Is 2017 the year of the woman in politics in Western Washington?

SEATTLE -- In just about every corner of our state, there is a woman running for office in Tuesday's general election.

There is also a possibility to have a female mayor in every major city on the I-5 corridor.

“This year has really captured an incredible new and different energy,” said Maggie Humphreys, president of the National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington.



Seattle hasn't seen a female mayor in nearly a century but this week a woman will be elected to take the reins -- either Cary Moon or Jenny Durkan.

Up north in Everett, the two names on the ballot for mayor are women -- Judy Tuohy and Cassie Franklin.

Then there is the hotly contested race for a state Senate seat in an Eastside district between Jinyoung Lee Englund and Manka Dhingra.

“Seeing women running against other women candidates is actually pretty relatively new for our state," Humphreys said.

Even with more women stepping into the arena, Humphreys said, sexism still exists.

“Women are judged more harshly on how they look, weight, how they dress,” Humphreys said.

She went on to say that women are also judged on their family life.

“How they balance being a caregiver to their kids and serve in public office  -- we don't ask men those kinds of questions,” Humphries said.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., says the political culture will start to change with more women at the table.

“You can't generically say all women are the same, ever, but I do know from my years of experience here women are more collaborative, they look to people to work with,” Murray said.

Murray's collaborator in Congress -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. -- says female politicians tend to focus on key family issues.

“A lot of pocketbook issues when it comes to the family; we want to make sure that you know that they have access to good education, health care,” Cantwell said.

And if there is one bit of good advice on how to break into politics, Murray says be passionate about something.

“You work on policy, or you work on somebody`s campaign or you work on some community effort that helps to know other people who can become your supporters,” Murray said.

Murray says the women involved today will motivate young women to get into politics down the line.

Although woman make up more than 50% of the population, when it comes to Congress only about 19% in the House are women and 21% are women in the Senate.