RENO, Nev. (AP) — Nevada voters could soon make history by electing the country’s first female-majority state legislature.
Women, after winning a record number of primary contests last month, could make up nearly two-thirds of the statehouse by Nov. 7, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported .
“In the past, we’ve had to ask women five, six, seven times to run for office,” said Danna Lovell, director of Emerge Nevada, a Democrat-linked candidate training nonprofit based in Las Vegas. “Whereas now, they’re worried. They’re scared about what’s going on in their communities. … I think there’s an extremely great possibility for a female majority.”
Women, based on their party registration and the partisan makeup of their districts, are favored to control 27 seats heading into the 2019 Nevada Legislature — 19 in the Assembly and eight in the Senate, a Reno Gazette Journal analysis of voter registration data shows.
Still, they have to add at least five seats — including four in highly competitive Assembly districts — to secure a 32-seat majority.
Women are already close to getting a majority in the 42-member Assembly.
They are expected to hold 19 seats heading into 2019 — 11 Assembly seats sought only by women, or by an unchallenged female incumbent, seven seats in politically friendly districts where voter registration figures suggest female hopefuls should win comfortably, and one seat won outright in June’s primary election by Reno newcomer Sarah Peters.
If women candidates can unseat incumbents in four less-politically-friendly districts, and defend a swing seat held by Assemblywoman Lesley Cohen, D-Henderson, they would outnumber men in the 42-seat Assembly and likely lock up a bare majority in the whole Legislature.
Men are expected to capture at least 18 seats in the Nevada Assembly this year. Women are likely to capture another 19. The remaining five seats — Districts 4, 21, 29, 31 and 37 — are key races for women if they are to take the majority this year.
Men are expected to capture at least 12 seats in the Nevada Senate this year. Women are likely to capture another eight. One seat — Senate District 20 — is considered competitive between a female and male candidate.
Fred Lokken, a political science professor at Truckee Meadows Community College, expects continued growth in Democratic voter registration will bode well for the state’s largely Democratic crop of female contenders.
Lokken, a registered Democrat, predicts they’ll also be aided by a much-discussed “blue wave” of anti-Trump voter sentiment.
“(President) Donald Trump does something every day to encourage Democrats to vote this year, so that helps,” he said. “This has the potential be an absolutely devastating election to the Republican party.
“So I think, especially with the (blue) wave coming, we’ll see more women in state government after November.”
Eric Herzik, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, thinks the blue wave will come in more like a blue ripple than a blue tsunami.
Yet Herzik, a registered Republican, said he too wouldn’t be shocked if women emerged with a statehouse majority on Nov. 7.
“One thing research has shown us is that women are more likely to serve in states with part-time legislatures,” he said. “Nevada already has a relatively high share of women in the state legislature. … So no, (a female majority) wouldn’t be a total surprise.”
In the immortal words of the former VP, that’s a BFD.
The West always has been friendlier to women’s political rights…
Can’t wait to see how this turns out - could it be the Nevada leads the way in women getting the majority to make the laws. This is where the rubber meets the road.
Go Nevada!!!
In the most unintended way, perhaps Mango Mussolini might lead to something good happening in this country. Go Nevada! Blaze that trail to sanity!!
I have been watching the primary races here in Missouri and Kansas and notice that a lot of women are running strong well financed races. Their male opponents are running traditional campaigns that are culture war issues heavy. The women are going right over the top of those traditional issues with genuine family friendly campaigns. Some of the women are running kick ass and take names campaigns while their male opponents look tired and calculated by contrast. A number of men are going to be surprised this fall.
If more women in office equals promotion of progressive or socialist policies, then kick-ass, but lets keep the Sara Huckabee-Sanders and Nikki Haleys out of office.