Congressional Women Looking Over Their Shoulders

The upcoming midterm elections may be a regressive event on two key fronts. One, the GOP tide of conservative Republicans could make large strides in picking up seats in the House and Senate. And, two, the number of women in Congress could actually drop for the first time in a generation.

One congressional analyst says a strong GOP showing in November could mean as many as eight fewer women in the House and one or two fewer in the Senate. –JCL

Los Angeles Times:

With this fall’s midterm elections, the number of women serving in Congress could drop for the first time in a generation — a twist on a political season many had dubbed “the year of the woman.”

If large numbers of Democratic incumbents lose in November, as expected, many women could be replaced by men. Female candidates tend to do better in Democratic years, and 2010 is shaping up as a successful year for Republicans.

Women now hold 90 seats in Congress: 69 are Democrats and 21 are Republicans. After the November election, Congress could end up with as many as 10 fewer female members, prognosticators now say, the first backslide in the uninterrupted march of women to Washington since 1978.

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