WASHINGTON (AP) — The midterm elections brought a surge of female candidates to ballots across the country. Now, in a year that has been defined by the political awakening and activism of women, Election Day is testing whether those women will reach record-breaking numbers in Congress and in governor's mansions across the country.

In the House, 237 women were on the ballot as major-party candidates. Women hold 84 out of 435 House seats, a record number. If more than 84 of those women candidates won on Tuesday, it would set a record for the number of women serving in the House.

Women also were...