Marstella Jack and Merlynn Abello-Alfonso lose, the 10th year of unsuccessful women’s bids for Congress.

What happened

Abello-Alfonso lost Pohnpei District 1 to Ferny Perman, 3,156 to 2,028, and Marstella Jack lost District 3 to Esmond Moses. No woman had won a seat in Congress since 1979; eight had tried since 2011, and a 2012 bill to reserve seats for women failed.

Why it matters

The first woman entered Congress in 2021, and Abello-Alfonso won her seat in 2023.