Tag: Center for Women

In state legislative races across the country, there are over 3,300 women running in the general elections, beating the previous high of just over 2,600 set in 2016. North Carolina, however, is not experiencing a surge in women candidates to the same degree as many states. There was a 26 percent increase in the number of women running for the state legislature, but this figure is tempered by the fact that there was a 27 percent overall increase in the number of candidates running. In terms of other offices, the number of women running for Congress is the same as it has been in the last two election cycles, but fewer women are running for county-level offices in the state or for the judiciary. And with a digital subscription, you'll never miss a local story. The fundamentals of North Carolina politics for women have changed little in recent years. North Carolina, especially in many rural areas, has a very traditional political culture, which is male-dominated, that makes it more difficult for women to run for and serve in office. In many communities across the state, not only are there no women currently serving in any offices, but there never have been. Women make up almost 54 percent of registered voters in North Carolina, but hold less than 24 percent of all elected offices. We may end the 2018 election cycle with more women in Congress or even the General Assembly, but, in reality, there is still a long way to go before gender parity is achieved.