Results from the ID, KY, NC, OR, and PA Primaries: Potential Gains and Milestones for Women in Yesterday's Primaries

LAST UPDATED: 6.8.22 11:15am ET (final results)

Five primaries were held on Tuesday in Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Full context about women in the 2022 elections, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, are available via the Center for American Women and Politics’ (CAWP) Election Watch.

Among the most notable results thus far for women:

• Former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Cheri Beasley (D) won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. If elected, Beasley would be the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from North Carolina and the first Black woman elected statewide outside of judicial offices. Zero Black women currently serve in the Senate.
• North Carolina has already reached a new high for women major-party nominees for the U.S. House. All incumbent women are favored to win re-election in November, in addition to the all but assured election of a new woman in the all-woman open-seat contest in NC-04 where State Senator Valerie Foushee (D) is favored.
• Former Speaker of the Oregon House Tina Kotek (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor of Oregon. Kotek was the nation’s first openly-lesbian speaker of a state house. If elected, Kotek would be the first openly-lesbian woman governor in the U.S. Incumbent Governor Kate Brown (D), who identifies as bisexual, was the first openly LGBTQ woman elected governor in the U.S. Former State Representative and House Minority Leader Christine Drazen (R) won the Republican nomination for governor, creating an all-woman gubernatorial contest in November. Either woman would be the third woman governor of Oregon, though Drazen would be the first Republican woman to hold the post.
• Oregon could see gains for women in their U.S. House delegation, including current Commissioner of Labor and Industries and former State Senator Val Hoyle (D) winning the Democratic nomination in Democratic-leaning OR-04. Two women who identify as Latina - Andrea Salinas (D, OR-06) and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R, OR-05) - also won major-party U.S. House nominations; both would be the first Latinas elected to Congress from Oregon. In OR-05, Jamie McLeod Skinner (D) defeated incumbent Representative Kurt Schrader, setting up an all-woman general election contest that all but assures a new women will represent Oregon in the U.S. House. 
• Women were largely unsuccessful in their congressional bids in Kentucky, making it unlikely that a woman will join Kentucky’s all-male congressional delegation as a result of the 2022 election.
• State Representative Carrie DelRosso (R) has won the Republican nomination for the open-seat contest for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. No Republican woman has served as lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania. DelRosso appears to be the only woman statewide major-party nominee in Pennsylvania this year, with men already selected or leading in all gubernatorial and U.S. Senate contests.
• State Representative Summer Lee (D) won the Democratic nomination in PA-12 and is strongly favored to be the first Black woman elected to represent Pennsylvania in Congress.
• Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin (R) was unsuccessful in her Republican primary bid for governor of Idaho against incumbent Governor Brad Little (R). Another incumbent statewide executive official - Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra (R) – was defeated in her primary bid for re-election by Debbie Critchfield (R).

Idaho Kentucky North Carolina

Oregon Pennsylvania

Idaho

U.S. Senate

No woman has ever served in the U.S. Senate from Idaho.

Two (2R) women unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Senator Mike Crapo (R) in the Republican primary election.

U.S. House

Women currently hold 0 of 2 (0%) seats in the Idaho delegation to the U.S. House. Two (1D, 1R) women have ever served in the U.S. House from Idaho. The last woman to serve in the U.S. House from Idaho left in 2001.

Two (2D) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Idaho in 2022.

Based on primary election results, women are 2 of 4 (50%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Idaho, including 2 of 2 (100%) Democrats and 0 of 2 (0%) Republicans.

• Kaylee Peterson (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary and will challenge incumbent Representative Russ Felcher (R) in ID-01, a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
• Wendy Norman (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary and will challenge incumbent Representative Mike Simpson (R) in ID-02, a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.

Of the 2 (2D) women nominees for U.S. House in Idaho, both are white. All of the women who have represented Idaho in Congress to date have been white.

Statewide Elective Executive Office

Women currently hold 3 (3R) of 6 (50%) statewide elective executive offices in Idaho. Twenty-one (5D, 16R) women have ever served in statewide elective executive offices in Idaho.

Twelve (3D, 9R) women filed as candidates for the seven statewide elective executive offices up for election in Idaho in 2022, including 3 (3R) women who filed as candidates for governor.

Based on primary election results, women are 5 of 14 (35.7%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive offices in Idaho, including 3 of 7 (42.9%) Democrats and 2 of 7 (28.6%) Republicans. Seven (7R) women statewide elective executive candidates were unsuccessful.

• 1 (1R) woman incumbent is a nominee for re-election and another is in a primary contest still too close to call.
  • Incumbent Treasurer Julie Ellsworth (R) was unopposed in the Republican primary. She will be challenged by Jill Ellsworth (D) in the general election.
  • Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin (R) is not running for re-election. She ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for governor of Idaho against incumbent Governor Brad Little (R).
  • Incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra (R) has been defeated in her bid for re-election by Debbie Critchfield (R). 
• 2 (2D) women won nominations to challenge incumbents in November.
  • Jill Ellsworth (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary for treasurer. She will challenge incumbent Julie Ellsworth in November.
  • Dianna David (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary for comptroller. She will challenge incumbent Brandon Woolf (R) in November.
• 2 (1D, 1R) women won nominations for open-seat statewide elective executive contests.
  • Terri Pickens Manweiler (D) won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.
  • Debbie Critchfield (R), a former president of the Idaho State Board of Education, defeated incumbent Sherri Ybarra (R) in the Republican primary for superintendent of public instruction.

Of the 5 (3D, 2R) women nominees already selected for statewide elective executive office in Idaho, all are white. All of the women who have served in statewide elective executive office in Idaho to date have been white.

 

Kentucky

U.S. Senate

There has never been a woman from Kentucky in the U.S. Senate.

Three (1D, 2R) women filed as candidates for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by incumbent Senator Rand Paul (R).

• 2 (2R) women unsuccessfully challenged Paul in the Republican primary election.
• 1 (D) woman was unsuccessful in her bid for the Democratic nomination to challenge Paul in November.

U.S. House

Women currently hold 0 of 6 (0%) seats in the Kentucky delegation to the U.S. House. Two (2R) women have served in the U.S. House from Kentucky. The last woman to serve in the U.S. House from Kentucky was Anne Meagher Northrup (R). She left the U.S. House in 2007.

Five (1D, 4R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Kentucky in 2022.

Based on primary election results, women are 0 of 11 (0%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Kentucky, including 0 of 6 (0%) Democrats and 0 of 6 (0%) Republicans. Five (1D, 4R) women U.S. House candidates were unsuccessful.

Statewide Elective Executive Office

THERE ARE NO STATEWIDE ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS IN KENTUCKY IN 2022.

 

North Carolina

U.S. Senate

Two (1D, 1R) women have previously served in the U.S. Senate from North Carolina: Elizabeth Dole (2003-2009) and Kay Hagan (2009-2015).

Nine (4D, 5R) women filed as candidates in the open-seat contest for U.S. Senate in North Carolina this year.

Based on primary election results, a woman is 1 of 2 (50%) major-party nominees for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. Eight (3D, 5R) women U.S. Senate candidates were unsuccessful.

• Former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Cheri Beasley (D) won the Democratic nomination in a contest currently rated as “Lean Republican” by Cook Political Report. Beasley was formerly elected statewide to the North Carolina Court of Appeals (2008) and North Carolina Supreme Court (2014). From March 2019 to December 2020, Beasley served as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. She lost her 2020 bid for re-election to the Supreme Court by just 401 votes.
• If elected, Beasley would be the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from North Carolina and the first Black woman elected statewide outside of judicial offices.

U.S. House

Women currently hold 4 (3D, 1R) of 13 (30.8%) seats in the North Carolina delegation to the U.S. House. Eight (5D, 3R) women have served in the U.S. House from North Carolina.

Twenty-nine (14D, 15R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in North Carolina in 2022. This year marks the highest number of women running for the U.S. House in North Carolina, including the highest number of both Democratic and Republican women running for the House, between 1990 and 2022.

Based on primary election results, women are 11 of 28 (39.3%) major-party nominees selected for U.S. House in North Carolina, including 7 of 14 (50%) Democrats and 4 of 14 (28.6%) Republicans. Eighteen (7D, 11R) women U.S. House candidates were unsuccessful. This is a new high for women nominees for the U.S. House in North Carolina; the previous high for women nominees in North Carolina U.S. House contests was 7, first set in 2004 and again in 2020.

• All 4 (3D, 1R) women incumbents are nominees for re-election.
  • Representatives Deborah Ross (D, NC-02) and Kathy Manning (D, NC-06) were unopposed in the Democratic primary elections. They are both favored to win re-election, but Manning is running in a district that is less strongly Democratic (D+9) than when she first won her seat in 2020 (D+21). Cook Political Report currently rates her contest as “Likely Democratic.”
  • Representatives Virginia Foxx (R, NC-05) and Alma Adams (D, NC-12) are strongly favored to win re-election in November.
• 4 (3D, 1R) women have won nominations to challenge incumbents in November. 
  • Christine Villaverde (R) will challenge incumbent Representative Deborah Ross (D) in NC-02 in an all-woman contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report.
  • Barbara Gaskins (D) will challenge incumbent Representative Greg Murphy (R) in NC-03, a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Pamela Genant (D) will challenge incumbent Representative Patrick McHenry (R) in NC-10, a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
• 3 (1D, 2R) women won nominations for open-seat U.S. House contests.
  • Sandy Smith (R) won the Republican nomination in NC-01, a contest currently rated as “Lean Democratic” by Cook Political Report. Smith was the Republican nominee for NC-01 in 2020, when she was defeated by incumbent Representative G.K. Butterfield by 8.4 points.
  • State Senator Valerie Foushee (D) won the Democratic nomination and Courtney Geels (R) won the Republican nomination in an all-woman open-seat contest in NC-04. This contest is currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report.
  • Jasmine Beach-Ferrera (D) won the Democratic nomination in NC-11. Due to the loss of incumbent Representative Madison Cawthorn (R), she will face Chuck Edwards (R) in an open-seat general election contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.

Of the 11 (7D, 4R) women nominees for U.S. House in North Carolina, 3 (3D) are Black – incumbent Representative Alma Adams (D, NC-12), State Senator Valerie Foushee (D, NC-04), and Barbara Gaskins (D, NC-03) – and 8 (4D, 4R) are white.

Statewide Elective Executive Office

THERE ARE NO STATEWIDE ELECTIVE EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA IN 2022.

 

Oregon

U.S. Senate

One (1D) woman has previously served in the U.S. Senate from Oregon: Maurine Neuberger (1960-1967). She was first elected to the Senate in a special election to fill complete her deceased husband’s term. At the time, she was already a state legislator.

Jo Rae Perkins (R) won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to challenge incumbent Senator Ron Wyden (D) in a Senate contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report. Perkins was also the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020, challenging incumbent Senator Jeff Merkley (D). Merkley (D) defeated Perkins by 17.6 points in the general election.

U.S. House

Women currently hold 1 (1D) of 5 (20%) seats in the Oregon delegation to the U.S. House. Five (5D) women have ever served in the U.S. House from Oregon.

Fifteen (8D, 7R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Oregon in 2022.

Based on primary election results, women are 6 of 12 (50%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Oregon, including 4 of 6 (66.7%) Democrats and 2 of 6 (33.3%) Republicans. The previous high for women nominees in Oregon U.S. House contests is four, set in 2020. Nine (4D, 5R) women U.S. House candidates were unsuccessful. 

• Incumbent Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D) won the Democratic nomination to seek re-election in OR-01, a contest currently rated as Solid Democrat by Cook Political Report.
• One (1R) woman won a nomination to challenge an incumbent in November.
  • Joanna Harbour (R) was unopposed in the Republican primary to challenge incumbent Representative Earl Blumenaeur (D) in OR-03, a contest currently rated as Solid Democrat by Cook Political Report.
• Two (2D) women won nominations for open-seat U.S. House contests and 2 (1D, 1R) more women are now in an open-seat contest in OR-05 due to the defeat of the incumbent in the Democratic primary.
  • Current Commissioner of Labor and Industries and former State Senator Val Hoyle (D) won the Democratic nomination in OR-04, a contest currently rated as “Likely Democratic” by Cook Political Report.
  • State Representative Andrea Salinas (D) won the Demcoratic nomination in OR-06, a contest currently rated as "Likely Democratic" by Cook Political Report. If successful, Salinas would be the first Latina elected to Congress from Oregon.
  • Jamie McLeod-Skinner (D) defeated incumbent Representative Kurt Schrader (D) in OR-05. She is now the Democratic nominee who will run against Republican nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R) in an all-woman general election contest currently rated as “Lean Democratic” by Cook Political Report.

Of the 6 (4D, 1R) women nominees already selected for U.S. House in Oregon, 2 (1D, 1R) - Andrea Salinas and Lori Chavez-DeRemer - are Latina and 5 (3D, 2R) are white. These counts include 1 (1R) candidate - Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R, OR-05), who identifies as both Latina and white. All of the women who have represented Oregon in Congress to date have been white.

Statewide Elective Executive Office

Women currently hold 4 (3D, 1NP) of 5 (80%) statewide elective executive offices in Oregon, including governor. Ten (6D, 1R, 3NP) women have served in statewide elective executive offices in Oregon, including 2 (2D, 1NP) women who have served in multiple positions. Both women who have served as governor of Oregon – current Governor Kate Brown (D) and former Governor Barbara Roberts (D) – also served as secretary of state prior to becoming governor. Governor Brown is not eligible for re-election due to term limits.

Only two statewide elective executive offices are up for election this year: governor and labor commissioner. Both are open-seat contests.

Ten (3D, 5R, 2NP) women filed as candidates for the two statewide elective executive offices up for election in Oregon in 2022, including 8 (3D, 5R) women who filed as candidates for governor.

Governor: Former State Representative Tina Kotek (D) won the Democratic nomination for governor. Kotek was the nation’s first openly-lesbian speaker of a state house. If elected, Kotek would be the first openly-lesbian woman governor in the U.S. Incumbent Governor Kate Brown (D), who identifies as bisexual, was the first openly LGBTQ woman elected governor in the U.S.

Former State Representative and House Minority Leader Christine Drazen (R) won the Republican nomination for governor, creating an all-woman gubernatorial contest in November. Either woman would be the third woman governor of Oregon, though Drazen would be the first Republican woman to hold the post.

Labor Commissioner: Christine Stephenson (NP) and  Cheri Helt (NP) advanced to the general election from the non-partisan primary for labor commissioner.  Incumbent Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle (D) ran for and won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House in OR-04, creating an open-seat contest for this office.  

The sole woman nominee already selected in contests for statewide elective executive office in Oregon as well as the women leading in undecided races are all white.

 

Pennsylvania

U.S. Senate

There has never been a woman from Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate.

Three (1D, 2R) women filed as candidates in the open-seat contest for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania. All were unsuccessful. 

U.S. House

Women currently hold 4 (4D) of 18 (22.2%) seats in the Pennsylvania delegation to the U.S. House. Eleven (10D, 1R) women have ever served in the U.S. House from Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania has lost a U.S. House seat due to reapportionment.

Twelve (9D, 3R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania in 2022.

Based on primary election results, women are 9 of 30 (30%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Pennsylvania, including 8 of 14 (57.1%) Democrats and 1 of 16 (6.3%) Republicans. Three (1D, 2R) women U.S. House candidates were unsuccessful.

• All 4 (4D) women incumbents are nominees for re-election.
  • Representative Susan Wild (D, PA-07) was unopposed in the Democratic primary election. This contest is rated as a Democratic toss up by Cook Political Report.
  • Representatives Dean (D, PA-04), Scanlon (D, PA-05), and Houlahan (D, PA-06) were unopposed in the Democratic primary election and are strongly favored to win re-election in November. Each of their contests are currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report.
• 4 (3D, 1R) women have won nominations to challenge incumbents in November.
  • Ashley Ehasz (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R) in PA-01, a contest currently rated as “Likely Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Amanda Waldman (D) was unopposed in the Democratic primary to challenge incumbent Representative Daniel Meuser (R) in PA-09, a contest currently rated as “Solid Republican” by Cook Political Report.
  • Lisa Scheller (R) won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Representative Susan Wild (D) in an all-woman contest in PA-07. This contest is currently rated as a Democratic toss up by Cook Political Report. Scheller was also the Republican nominee in PA-07 in election 2020, when she lost to Wild by just 3.8 points.
  • Shamaine Daniels (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge incumbent Representative Scott Perry (R) in PA-10, a contest currently rated as "Likely Republican" by . Cook Political Report. If elected, she would be the first Latina to represent Pennsylvania in Congress.
• 1 (1D) woman - State Representative Summer Lee (D) – won the Democratic nomination in the open-seat contest in PA-12, a contest currently rated as “Solid Democrat” by Cook Political Report. If elected, she would be the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress.

Of the 9 (8D, 1R) women nominees already selected for U.S. House in Pennsylvania, 1 (1D) - Summer Lee - is Black, 1 (1D) - Shamaine Daniels - is Latina, and 7 (6D, 1R) are white. All of the women who have represented Pennsylvania in Congress to date have been white.

Statewide Elective Executive Office

Women currently hold 1 (1R) of 5 (20%) statewide elective executive offices in Pennsylvania.

Eight (6D, 2R) women have ever served in statewide elective executive office in Pennsylvania, including 3 (3D) women who held more than one statewide elective executive position. No woman has served as governor of Pennsylvania.

Only two statewide elective executive offices are up for election this year: governor and lieutenant governor. In Pennsylvania, candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in the primary but then run as a ticket in the general election.

Three (3R) women filed as candidates for the two statewide elective executive offices up for election in Pennsylvania 2022, including 1 (1R) woman who filed as a candidate for governor.

Based on primary election results, women are 1 of 4 (25%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive offices in Pennsylvania, including 0 of 2 (0%) Democrats and 1 of 2 (50%) Republicans. Two (2R) women statewide elective executive candidates were unsuccessful.

• State Representative Carrie DelRosso (R) has won the Republican nomination for the open-seat contest for lieutenant governor. No Republican woman has served as Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. Catherine Baker Knoll, a Democrat, previously served as lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2008.

DelRosso is white. All of the women who have served in statewide elective executive office in Pennsylvania to date have been white.

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For primary results summaries from other states and full results, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, see CAWP’s Election Watch.