Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 12, 1994                   TAG: 9411150033
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WOMEN WINNERS

In Tuesday's House races, with a record number (111) of female major-party candidates, some thought they might top 50 wins. They didn't. Instead they picked up a net of one, for a total of 48 seats out of 435 in the 104th Congress. In the 100-member Senate, women also picked up one seat - for a total of eight, a record.

Meanwhile, in statehouses around the country, women actually lost ground. Due to retirements and the defeat of incumbent Democrat Ann Richards in Texas, the number of women governors dropped from four to either one or two, depending on the still-pending outcome of a tight governor's race in Maryland.

In terms of adding to women's numerical strength in Congress, it didn't help that 11 women incumbents were challenged by other women. And though the GOP blowout accounted for the one-seat pickup by women in the Senate - U.S. Rep. Olympia Snowe of Maine easily won the seat being vacated by retiring Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell - it sent packing several female rookies who helped women nearly double their numbers in the House two years ago. Notable among the losers was Democrat Leslie Byrne, elected in '92 as Virginia's first congresswoman.

Oh well. Advocates of greater gender equity in political leadership roles should keep the faith. The goal is worthwhile, and women continue to make progress - slowly but surely. Election opportunities are like streetcars. You may miss one, but there are always others coming along.