More than 40,000 US women have expressed interest in running for office since the 2016 election, according to a leading Democratic recruitment organisation.

Emily’s List, a political action committee focused on enlisting pro-choice female candidates for office, announced the figures of those running for office since November 2016 – a dramatic increase from the less than 1,000 women who reached out to them during the last election cycle.

“Clearly there’s this incredible explosion of women coming out,” Alexandra De Luca, the press secretary for Emily’s List, told The Independent. The organisation’s president, Stephanie Schriock, declared these women part of a “powerful movement shaping our country this year, and in cycles to come”.

The latest figures represent the number of women who’ve signed up for Emily’s List’s “Run to Win” campaign – a new initiative providing information and trainings for women interested in running for office. Ms De Luca says they launched the initiative after receiving a flood of enquiries from women looking to mount a campaign after 2016.

Emily’s List used to be a recruitment organisation, Ms De Luca says, but now: “We’ve had to expand that work because we have all these women coming to us.”

Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street in London. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Berlin Women's March in Berlin. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris Women hold a banner reading "still feminist" with the Eiffel tower in background on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Protesters hold up placards at the Women's March in central London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris A demonstator hold signs on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris during a women's march organised as part of global protests. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Chanting Times Up in the cold rain - On the anniversary of the Women's March on London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands of people gather holding protest signs on Central Park West. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Demonstrators take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago A woman holds a sign during the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington Supporters gather during the Women's March in Washington AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York The crowd lines up near Central Park Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago Demostrators attend the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands hold signs and rally while attending the Women’s March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People hold signs up during the women's march Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Oscar Janicki, 6, participates in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Crowds gather to participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Women pose as they attend the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather prior to the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather the second annual National Womens March AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "Womwn united will never be defeated" during Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome Italian actress Asia Argento (3rdL) attends the Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown Rome. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome The Women's March Rome, designed to show solidarity for the protection of civil and social rights, women's rights and the environment included Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse US film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Zurich A US citizen holds a poster on the anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump apologising to the world on behalf of her country, in Zurich, Switzerland. A year after millions of people took to the streets across the US and countries around the world, women's marches are being held in lots of cities this weekend. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "The rising of the women means rising of us all" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Images Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman lifts her fist while holding a banner reading "Hear our voice" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty

That experience is consistent with the historic surge in female candidates running for office in 2018. According to data compiled by the Centre for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a record 468 women are running for the US House this year, compared to the previous record of 298 in 2012. The number of women running for the Senate is also record-breaking.

Kelly Dittmar, an assistant professor Rutgers University-Camden and scholar at CAWP, says her organisation saw so much demand for their campaign training workshop last year that they had to move locations. Ms De Luca says Emily’s List had recently knocked down a wall in their offices to accommodate all their new hires.

“Across the board, women’s political organisations have seen an increase in demand for their products,” Ms Dittmar told The Independent, adding: “It’s unprecedented, the number of women running.”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeats fellow Democrat Joe Crowley in New York primary elections

Experts cite a variety of reasons for this dramatic increase, from concerns about healthcare access, to the growth of the anti-sexual harassment “me too” campaign. But both Ms De Luca and Ms Dittmar say they’d heard one reason mentioned over and over: the election of president Donald Trump.

“I think that clearly it has motivated women to come out and say: ‘If that guy can be president, I can run for school board,” Ms De Luca says.

Whatever their motivation, the women running for office also seem to be winning. About 26 per cent of the victors in last week’s primary elections were women, according to an analysis by OpenSecrets. That included Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old socialist who unseated 10-term Democratic Representative Joe Crowley from New York in a dramatic upset.

According to OpenSecrets, about 40 per cent of Democratic primary winners for the House of Representatives this cycle have been women,

However, despite this historic surge in female candidates, their numbers still pale in comparison to the number of men in office – and on the ballot. As of 2017, men made up 80 per cent of the US Congress, and more than three-quarters of all state legislatures. According to Ms Dittmar, women make up only 24 per cent of the candidates on the 2018 primary ballots so far.