Out of 198 Republicans in the House of Representatives, just 13 are women. This week, a closely watched election in North Carolina may help determine how serious the party is about changing that. Guest: Julie Hirschfeld Davis, who covers Congress for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Background reading:

• Dr. Greg Murphy, a state representative and urological surgeon, defeated Dr. Joan Perry, a pediatrician, in a race that set off a clash at the highest levels of the Republican Party.
• After watching Democratic women make historic gains in the 2018 midterm election, Republican women have decided to adopt the Democrats’ strategy for themselves.