U.S. Senate Races-Democrats Look to a Strong Field of Women
U.S. Senate Races—Democrats Look to a Strong Field of Women
ShareBy Peggy Simpson
December 19, 2011
Several Republican women are also likely to be competitive for open Senate seats in 2012.
Democrat Elizabeth Warren is challenging GOP Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts
Donors and grass roots workers are fired up about defending the six Democratic women senators up for reelection and electing at least four more, says Jess McIntosh of EMILY’s List.
“We have the GOP to thank for it,” she says, after House Speaker John Boehner and the Tea Party Republicans “embarked on the most anti-family, anti-women agenda we’ve ever seen…..whether you’re defunding Planned Parenthood or all of family planning.”
The Democratic political action committee supports pro-choice women and put $38 million in their campaigns. “It’s the Democratic women who are making the case—and effectively—for a Democratic win in 2012,” says EMILY’s List McIntosh.
This could be a tough year to face the voters, however.
The economy improves but slowly, the jobless rate remains high, and voters are “very, very angry and very frustrated,” says Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers. “I think this electorate is in total flux. It’s near impossible to predict where they’re going to be ten or eleven months from now.”
The only Republican female senator up for reelection is moderate Olympia Snowe of Maine, and she appears to be in good shape. Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison is retiring.
The spotlight is on the six Democratic women senators: Maria Cantwell of Washington, Dianne Feinstein of California, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.
McCaskill faces strong Republican contenders, including former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, and Stabenow has to cope with a very depressed Michigan economy.
In addition to the Senate incumbents, the Democrats also are fielding some strong challengers, especially Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts against incumbent GOP Senator Scott Brown, and Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin for an open seat but where a former GOP governor has entered the race. Although primary opposition can be fierce in open seats, others expected to have a good shot include Democrats Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and possibly Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota and Susan Bysiewicz in Connecticut. In Nevada, Shelly Berkeley is taking on the Republican appointed after Senator John Ensign resigned earlier this year.
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Link:http://womensmediacenter.com/blog/2011/12/exclusive-u-s-senate-races-democrats-look-to-a-strong-field-of-women/
= new reply since forum marked as read
I had Blanche Lincoln, a so-called democrat from my district for a few years. I haven't heard of a democratic woman running in my district, but I am putting my support behing Ken Aden.
