The 2020 election season is in full swing, and here at FFL we’re excited to see that there has been a surge in Republican women running for public office. We love to celebrate conservative women in all capacities and give our readers a look at what they stand for. 

Now that the primaries are wrapping up and we’re starting to finalize who will be on the ballot this November, let’s take a look at the Republican women who you can vote into the Senate this fall. 

Any woman who was running but lost her primary has been removed from the list. Several primaries have not occurred yet, and so those women are included here. 

You can view our full series on the GOP Women running in each state here. 

Incumbents

Martha McSally: Arizona

After being appointed to fill the Senate seat vacated by Jon Kyl, who  was serving in the interim after the death of John McCain, Martha McSally will compete in a Special Election to finish out the seat’s term.  She is expected to win the primary, and is expected to face Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords. McSally served in the Air Force and previously served Arizona in the House of Representatives. She’s voted along party lines for the most part and has been supportive of President Trump. She opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or threat to the mother’s life. McSally supports repealing the Affordable Care Act and securing the border. She holds a masters degree in government from Harvard. 

Joni Ernst: Iowa

Joni Ernst is pretty well-known in conservative politics. A fiesty, female veteran who is not afraid to speak her mind, Ernst has been in the Senate since 2015. If she wins in November, she’ll serve a second term. She was the first woman elected to the Senate from Iowa, ever, and the first female combat veteran to serve in the Senate. She was a member of the Iowa National Guard. Then, she served a year in Kuwait. When she retired from the military, she had served 23 years total! Ernst gave the GOP response to the State of the Union in 2015, which is often a sign for a great career in the movement. Currently, she sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Committee on Armed Services, and others. She’s supported President Trump since his election and has a score of 85% from the American Conservative Union. She is a gun-owner who supports the Second Amendment, a pro-life woman, and as bravely spoken out about being a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence.  You can find her campaign website here, her Senate website here, and follow her on Twitter @JoniErnst.

Kelly Loeffler: Georgia

Loeffler was nominated to the U.S. Senate in December 2019 following the resignation of Senator Johnny Isakson. Before being nominated, she was a businesswoman and CEO of a bitcoin trading platform in Atlanta. She is pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and a staunch ally of President Trump’s. Her priorities include promoting job growth and fair trade practices, protecting members of the military and people affected by sex trafficking and the opioid epidemic, and addressing issues with healthcare costs and the deficit. 

Susan Collins: Maine

Incumbent Republican Susan Collins is seeking another term. She has served Maine in the Senate since 1996, and has often been a pivotal vote for Republicans in contentious cases (see: Brett Kavanaugh). She is the senior most conservative woman in the Senate. She’s a pretty consistent conservative vote, along with the Trump agenda. Collins has been known as a “moderate Republican” in previous years. She has supported some gun control bills, like laws against large magazines and people on the no-fly list being able to purchase guns. She leans more pro-choice, but has voted to confirm pro-life judges. Collins supports reforming the healthcare system and sits on several committees, including the Appropriations Committee and the Committee on Aging. Her re-election is considered “tough” considering people would love to take down this powerful woman, but she is currently slightly favored to win. She has no serious Republican challenger.  You can find her Congressional website here and her campaign site here, or follow her on Twitter @SenatorCollins. 

Cindy Hyde-Smith: Mississippi

Cindy Hyde-Smith was the first woman to represent the state of Mississippi in Washington, D.C. She was appointed in November 2018, and will be running for re-election this year. She served 12 year on the Mississippi State Senate, and as Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. Currently, she serves on six subcommittees of the Senate Appropriations Committee: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Homeland Security; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, and Legislative Branch, where she is a chairman. As a fifth-generation farmer, Hyde-Smith is passionate about advocating for farmers and ranchers across the United States. She is a strong supporter of President Trump, the second amendment, and the right of the unborn. Hyde-Smith is a devout Christian and isn’t afraid to share her religious views. She advocates for a strong military and national defense. Her number one priority during her reelection campaign is to address the rising national debt. She will be facing Democrat Mike Espy, who she beat in 2018, Democrat Tobey Bartee, and Democrat Jensen Bohren.

Shelley Moore Capito: West Virginia

Capito is finishing up her freshman term as a Senator, having been elected in 2014 as the first female Senator from West Virginia. Prior to her election to the Senate, she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (WV-02) and the West Virginia House of Delegates. She holds a B.S. in Zoology from Duke University and a Master’s in Education from the University of Virginia.  In the Senate, she sits on four committees: Environment and Public Works (chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee); Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Appropriations (chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee); and Rules and Administration. She is a strong supporter of the president and has been endorsed by Winning for Women. Capito has two primary challengers but with a net favorability rating at +45 with Republicans and +14 overall and Cook PVI at Solid R, she has a clear path to re-election.

Challengers

Lauren Witzke: Delaware

Witzke is a political activist and worker in the pharmaceutical industry from Delaware running for the seat currently held by Democrat Chris Coons.  She has a fascinating story of addiction and working for drug cartels, has spoken at CPAC in the past, and is now passionate about fighting the opioid crisis.  On the issues, she supports a 10 year moratorium on all immigration, wants to end no fault divorce nationally and provide benefits to couples who marry and have three or more children together, and supports the 2nd Amendment and opposes red flag laws. Witzke will compete in the GOP Primary in September. 

Kandiss Taylor-: Georgia (Special)

Taylor is a schoolteacher who wants to “give Georgia…an option that is conservative, fair, and middle-class”. She has held many roles in the public school system. Her main policy priorities are education, mental health, lowering taxes, and protecting farmers and small businesses. She is also pro-life and stands for gun rights. Cook PVI rates this seat as Leans R so whoever wins the heated Republican primary has a good chance at winning the seat.

Jo Rae Perkins: Oregon

The only female in the race, Republican Jo Rae Perkins is running for US Senate to unseat Democrat Jeff Merkley. Perkins was a real estate agent, financial advisor, and insurance agent, and now serves on the City of Albany Human Relations Commission as an elected Precinct Committee Person. She is also the delegate for the Linn County Republican Party. Perkins is a pro-life, pro-2A candidate and emphasizes the importance of both fiscal and social conservatism to her platform. She also notes banning tolling on federal roads and returning land management to the states as priorities in her campaign.

Natisha Brooks: Tennessee

With current U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander announcing his retirement, several Republicans are vying to keep the seat red. Brooks, the founder of The Brooks Academy and serves as Chancellor, is running in the Republican primary. She is a first-time candidate who has a passion for education. Prior to becoming a Home School and Tutoring Consultant, Miss Brooks helped to raise 3 “failing” schools to among the best in the district. She has been voted “Teacher of the Year” by a National Scholarship sponsored by Disney and received numerous awards for her contributions in academics. Her campaign website lists her platform as supporting education reform, veterans affairs, and community first initiative. Cook Political rates this race as Solid R. 

Cynthia Lummis: Wyoming

Lummis retired from the United States House of Representatives in 2016. Now, she’s back and this time, she is running for the Senate. During her time in the House, she was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus. Before her time in US Congress, Lummis spent eight years as Wyoming State Treasurer and 14 years as a member of the Wyoming State House and Senate, according to her website. She is an “advocate for Wyoming sportsmen and women” and has a A+ rating from the NRA and 100% voting record with the Right to Life. She is in a crowded primary, but the seat is solid Republican. Whomever wins the primary will be slated to win the general.

Alissa Baldwin: Virginia

Alissa Baldwin is a Civics teacher that is running for United States Senate against Democrat Mark Warner, who has held the seat since 2009. Baldwin is “100% prolife” and supports school choice. In addition, she is a gun rights advocate. According to her website, the most relevant terms to describe her stances on issues are faith, family and freedom. Cook Political Report has rated the Senate seat for 2020 to be solid Democratic.

Aryssa D
FFL Cabinet Member

Read more articles