Tough women fit to take on Trump

has worked with leading party groups such as the Democratic National Committee.

Spanberger will be the first woman to represent her central Virginia district and the only Democrat since the 1970s.

Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, returned her Michigan district to Democratic control for the first time in nearly 20 years. Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor, won a New Jersey district represented by Republicans since the mid1980s.

Elaine Luria, a former Navy officer, beat Republican incumbent Scott Taylor, also a veteran, in southern Virginia. Chrissy Houlahan, an engineer and former Air Force officer, won her redrawn Pennsylvania district after 15 years of Republican representation.

Voters were less inclined to believe claims that the women would support policies like open borders or back calls from some liberals to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, Lake said.

‘‘Democrats have a problem, not just in being perceived as liberal, but that liberal often ends up being perceived as weak,’’ Lake said. ‘‘But you can’t run ‘weak’ against these women — they’re tougher than nails.’’ security adviser to president Bill Clinton.

Jeremy Teigen, a Ramapo College of New Jersey political scientist, said this year’s winners were the ideal foil to Trump, who obtained multiple draft deferrals during the Vietnam War, questioned the findings of US intelligence agencies and made lewd comments about women.

‘‘What’s the antidote to a guy who is a potential draft dodger and misogynist? How about a female who volunteered for military service?’’ said Teigen, who in May 2016 was one of more than 100 Republicans from the national security community who signed a letter opposing Trump’s presidency.

Military and national security experience could appeal to crossover voters, said Centre for a New American Security fellow Jason Dempsey. But he cautioned it might not be a ‘‘magic bullet’’ in 2020, because foreign policy rarely defined US elections.