A surge of women are running for office

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand,and US Senator Lisa Murkowski
(L-R)US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand,and US Senator Lisa Murkowski speak onstage at the Women of the World Summit on April 13, 2018 in New York City.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

Some are calling this the 2018 version of the Year of the Woman, with nearly 60 percent more women running for the House and Senate than in 2016.

But women candidates are still getting questions about how they'll juggle family responsibilities, where they'll get enough campaign money and how influential they can be once they're elected—the same questions that female candidates have been getting since the early days of politics.

There's also a question of lasting impact. Yes, in the days of Trump the number of women running for office has increased for the midterms but will that continue into 2020?

MPR News host Kerri Miller spoke to Jennifer Lawless, the director of women and politics at American University, about this surge. Miller also spoke to Jennifer Carnahan, chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, and Lauren Beecham, director of womenwinning (sic). Miller ask guests how women can maintain this momentum.

Use the audio player above to listen to the discussion.