No, 2018 was not a fluke. In fact, it was a precursor to possibly one of the biggest years for women elected to political office in U.S. history: 2020.

This year has seen a record number of women of color running for Congress, with the Huffington Post reporting at least 267 candidates — shattering the previous record of 179 women who ran in 2018.

Nationwide, women Democrats and progressives are winning their primary elections. Candidates such as Candace Valenzuela in Texas and Michelle De La Isla in Kansas.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) easily won her primary re-election on June 23, advancing to the General election in November, in a heavily Democratic district.

Rep. Ilhan Omar is also running for re-election in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional district, where her primary is set for Aug. 11. She faces competition by main rival Antone Melton-Meaus, a progressive candidate who may prove to be a strong opponent to Omar, but her stance remains optimistic.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s primary election is Sept. 1, and she is currently running unopposed.

Rep. Rashida Tlalib is also up for reelection, on the ballot in November to represent Michigan’s 13th congressional District. 

Throughout their two-year terms, the Democratic establishment and Republican critics alike have insisted the squad members are too vocal, too radical, too visible, even. But then continue to overwhelm at the polls, AOC says.

“Please put some respect on Rashida Tladib’s victory last night,” wrote AOC on Twitter, in support of her fellow squad members.

“She didn’t ‘survive’ – she overwhelmed at the polls. Throughout our first term, we’ve been told our advocacy is ‘too much’ to be re-elected. Instead , voters supported her in huge margins,” she continued.

“Headlines said I was the most vulnerable member of the Squad,” tweeted Tlalib in response to her primary victory. “My community responded last night and said our Squad is big. It includes all who believe we must shop up for each other and prioritize people over profits. It’s here to stay, and it’s only getting bigger.”

It’s true. Primary results find Cori Bush winning big in Missouri. Should she win in November, she would be the first Black woman to represent her district in Congress.

“Cori Bush will make an excellent Congresswoman, congratulations on your historic win,” tweeted Rep. Omar. 
 

The Wall Street Journal is already calling Bush the Squad’s new member. Her historic win saw the defeat of 10-term incumbent congressman Lacy Clay and his father before him.

These results further show the impact women of color are having on the currently political stage. With a larger Squad, the progressive force grows stronger.