One of the nation's top political analysts, Stuart Rothenberg, dissects politics at the congressional and statewide levels.

Stuart Rothenberg: Not Exactly Another 'Year of the Woman,' But....

By Stuart Rothenberg

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With 12 women in the U.S. Senate and five female governors, women have started to move into some of the nation's top political offices. But while they may well increase their numbers in next year's Senate elections, it is in gubernatorial contests where women may shine.

Three women senators are up for re-election next year: Democrats Jean Carnahan of Missouri and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Republican Susan Collins of Maine.

Of the three, Carnahan is the most vulnerable. The Missouri Democrat, who was appointed to her Senate seat following the election of her late husband in 2000, has drawn a formidable opponent in former congressman, (and narrow 2000 gubernatorial loser), Jim Talent. Collins and Landrieu begin favored for re-election, and Collins is the only one of the three who is likely to face another woman, former state legislator Chellie Pingree (D).

Seven credible non-incumbent women are also off and running for next year's Senate balloting. The most formidable appears to be former cabinet secretary Elizabeth Dole (R), who is the favorite not only to win her party's nomination but also to capture the North Carolina Senate seat that will be left vacant by retiring Sen. Jesse Helms (R). Dole is the only top tier, non-incumbent Republican woman seeking the Senate this cycle.

Of the half-dozen Democrats seeking to enter the Senate, New Hampshire's Jeanne Shaheen seems to have the best shot. She will face the winner of a likely nasty GOP primary between Sen. Bob Smith and his inter-party challenger, Rep. John Sununu.

After Shaheen, the next most credible Democratic woman is North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, followed by Maine's Pingree. Both have primaries ahead of them, with Marshall's the more uphill.

Former FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani (New Mexico), state Auditor Susan Parker (Alabama), and Democratic activist Lois Combs Weinberg (Kentucky) appear to be longer shots.

The seats of three of the nation's five women governors come up next year, but only one of them -- Republican Jane Swift of Massachusetts, who was serving as lieutenant governor when Gov. Paul Celucci was appointed ambassador to Canada -- will be running for that office again.

Arizona's Jane Hull (R) is prohibited from serving another term, while Shaheen is running for the Senate rather than for re-election to New Hampshire's governor's mansion.

But more than a dozen other serious women candidates are running for governor next year, and the number of female state chief executives could grow depending on how a handful of primaries turn out.

Other than Swift, who faces a difficult contest, the GOP's top hope may well be Hawaii's Linda Lingle. Lingle ran unsuccessfully four years ago, and she has helped re-build the underdog GOP in the state over the past few years.

In Pennsylvania, moderate Barbara Hafer is an underdog for the Republican nomination in a race against the sitting attorney general, and in Illinois, Lt. Gov. Corrine Wood trails her state's attorney general for the GOP gubernatorial nod.

State School Superintendent Linda Schrenko faces two opponents in the race for the GOP nomination, and Secretary of State Betsy Bayless is expected to enter the Arizona Republican gubernatorial primary against former congressman Matt Salmon.

The Democrats have an even stronger list of gubernatorial hopefuls, though many face tough contests. The only favorite appears to be Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, whose famous name and big financial advantage make her the clear favorite in heavily Democratic Maryland.

Former Clinton administration Attorney General Janet Reno is generally regarded as the favorite for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Florida, (state legislator Lois Frankel is also running), but even if she become her party's nominee, she would be an underdog against incumbent Gov. Jeb Bush (R).

Kansas state Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius should be a strong contender for governor in her state. While Kansas has a Republican bent, deep ideological divisions between social conservatives and moderates within the GOP could help her in her bid.

In Michigan, Attorney General Jennifer Granholm has all of the makings of a star, and if she can win the Democratic nomination she will be the state's next governor. But she is in the middle of a tough three-way primary with former governor/former ambassador Jim Blanchard and Congressman David Bonior, and the Democratic nomination is up for grabs.

Another state attorney general, Arizona's Janet Napolitano, should give Republicans all that they can handle in next year's race for governor. But she too faces a primary.

In addition, the Democrats have strong women candidates for governor in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Oregon and New Hampshire.