Data on State Appointees

In 2022, the New Jersey Legislature passed legislation mandating the collection and analysis of the demographics, specifically race, ethnicity, and gender, of the state’s appointed officials. The legislation directed the Eagleton Institute of Politics and the Center for American Women and Politics to conduct this study. Our first two reports, released in 2023 and 2025, found significant and ongoing disparities in representation by race, ethnicity, and gender in state appointed positions for women and among certain racial/ethnic groups. The chart below provides a recent snapshot of the demographics of state appointees relative to their share of the population. Full data and analysis can be found in the reports linked below. 

Reports on the Demographics of New Jersey's Appointed Officials 

The reports below, released in 2023 and 2025, reveal continued underrepresentation of women and certain racial/ethnic groups in appointed positions, while highlighting the ongoing systemic challenges in studying appointees, including decentralized record-keeping on state appointees within the state administration. The reports include recommendations to increase transparency about appointee demographics, expand awareness of appointment opportunities, and ensure more diverse representation in these crucial positions.