Democrats aim to elect 100 women to House as party eyes control of Congress in US midterms

Democratic Party is aiming for a historic milestone: electing at least 100 women to the House of Representatives. As Democrats look to wrest control of Congress from Republicans in the November midterm elections, the party is also aiming for a historic milestone: electing at least 100 women to the House of Representatives.With women candidates contesting several key races that could determine control of the House, Democratic leaders believe they could have as many as 113 women in their ranks next year if the party performs strongly in competitive districts, The New York Times reported.“I’m incredibly confident that we will pass that 100 mark,” Representative Teresa Leger Fernández of New Mexico, chairwoman of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, told the newspaper.Democrats currently have 97 women in the House, accounting for around 45 per cent of their caucus. Reaching 100 would set a new record for the party. In the 1980s, women made up less than 5 per cent of House Democrats.Women candidates central to Democrats’ midterm strategyDemocrats have placed women candidates at the centre of their campaign to regain the House majority. According to The New York Times, 18 of the 40 Democrats i...