More Democratic women are running for office than ever before

It’s a historic year for women candidates — with a record-breaking number of women on the ballot Tuesday.

The House of Representatives, especially, is due to see an influx of Democratic women — so much so that there could be more women than white men representing that side of the aisle. There’s also a groundbreaking number of women running for governorships across the country, including the first openly transgender woman to do so. And even more women candidates are vying for seats in a number of state legislatures.

If many of these candidates win their races, they could very well contribute to Democratic efforts to retake the House and upend the current makeup of Congress; just 20 percent of the body’s members are women. In states such as South Dakota, Georgia, and Maine, if candidates including Republican Kristi Noem and Democrat Stacey Abrams win their gubernatorial races, they will be the first women to hold these roles. Abrams would also be the first African-American woman governor in American history if she wins.

Reps. Martha McSally, Kyrsten Sinema, and Marsha Blackburn could be the first women to capture Senate seats in races in Arizona and Tennessee as well.

As more women win elected office, they’re expected to not only transform the composition of different government bodies but bring new perspectives that could reshape policy for years to come.