TEXAS - A political wave is rushing across the country.
A surge of women are running for office in 2018, with many of them driven to the campaign trail by President Donald Trump's 2016 win.
After taking the pulse of Washington, Dr. Christine Eady Mann said she didn't like what she found.
"It is time right now. We've waited long enough," Mann said.
Only one in five Washington lawmakers are female, and Mann felt the time was right to run for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Congressman John Carter in House District 31.
"Women's rights have just been under attack. From the legislature all the way up to the federal level. So women have just said 'enough,'" Mann said.
Another Democratic woman running in the District 31 race is MJ Hegar.
"I feel like watching this administration, we're watching the disintegration of a lot of the hard-won rights. That's why my campaign slogan is 'protect our progress," Hegar said.
An air force veteran who saw combat in Afghanistan, Hegar keeps the door from her downed helicopter next to her minivan and said there's no reason a woman can't fight - or govern - as well as a man.
"Ever since I was little I would stand up to bullies on the playground, and this is just me all grown up standing up to bullies on the playground," Hegar said.
Many of the women running in 2018 are Democrats campaigning on an-anti Trump platform, "other women are very excited about the policies that we're seeing put in by having a conservative in the White House," said Missy Shorey, Dallas County Republican chairwoman and executive director of the conservative women's group Maggie's List.
Shorey said her organization is focused on fielding quality candidates in deep red Texas.
"We are seeing a tremendous amount of excitement not only in women running, but women getting engaged and standing up, of all different generations," Shorey said.
As a democratic candidate, Mann said she welcomes more women in Washington, no matter their party.
"Welcome, let's work together," Mann said. "Let's all do our jobs."