Primary elections were held on Tuesday in Pennsylvania. Full context about women in the 2024 elections, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, are available via the Center for American Women and Politics’ (CAWP) Election Watch.
Among the most notable results for women:
- Pennsylvania will remain one of 17 states that has never sent a woman to the U.S. Senate. No women made the primary ballot as U.S. Senate candidates in 2024.
- All women U.S. House incumbents are general election nominees, and all but one are strongly favored to win re-election. U.S. Representative Susan Wild (D-PA) will run for re-election in a contest currently rated as a toss-up by Cook Political Report.
- All five non-incumbent women nominees for the U.S. House from Pennsylvania are running as challengers to incumbents, with one challenger – Janelle Stelson (D-PA10) – competing in a district deemed competitive (lean Republican) by Cook Political Report.
- Both women nominees for statewide executive office in Pennsylvania are running for state treasurer in an all-woman contest where Erin McClelland (D) will challenge incumbent Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R).
U.S. Senate
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: No women currently represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate. No women have ever served in the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania.
Women Candidates in 2024: No women made the primary ballot as candidates for the U.S. Senate seat up for election in Pennsylvania in 2024.
U.S. House
Women Nominees in 2024: Based on primary election results, women are 10 of 33 (30.3%) major-party nominees for U.S. House in Pennsylvania, including 9 of 17 (52.9%) Democrats and 1 of 16 (6.3%) Republicans.
The number of women major-party nominees for the U.S. House matches the previous high (10), first set in 2020. Four (3D, 1R) women House candidates were unsuccessful. Of the 10 (9D, 1R) women nominees for U.S. House in Pennsylvania: 5 (5D) are incumbents and 5 (4D, 1R) are challengers. In Pennsylvania’s 5th congressional district, Alfeia DeVaughan-Goodwin (R) will challenge incumbent U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (D) in an all-woman general election contest.
|
District |
Woman Nominee |
Party |
Seat Status |
Race/Ethnicity |
Current Cook Political Report Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Ashley Ehasz |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Likely Republican |
|
4 |
Madeleine Dean |
D |
Incumbent |
White |
Solid Democrat |
|
5 |
Mary Gay Scanlon |
D |
Incumbent |
White |
Solid Democrat |
|
5 |
Alfeia DeVaughn-Goodwin |
R |
Challenger |
Black |
Solid Democrat |
|
6 |
Chrissy Houlahan |
D |
Incumbent |
White |
Solid Democrat |
|
7 |
Susan Wild |
D |
Incumbent |
White |
Toss Up Democrat |
|
9 |
Amanda Waldman |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
|
10 |
Janelle Stelson |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Lean Republican |
|
12 |
Summer Lee |
D |
Incumbent |
Black |
Solid Democrat |
|
13 |
Beth Farnham |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Solid Republican |
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 5 (5D) of 17 (29.4%) seats in the Pennsylvania delegation to the U.S. House. Twelve (11D, 1R) women have ever served in the U.S. House from Pennsylvania.
Women Candidates in 2024: 14 (12D, 2R) women filed as candidates for U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania in 2024. This is not a record high. They were 14 of 44 (31.8%) total major-party candidates for U.S. House in 2024.
Statewide Elective Executive Office
Women Nominees in 2024: Based on primary election results, women are 2 of 6 (33.3%) major-party nominees for statewide elective executive office in Pennsylvania, including 1 of 3 (33.3%) Democrats and 1 of 3 (33.3%) Republicans.
The number of women major-party nominees for statewide elective executive office falls short of the previous high (3). One (1D) woman statewide executive candidate was unsuccessful.
Both women nominees for statewide executive office in Pennsylvania are running for state treasurer in an all-woman contest where Erin McClelland (D) will challenge incumbent Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R).
|
Office |
Woman Nominee |
Party |
Seat Status |
Race/Ethnicity |
Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Treasurer |
Stacy Garrity |
R |
Incumbent |
White |
Treasurer |
|
Treasurer |
Erin McClelland |
D |
Challenger |
White |
Treasurer |
Current/Historic Women’s Representation: Women currently hold 2 (1D, 1R) of 5 (40%) statewide elective executive offices in Pennsylvania. Nine (7D, 2R) women have ever served in the statewide elective executive offices from Pennsylvania.
Women Candidates in 2024: 3 (2D, 1R) women filed as candidates for statewide elective executive office in Pennsylvania in 2024. This is not a record high. They were 3 of 13 (23.1%) total major-party candidates for statewide elective executive office in 2024.
For primary results summaries from other states and full results, including candidate lists, summaries, and historical comparisons, see CAWP’s Election Watch.
