Results from the March 19th Primaries in Illinois and Ohio

Two primaries were held on Tuesday in Illinois and Ohio. Full context about women in the 2024 elections, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, is available via the Center for American Women and Politics’ (CAWP) Election Watch.

Table of Contents

Icon Key

  • U.S. Senate U.S. Senate
  • U.S. House U.S. House
  • Governor Governor
  • Statewide Executive Statewide Executive
  • Statewide Executive State Legislative
  • Historic Historic

Toplines

Illinois and Ohio

U.S. House

All women U.S. House incumbents from Illinois and Ohio will run for re-election in November. While most are favored to win, two women incumbents from Ohio – Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D) and Emilia Sykes (D) – are seeking re-election in contests currently rated as toss ups by Cook Political Report. Kaptur is currently the longest-serving woman in Congress; she has served since 1983. 

Illinois

U.S. Senate U.S. House

Illinois is unlikely to expand women’s representation in its congressional delegation, as both women nominees running as challengers are competing in districts that strongly favor their incumbent opponent.

Ohio

U.S. House

All women U.S. House nominees from Ohio are Democrats. No Republican woman has represented Ohio in Congress since 2013. 

U.S. Senate

No woman has ever served in the U.S. Senate from Ohio, and that will not change this year, as no women filed as major-party candidates in the 2024 Senate race in Ohio.

Illinois

Nominees
U.S. Senate :

n/a

U.S. House :

8 (5D, 3R)

State :

n/a

U.S. Senate U.S. Senate

There is no U.S. Senate election in Illinois in 2024.

U.S. House U.S. House

Women Nominees in 2024: Based on primary election results, women are 8 of 29 (27.6%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Illinois, including 5 of 15 (33.3%) Democrats and 3 of 14 (21.4%) Republicans. 

The number of women major-party nominees for the U.S. House falls short of the previous high (14), first set in 2020. Five (3D, 2R) women House candidates were unsuccessful. Of the 8 (5D, 3R) women nominees for U.S. House in Illinois: 6 (5D, 1R) are incumbents and 2 (2R) are challengers. 

District

Woman Nominee

Party

Seat Status

Race/Ethnicity

Current Cook Political Report Rating 

2

Robin Kelly

D

Incumbent

Black

Solid Democrat

2

Ashley Ramos

R

Challenger

Latina

Solid Democrat

3

Delia Ramirez

D

Incumbent

Latina

Solid Democrat

6

Niki Conforti

R

Challenger

White

Solid Democrat

9

Jan Schakowsky

D

Incumbent

White

Solid Democrat

13

Niki Budzinski

D

Incumbent

White

Solid Democrat

14

Lauren Underwood

D

Incumbent

Black

Solid Democrat

15

Mary Miller

R

Incumbent

White

Solid Republican

Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 6 (5D, 1R) of 17 (35.3%) seats in the Illinois delegation to the U.S. House. Twenty-one (12D, 9R) women have served in the U.S. House from Illinois. 

Women Candidates in 2024: 13 (8D, 5R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Illinois in 2024. This is not a record high. They were 13 of 46 (28.3%) total major-party candidates for U.S. House in 2024.

Statewide Elective Executive Office Statewide Executive

There are no statewide executive elections in Maine in 2024. 

Ohio

Nominees
U.S. Senate :

n/a

U.S. House :

8 (8D)

State :

n/a

U.S. Senate U.S. Senate

Current/Historic Women’s Representation: No women currently represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate. No women have ever served in the U.S. Senate from Ohio.

Women Candidates in 2024: No women filed as candidates for the U.S. Senate seat up for election in Ohio in 2024.

U.S. House U.S. House

Women Nominees in 2024: Based on primary election results, women are 8 of 30 (26.7%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Ohio, including 8 of 15 (53.3%) Democrats and 0 of 15 (0%) Republicans. 

The number of women major-party nominees for the U.S. House falls short of the previous high (13), first set in 2020. Four (1D, 3R) women House candidates were unsuccessful. Of the 8 (8D) women nominees for U.S. House in Ohio: 4 (4D) are incumbents, 3 (3D) are challengers, and 1 (1D) is running for an open seat. 

District

Woman Nominee

Party

Seat Status

Race/Ethnicity

Current Cook Political Report Rating 

2

Samantha Meadows

D

Open

White

Solid Republican

3

Joyce Beatty

D

Incumbent

Black

Solid Democrat

4

Tamie Wilson

D

Challenger

Black/White

Solid Republican

8

Vanessa Enoch

D

Challenger

Black

Solid Republican

9

Marcy Kaptur

D

Incumbent

White

Toss Up

10

Amy Cox

D

Challenger

White

Solid Republican

11

Shontel Brown

D

Incumbent

Black

Solid Democrat

13

Emilia Sykes

D

Incumbent

Black

Toss Up 

Milestones to Watch in 2024:

  • Two women incumbents from Ohio – Representatives Marcy Kaptur (D-OH09) and Emilia Sykes (D-OH13) – are seeking re-election in contests currently rated as toss ups by Cook Political Report. If unsuccessful in November, they would join the 12 (9D, 3R) women incumbents who have already announced that they are not running for re-election to the U.S. House. 

Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 4 (4D) of 15 (26.7%) seats in the Ohio delegation to the U.S. House. Thirteen (9D, 4R) women have served in the U.S. House from Ohio.

Women Candidates in 2024: 12 (9D, 3R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Ohio in 2024. This is not a record high. They were 12 of 63 (19%) total major-party candidates for U.S. House in 2024.

Statewide Elective Executive Office Statewide Executive

There are no statewide executive elections in Ohio in 2024. 

CAWP Staff