Women in Elective Office 2015

Congress
104
(76D, 28R)
19.4% of 535 seats

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who was the first woman Speaker of the House, is now minority leader.

 

U.S. Senate
20
(14D, 6R)
20% of 100 seats
U.S. House
84
(62D, 22R)
19.3% of 435 seats
U.S. Delegate
4
(3D, 1R)

U.S. Delegates are non-voting members and are not included in our total counts.

Statewide Elective Executive
78
(35D, 42R, 1NP)
25.2% of 310 seats
Governor
6
(3D, 3R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Kate Brown D 2015-2022 Oregon
Mary Fallin R 2011-2018 Oklahoma
Nikki R. Haley R 2011-2017 South Carolina
Maggie Hassan D 2013-2016 New Hampshire
Susana Martinez R 2011-2018 New Mexico
Gina M. Raimondo D 2015-2021 Rhode Island
Lieutenant Governor
13
(5D, 8R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Sue Ellspermann R 2013-2016 Indiana
Kimberly M. Guadagno R 2010-2017 New Jersey
Kathy C. Hochul D 2015-2021 New York
Kay E. Ivey R 2011-2017 Alabama
Rebecca Kleefisch R 2011-2018 Wisconsin
Crit Eugenia Luallen D 2014-2015 Kentucky
Angela McLean D 2014-2015 Montana
Karyn E. Polito R 2015-2022 Massachusetts
Kimberly Reynolds R 2011-2017 Iowa
Evelyn Sanguinetti R 2015-2018 Illinois
Tina Smith D/DFL 2015-2017 Minnesota
Mary Taylor R 2011-2018 Ohio
Nancy Wyman D 2011-2018 Connecticut
Other Statewide Elective Executive
59
(27D, 31R, 1NP)
Position Democrat Republican Non-Partisan Total
Secretary of State 7 6 - 13
Attorney General 6 3 - 9
State Treasurer 4 3 - 7
State Auditor 5 4 - 9
Agriculture Commissioner - 1 - 1
Commissioner of Lands - - - 0
Commissioner of Labor - 1 - 1
Public Service Commissioner - 2 - 2
Superintendent of Public Instruction 3 5 1 9
State Comptroller 1 1 - 2
Corporation Commissioner - 2 - 2
Insurance Commissioner 1 - - 1
Public Utilities Commissioner - 1 - 1
Railroad Commissioner - 1 - 1
State Legislature
1,809
(1,084D, 706R, 11NP, 4Ind, 3Prg, 1WFP)
24.5% of 7,383 seats

Since 1971, the number of women serving in state legislatures has more than quintupled.

NP = non-partisan, Ind = Independent, Prg = Progressive

State Senate
443
(265D, 166R, 11NP, 1Ind)
22.5% of 1,972 seats
State House/Assembly
1,366
(819D, 540R, 3Ind, 3Prg, 1WFP)
25.2% of 5,411 seats
Top 10 States
  • Colorado (42.0%) 
  • Vermont (41.1%) 
  • Arizona (35.6%)
  • Washington (34.0%)
  • Minnesota (33.8%)
  • Nevada (33.3%)
  • Illinois (32.8%)
  • Maryland (31.4%)
  • Montana (31.3%)
  • Oregon (31.1%)
Bottom 10 States
  • Wyoming (13.3%)
  • Oklahoma (14.1%)
  • South Carolina (14.1%)
  • West Virginia (14.2%)
  • Alabama (14.3%)
  • Mississippi (14.4%)
  • Louisiana (15.3%)
  • Utah (15.4%)
  • Kentucky (16.7%)
  • Tennessee (16.7%)
Mayors – Cities over 30,000
257
18.4% of 1,393 seats

Population data from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and officeholder data from the Center for American Women and Politics as of September 2015.

Mayors – 100 Most Populous Cities
18
18% of 100 seats

Of the 18 women mayors in the top 100 most populous cities as of June 2015, 4 are Black women, and 2 are Latina.

Current Mayors of the 100 Most Populous Cities
City Mayor Rank Race/Ethnicity
Houston, TX Annise Parker 5 White
San Antonio, TX Ivy R. Taylor 8 Black
Fort Worth, TX Betsy Price 17 White
Washington, DC Muriel Bowser 23 Black
Nashville, TN Megan Barry 24 White
Baltimore, MD Stephanie Rawlings-Blake 25 Black
Las Vegas, NV Carolyn Goodman 31 White
Fresno, CA Ashley Swearengin 35 White
Omaha, NE Jean Stothert 41 White
Raleigh, NC Nancy McFarlane 44 White
Oakland, CA Elizabeth "Libby" Schaaf 48 White
Minneapolis, MN Betsy Hodges 49 White
Corpus Christi, TX Nelda Martinez 63 Latina
Toledo, OH Paula Hicks-Hudson 70 Black
Greensboro, NC Nancy Vaughan 74 White
Chula Vista, CA Mary Casillas Salas 82 Latina
Reno, NV Hillary Schieve 94 White
Irving, TX Beth Van Duyne 98 White
Percentages of Women in Elective Office 1971-Present

Table below provides data on women as a percentage of women officeholders at the congressional, statewide elective executive, and state legislative levels from 1971 to present. All but present counts reflect levels of women’s representation at the end of that calendar year.

Year U.S. Congress Statewide Elective Statewide Legislatures
1971 3.0% 7.0% N/A
1973 3.0% 8.0% N/A
1975 4.0% 10.0% 8.0%
1977 4.0% 10.0% 9.0%
1979 3.0% 11.0% 10.0%
1981 4.0% 11.0% 12.0%
1983 4.0% 11.0% 13.0%
1985 5.0% 14.0% 15.0%
1987 5.0% 14.0% 16.0%
1989 5.0% 14.0% 16.0%
1991 6.0% 18.0% 18.0%
1993 10.1% 22.2% 20.5%
1995 10.3% 25.9% 20.6%
1997 11.0% 25.4% 21.6%
1999 12.1% 27.6% 22.4%
2001 13.6% 27.6% 22.4%
2003 13.6% 26.0% 22.4%
2005 15.0% 25.7% 22.4%
2007 16.1% 24.1% 23.5%
2009 16.8% 22.6% 24.3%
2011 16.8% 22.1% 23.7%
2012 16.8% 23.4% 23.7%
2013 18.5% 23.0% 24.2%
2014 18.7% 23.0% 24.3%
2015 19.4% 24.8% 24.6%