Will more women win Texas congressional seats in 2020?
WASHINGTON — Texas women, historically more shadow political figures than players, broke through in 2018 in what was labeled the “Year of the Woman” by doubling the number of female members of Congress from Texas from three to six.
This year, women are hoping to make a greater show of force in congressional races from West Texas to Houston and North Texas to the Hill Country.
Women are running for more than half of Texas’ 36 congressional seats: There are 19 women either challenging an incumbent or vying for an open seat — 12 Democrats and seven Republicans. And three of the female incumbents are being challenged by women.
The groundswell for female candidates began among Democrats — spurred by the Women’s March on Washington in January 2017 as a response to the election of President Donald Trump — and now includes Republican women. In 2018 there was only one GOP female challenger for a U.S. House seat in Texas. This year there are seven.
In Central Texas, four of the six districts that include slices of Austin feature female challengers: Democrat Wendy Davis is running against U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Hays County; Democrat Julie Oliver is challenging U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin; Democrat Donna Imam is running against U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock; and Republican Jenny Garcia Sharon is challenging U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin.
Three races illustrate the impact of women on the ballot, less than two months before Election Day:
https://www.statesman.com/news/20200908/will-more-women-win-texas-congressional-seats-in-2020