Michigan Women Running - Part 2: Senate stands to lose women

While women have made some progress in Michigan politics over the past quarter-century, 2010 is shaping up to be a "fall back" year, at least at the more local level.

Two women in Michigan's Congressional delegation, Candice Miller (R) and Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D) are running for re-election and are the only women in their races. Eight of the more than 60 Congressional candidates are women, and women are completely absent in seven of the 15 contests. It seems unlikely women will gain any ground.

Women could actually lose ground in Lansing. Nine women serve in the Michigan Senate, and all those posts are up for grabs. In the 3rd, 14th and 35th Districts, there are no women contenders. Only a handful of women are on the ballot in the remaining six races:

2nd (Martha G. Scott) - Four of 10 Democrats in the August primary are women; there is no Republican primary.

15th (Nancy Cassis) - One woman is involved in a three-way Democratic primary; six men are involved in the Republican primary.

18th (Liz Brater) - Two women are in a three-way Democratic primary; two men are on the Republican primary ballot.

23rd (Gretchen Whitmer) - Sen. Whitmer is the only woman in her race; there is no primary for either party.

24th (Patricia Birkholz) - One woman, a Democrat, will face the survivor of a two-man Republican primary.

26th (Deb Cherry) - Two women are part of a four-way Democratic primary; one of the four Republican candidates is a woman.

Among all 38 Senate races, the 2nd District has the strongest female representation. A few races have three women candidates, most have just one or two. Overall, 18 percent (31) of state Senate candidates are women.

According to statistics provided by the Michigan Women's Commission, women's participation in the state legislature has made a slow and steady climb since 1984, from 13 percent in the House and 5 percent in the Senate, to a high of 32 percent (2006) and 24 percent (2010), respectively. Certainly in the Senate, women stand to lose some ground.

In the Michigan House, women make up slightly more - 22 percent - of the overall candidate field. However, many races also have no female candidates.

View a list of Michigan State Senators.
View a list of all primary election candidates.