Women are stepping up in most major 2016 Senate races

Nationwide, other women -- including women of color -- are seeking Senate seats and are well-positioned but facing male competition.

In Nevada, former attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, is vying to replace Sen. Harry Reid in a race that is still taking shape. If she wins, Masto would be the first Hispanic woman to serve in the U.S. Senate and the first woman to represent Nevada in that body.

In Maryland, another state with a relatively recent history of women in federal office in the person of Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Rep. Donna Edwards is running against another Democrat, Rep. Chris Van Hollen. No Republicans have officially entered that race, and the GOP isn't likely to be competitive.

In Arizona, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) just jumped in the race against longtime Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, who also faces a primary challenge from a woman, state Sen. Kelli Ward.

In Illinois, the state that sent to Washington one of the two women of color who have served in the Senate (Carol Moseley Braun), Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who is part Thai, is the front-runner to face Sen. Mark Kirk (R). Other hopefuls include Chicago Urban League President Andrea Zopp and possibly Rep. Robin Kelly. Kirk’s reelection bid has been described as one of the toughest in the country.

And in North Carolina, we're still waiting to hear whether recently unseated former senator Kay Hagan (D) will challenge Sen. Richard Burr (R).



http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/05/28/women-are-stepping-up-in-most-major-2016-senate-races/