Historic amount of women leading states expected after midterm elections
This year's midterm elections broke barriers, the glass ceiling, and nationwide records.
Specifically, the number of women holding statewide offices across the country is expected to reach an all-time high.
"In January, we expect there will be eighteen women serving as governor, which is up from the previous record of fourteen," Amanda Hunter, an adjunct professor at the Women & Politics Institute at American University, told WBZ-TV.
While not every race has been called, the nation voted for a lot of historic firsts.
In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms will be the first Black woman to serve as governor. In Texas, Gina Hinojosa will be the first Latina governor. In New Mexico, Deb Haaland won the race as the first Native American woman Governor.
Closer to home, Massachusetts voters decided to re-elect the state's first woman governor, Maura Healey.
Hunter said having more women in positions of power can shape the policies that affect everyday families.
"When you have women who are moms, who are caring for aging parents, who are facing the same economic challenges that everybody else is, bringing their lived experience to the table, policy is going to be influenced by those decision makers," Hunter said.
Kat Cline, the executive director at the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus, said this is a trend that spans from the state level to Washington, D.C.
"We're going to see more than a hundred democratic women serving at one time for the first time ever starting in January," Cline said.
As Democrats take control of Congress, Revere's own Katherine Clark could be the first woman to serve as House Majority Leader. Hunter said Clark's rise through the political ranks is remarkable.
"It's pretty extraordinary when you think about the trajectory of Katherine Clark starting on the local school board here in Massachusetts, and then serving in the state house, and now reaching the top echelons of Congress," Hunter said.
The recent increase of women getting elected to top positions isn't limited to Democrats. Cline pointed out that Republican women are also making gains.
"That record number of governors includes several Republicans," Cline said. "Even in Alaska, which hasn't been called yet, the woman who is one of the contenders there is a Republican. So, we're seeing it on both sides."
There's still one position that hasn't been held by a woman. Policy experts say the governorship is often a pipeline to the presidency, so they're looking forward to seeing who throws their hat in the ring in 2028.
