18 women candidates to watch for the 2018 midterms

Could the wave of female candidates point to the rise of women politicians in America? Here are 18 candidates that could show the way this November.

This campaign season, Americans are seeing an unprecedented number of women running for office. They’ve also likely heard of this described as a “pink wave” of female candidates, many of whom are challenging male incumbents or fellow newcomers for office. In many states, women running for office have already broken barriers with their candidacies. If they win, many could across becoming the first in their gender, religion, or ethnic groups to represent their communities at the federal level.

Why are so many women running for office? Many point to the candidacy and eventual White House win of Donald Trump. Throughout his campaign, Trump established himself as someone who was only nominally friendly to women. More often, and judging particularly by recorded conversations, Trump has proven himself to be hostile towards many women both in and outside his orbit.

As a result, a large majority of women who are competing for office this year are doing so as Democrats. That’s not always the case, as there are a fair number of women who also describe themselves as Republican, though fewer still align themselves with the president. Depending on where they’re running and how their campaigns are managed (not to mention funded), even the most minute of political distinctions could end up as a big deal.

Even if you don’t agree with the politics of some of the women included here, it’s clear that this is a historic election season happening right now. As we head into November and the finale of the 2018 midterms, here are 18 of those women who are worth following in the next few weeks.