Female Candidates Line up for 2010

From Politico:

Female candidates line up for 2010
By: Josh Kraushaar
February 23, 2009 04:32 AM EST

A slew of formidable female candidates, mostly Democrats, are lining up
to run for the Senate in 2010, enough to raise the prospect of a surge
of women into a chamber that currently has just 17 women senators.

Even at this early point in the election cycle, two prominent statewide
female officeholders have announced their campaigns in key battleground
states and at least 10 other experienced female candidates — ranging
from state officials to former CEOs to members of Congress— are
considering bids for the Senate.

“This is really unprecedented for leading female candidates jumping
in,” said Karen O’Connor, director of the Women and Politics Institute
at American University.

“It really is a landmark year because there’s a farm team now,”
O’Connor said. “Now you have mayors, congresswomen, secretaries of
state; they’re waiting in the wings, and they’re not going to sit back
any longer.”

In Missouri, Secretary of State Robin Carnahan has already received the
blessing of the Democratic establishment and is not expected to face
serious primary opposition in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Kit
Bond.

Read the rest here.