm Project at Brooklyn College are presenting the first major museum exhibition on her life and legacy. The exhibition follows her life from her early years in Brooklyn and Barbados to her political career, highlighting her work on education, childcare, migrant rights, workers' rights, abortion access, and racial and gender equality. We look forward to exploring the interactive displays at the Museum of the City of New York.