Based on an analysis of possible outcomes of the June 5 Iowa primary election, the director of the Iowa State University Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics is “cautiously optimistic” we could see a record number of women in the Iowa Legislature after the general election in November.

At a minimum, 65 women will be on the general election ballot, but depending on primary results it could be as high as 96. Depending on primary results, Iowa could surpass the record number of women elected to the state Legislature, a record set 10 years ago. 

“Nationally, women are doing well in the primaries so far and we expect to see similar results in Iowa,” Dianne Bystrom, director of the Catt Center, said in a release.

Kelly Winfrey, a Catt Center collaborator and assistant professor for the ISU Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, conducted the analysis. In the Iowa Legislature, there are 23 open-seat races and women are running in 18 of those races. Any candidate, regardless of gender, will have a greater rate of success in an open-seat race, rather than facing an incumbent.

“In the past several election cycles, between 50 and 62 percent of women won their races,” Winfrey said. “They’re winning just as much – and sometimes more often – than men.”
Comparing the 2016 and 2018 primaries – data accessible through the Catt Center’s Women in Iowa Politics Database – illustrates the growth in women running for office: 

• Total candidates in 2016 – 74 percent men, 26 percent women.
• Total candidates in 2018 – 68 percent men, 32 percent women.
• Candidates who are running unopposed in 2018 – 64 percent of men, 66 percent of women.

The growth is not unique to Iowa. According to Bystrom, a record number of women are running for governor or the U.S. House of Representatives. She and Winfrey plan to track results from the Iowa primary election and provide updates on the Catt Center’s website.  

Read the full analysis online.