WUNRN
Women made up 54 percent of the electorate, pushed the female composition
of the
by qwrrty, Tim Pierce, on Flickr under CC 2.0
(WOMENSENEWS)--The
November 6 election in the United States showed the rising might of
women both as voters and as candidates.
Women were about 54 percent of the American electorate,
according to CNN exit polls, and
showed a historic preference for Democrats, the party carrying the banner for
reproductive rights and a strong social safety net.
The gender gap in favor of President Barack Obama was 18
percentage points this time; a big gain from 12 points in 2008 election.
Women also helped pushed the female composition of
theU.S. Senate in the 113th Congress to a new high-water mark.
Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren became
Amy Klobuchar, an incumbent senator from
Conservative Democrat Jim Matheson defeated Mia Love, a
Utah Tea Party candidate for the House of Representatives. She would have been
the first African American female
Republican in Congress if she had won.
In races for the U.S. House of Representatives, sexual
politics played a decisive role as six GOP men with strong positions against
reproductive rights lost.
Richard Mourdock, another controversial GOP candidate,
was defeated in the Indiana Senate race by Joe Donnelly. Mourdock stirred
controversy a few weeks ago over his comments on life being a
gift from god, even if it stems from rap.
Pro-choice supporters also won a huge victory in
However, voters in
Marriage equality saw huge wins
in all four states voting on the issue. Same-sex marriage was legalized in
Find out more about how female candidates did on election
night here.