Female members of Congress by party identification, in one telling chart
Steve Pope/Getty Images
A story in Politico Tuesday notes that the Republican Party is preparing to push back, and hard, against the claim that it has a problem with women:
The party launched a program earlier this year to place more women in Republican campaigns.
And the three big national party committees have teamed up to respond to Democratic attacks. They even showcased women who work for the party at the top of their latest talking points. [Politico]
The problem with the GOP's attempt to showcase female party members is that there simply aren't that many of them in Congress, relatively speaking:
There are 76 female Democratic lawmakers in the current Congress, versus just 23 Republicans. And that wide gulf isn't going to change any time soon. According to the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics, there are 173 female Democratic candidates this cycle, compared to 99 on the Republican side.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
