It was in 2014, after a Supreme Court decision allowing Hobby Lobby to deny employees contraceptive coverage, when Karen Smythe began to consider running for office.

For Anna Kaplan, the decision stemmed from her experience as a political refugee from Iran, and her appreciation of the opportunities for women in the United States. For Janet Berl Burman, it was the high taxes in Central New York that had nearly driven her to leave her beloved state.

Those reasons, disparate as they are, have now brought the women to a shared, remarkable moment: They are among 10 women who are running for New York’s State Senate against another female candidate, the highest number of two-woman races in recent memory, if not ever.

The proliferation of female candidates, several of whom are running for the first time, has excited observers who lament the still-gaping gender gap in politics. But it has also illuminated the expectations and assumptions — about everything from stances on abortion rights to preparedness for office — that still shape women’s bids, even and perhaps especially when they are running against another woman.