A record number of women are running in Texas congressional primaries this year, ABC News reported Sunday.
At least 50 women are campaigning for congressional seats in Texas, joining 110 women running for local office across the state.
Some of the women said they were inspired to run to oppose President Trump and his policies.
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Gina Ortiz Jones, a former staffer in the Trump administration, told ABC that she decided to resign and run for office as a Democrat, inspired by actions taken by Trump she felt negatively impacted women and minorities.
Ortiz Jones, who is an openly gay veteran and the daughter of a Filipino immigrant, told the news outlet it wasn’t surprising that more women are running. She is one of several female candidates challenging Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas).
“They have stepped up and said, ‘You know what? I’m done assuming somebody is going to do for me that which I can do for myself,’ ” she told the network.
Alma Arrendondo-Lynch, who is running for Hurd’s seat as a Republican, said she was in the race to back the Trump administration.
“If we get enough people that are conservatives like myself who have the passion in their heart, yes, we can shake up Washington,” Arrendondo-Lynch told ABC.
The state also has a record number of openly LGBTQ candidates this year, with 35 LGBTQ people running for public office.
Women across the U.S. are running for Congress in increased numbers, with more than twice as many women launching campaigns for the 2018 midterms than were running two years ago.
Texans set a record for early voting numbers this year, with more than 602,000 voters casting ballots through Wednesday.
Democrats outvoted Republicans by more than 25,000 ballots since early voting began on Feb. 20, the largest turnout for the state’s Democrats since the primary battle between former President Obama and Hillary Clinton in 2008.