Female candidates see early boost in Texas primary

ATLANTA – Predictions of a historic wave of female candidates on the ballot in November received an early boost after the nation’s first primary this week in Texas.

A record number of women advanced in congressional and state legislative races.

Most of the candidates are Democrats, a national trend fueled largely by frustration over the election of President Donald Trump and actions by his administration and Republicans in Congress. Issues such as health care and immigration are prime motivators.

Although women represent more than half the American population, they account for just a fifth of all U.S. representatives and senators, and one in four state lawmakers. Of Texas’s 36 congressional districts, just three are currently represented by women.