Why The Midterms Were Bad News For Women

Why The Midterms Were Bad News For Women
GREENSBORO, NC - NOVEMBER 4: Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) concedes the Senate race in North Carolina to Republican Thom Tillis in Greensboro, NC, on Tuesday, November 4, 2014. (Photo by Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NC - NOVEMBER 4: Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) concedes the Senate race in North Carolina to Republican Thom Tillis in Greensboro, NC, on Tuesday, November 4, 2014. (Photo by Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Under the dark cloud of Tuesday’s Republican victories, many women pointed out a silver lining: For the first time ever, Americans are now represented by more than 100 women in Congress.

“That is a milestone,” says Kelly Dittmar, a professor at the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. But don’t get too excited. Until recently, we had 99 women in Congress, and if you count non-voting delegates, we’ve been above 100 for awhile now. “It’s tough for us to celebrate when it’s only an increase of one,” Dittmar says. Pending the outcomes of a few more races, the count could rise as high as 105. Not exactly a landslide.

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