Results for Women Candidates in Election 2023

CAWP Staff

FINAL UPDATE: December 21, 2023 (10:45am). Now updated with results from Louisiana's November 18th general election.

The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, releases results for women in this year’s election contests. 

Key results for women candidates in the 2023 election include:

  • New Jersey Legislature. Women’s representation will decline in the New Jersey Legislature following the 2023 election. Forty one (33D, 8R) women have won elections for state legislative seats, guaranteeing that the state will fall short of the current and record number of seats held by women in its legislature, 43.
    • Women’s representation will also decline in each chamber, with women winning 10 Senate seats (women currently hold 11 Senate seats) and 31 Assembly seats (women currently hold 32 Assembly seats).
  • Virginia General Assembly. Women’s representation in the Virginia General Assembly will increase following the 2023 election. Forty eight (38D, 10R) women have won state legislative elections, surpassing the 46 women currently serving in the Virginia Legislature. Virginia will set a new record for women’s representation in its state legislature, surpassing the record of 47 set earlier this year.
    • Women’s representation in the Virginia Senate will also increase as a result of this election, with 14 (11D, 3R) women winning Senate seats (nine women currently hold seats in the Virginia Senate). However, women’s representation will decline in the Virginia House of Delegates. Thirty four (27D, 7R) women have won House races. The state will fall short of the current 37 seats held by women in the Virginia House.
  • Mississippi Legislature. Women’s representation in the Mississippi Legislature will increase following the 2023 election. With all races featuring women candidates decided, 27 (9D, 16R, 2I) women have won state legislative elections, surpassing the 25 women currently serving in the Mississippi Legislature. Women will hold just 15.5% of state legislative seats in Mississippi in 2024 and will remain in the bottom-five states in CAWP’s rankings of states by state legislative representation.
    • Women’s representation in the Mississippi Senate will decline as a result of the 2023 election. 9 (2D, 7R) women won Senate elections in 2023, falling short of the 10 women currently serving. However, women’s representation in the Mississippi House will increase, with 18 (7D, 9R, 2I) women winning election, surpassing the 15 who currently serve.
  • Louisiana Statewide. Louisiana, which currently has zero women serving in statewide elective executive office, elected two women to these offices in 2023. Liz Baker Murrill (R) was elected as Louisiana’s first woman attorney general, and Nancy Landry (R) was elected secretary of state and will become the first woman to hold this office since 1930.
  • Louisiana State Legislature. Women’s representation in the Louisiana State Legislature will increase following the 2023 election; 34 (13D, 21R) women have been elected to the Legislature, surpassing the 28 that currently serve.
    • The number of women serving in the Louisiana House of Representatives will also increase. In 2024, 29 (11D, 18R) women will serve in the House (23 currently serve). The number of women serving in the Louisiana Senate will remain the same at 5 (2D, 3R).
  • Mayoral Milestones.
    • Cherelle Parker won election as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s mayor, becoming the first woman and first Black woman elected as the city’s mayor. Of the top 10 American cities by population, now only New York City has never elected a woman mayor. Currently, 8 (7D, 1NP) Black women serve as mayors in cities among the top 100 most populous cities in the U.S. 
    • Lily Wu became the first Asian American person elected as mayor of Wichita, Kansas. Currently, 4 (3D, 1R) Asian American women serve as mayors in cities among the top 100 most populous cities in the U.S.
    • Representative Sheila Jackson Lee advanced to a runoff election for the mayor of Houston, TX; she was not successful in this runoff contest.

Large City Mayoral Races

As a result of the November 7th election, new women have been elected as mayors to five of the nation’s top 100 most populous cities. Two women are in a race that is too close to call in Spokane, WA.

  • Philadelphia, PA: Cherelle Parker (D) became the first woman and first Black woman elected as mayor of Philadelphia. Currently, 8 (7D, 1NP) Black women serve as mayors in cities among the top 100 most populous cities in the U.S. 
  • Wichita, KS: Lily Wu became the first Asian American woman elected as mayor of Wichita in a nonpartisan election. Currently, 4 (3D, 1R) Asian American women serve as mayors in cities among the top 100 most populous cities in the U.S.
  • Spokane, WA: Lisa Brown defeated Incumbent Mayor Nadine Woodward in an all woman contest.

In addition, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee advanced out of the initial round of voting in the nonpartisan mayoral election in Houston, TX. She ultimately ran unsuccessfully against John Whitmire in a November 30th runoff election. 

Several incumbent women mayors in the nation’s most populous cities won re-election on Tuesday.

  • Boise, ID: Incumbent Mayor Lauren McLean won re-election. McLean became the first woman mayor of Boise in 2020.
  • Charlotte, NC: Incumbent Mayor Vi Lyles (D) won re-election. Lyles became the first Black woman mayor of Charlotte in 2017.
  • Tucson, AZ: Incumbent Mayor Regina Romero (D) won re-election. Romero became the first woman and first Latina mayor of Tucson in 2019.

Currently, 33 women serve as mayor in cities among the top 100 most populous U.S. cities. Of those, five are Asian or Pacific Islander women, eight are Black women, three are Latina, and 17 are white women. Learn more here.

Kentucky

Two (1D, 1R) women have been elected to statewide elective executive office. They will hold two of seven (28.6%) statewide elective executive offices in Kentucky. Currently, two (1D, 1R) women serve in statewide elective executive office.

  • Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman (D) won re-election.
  • Current State Treasurer Allison Ball (R) won an open-seat, all-woman contest for state auditor.

Three (3D) women were defeated in their general election bids for statewide elective executive office.

Louisiana

Statewide Elective Executive Office

Two (2R) women have been elected to statewide elective executive office. They will hold two of seven (28.6%) statewide elective executive offices in Louisiana. No women currently serve in statewide elective executive office.

  • Liz Baker Murrill (R) was elected as Louisiana’s first woman attorney general, defeating Lindsey Cheek (D) in an open-seat, all-woman contest.
  • Nancy Landry (R) defeated Gwen Collins-Greenup (D) in an open-seat, all-woman contest for secretary of state. She will be the first woman to hold this office since 1930.

Both newly-elected women identify as white. To date, all women who have held statewide elective executive office in Louisiana have been white.

State Legislature

In Louisiana, 34 (13D, 21R) women have been elected to the state legislature. Based on these results, the number of women in Louisiana’s state legislature will increase from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 28 (11D, 17R) women serve in the Louisiana Legislature, holding 19.4% of seats, a record high. In 2024, women will hold 23.6% of Louisiana’s legislative seats, setting a new record for women in the state legislature.

  • 5 (2D, 3R) women have been elected to the Senate. Based on these results, the number of women in Louisiana’s Senate will stay the same from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 5 (2D, 3R) women serve in the Senate, holding 12.8% of seats. In 2024, women will hold 12.8% of Louisiana Senate seats.
    • Of the women winners, 4 (2D, 2R) are incumbents and 1 (1R) won an open-seat contest.
  • 29 (11D, 18R) women have been elected to the House. Based on these results, the number of women in Louisiana’s House will increase from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 23 (9D, 14R) women serve in the House, holding 21.9% of seats. In 2024, women will hold 27.6% of Louisiana House seats.
    • Of the women winners, 20 (9D, 11R) are incumbents and 9 (2D, 7R) won open-seat contests.

In 2023, 2 (2R) women incumbents – representing 7.1% of current women legislators – did not run for re-election. One (1R) woman incumbent was defeated in the general election.

Of the 10 non-incumbent women winners of House and Senate contests, two identify as Black and eight identify as white.Based on these results, the number of Black women in the Louisiana Legislature will increase by two from 2023 to 2024.

Mississippi


Statewide Elective Executive Office

Incumbent Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) won re-election to remain the sole woman of eight (12.5%) statewide elective executive officeholders in Mississippi. She defeated Democrat Greta Martin (D) in a woman v. woman contest.

Two (2D) women were defeated in their general election bids for statewide elective executive office in Mississippi.


State Legislature

In Mississippi, 27 (9D, 16R, 2I) women have been elected to the state legislature. Based on these results, the number of women in Mississippi’s state legislature will increase from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 25 (9D, 14R, 2Ind) women serve in the Mississippi Legislature, holding 14.4% of seats. Mississippi ranks 49th in the nation for women’s state legislative representation. In 2024, women will hold 15.5% of Mississippi’s legislative seats. This is not a record high; the record for women serving in the Mississippi Legislature is 31, set in 2013.

  • 9 (2D, 7R) women have been elected to the Senate. Based on these results, the number of women in Mississippi’s Senate will drop from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 10 (3D, 7R) women serve in the Senate, holding 19.2% of seats. In 2024, women will hold 17.3% of Mississippi Senate seats.
    • Of the women winners, 8 (2D, 6R) are incumbents and 1 (1R) won an open-seat contest.
  • 18 (7D, 9R, 2I) women have been elected to the House. Based on these results, the number of women in Mississippi’s House will increase from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 15 (6D, 7R, 2Ind) women serve in the House, holding 12.3% of seats. In 2024, women will hold 14.8% of Mississippi House seats.
    • Of the women winners, 13 (5D, 6R, 2I) are incumbents and 5 (2D, 3R) won open-seat contests.

Based on these results, the number of Black women in the Mississippi Legislature will remain at its current level (10). Mississippi is among the states with the largest disparities between Black women’s representation in the population and their representation in the legislature.

New Jersey

In New Jersey, 41 (33D, 8R) women have been elected to the state legislature. Based on these results, the number of women in New Jersey’s state legislature will drop from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 43 (29D, 14R) women serve in the New Jersey Legislature, holding 35.8% of seats, a record high. In 2024, women will hold 34.2% of New Jersey’s legislative seats.

  • 10 (8D, 2R) women have been elected to the Senate. Based on these results, the number of women in New Jersey’s Senate will drop from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 11 (8D, 3R) women serve in the Senate, holding 27.5% of seats. In 2024, women will hold 25% of New Jersey Senate seats.
    • Of the women winners, 8 (6D, 2R) are incumbents and 2 (2D) won open-seat contests.
  • 31 (25D, 6R) women have been elected to the General Assembly. Based on these results, the number of women in New Jersey’s Assembly will decrease from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 32 (21D, 11R) women serve in the Assembly, holding 40% of seats. In 2024, women will hold 38.8% of New Jersey General Assembly seats.
    • Of the women winners, 18 (13D, 5R) are incumbents and 10 (9D, 1R) won open-seat contests.

In 2023, 12 (8D, 4R) women incumbents – representing 27.9% of current women legislators – did not run for re-election or lost a primary election. Another three (3R) women incumbents were defeated in the general election.

Based on these results, the number of Latinas in the New Jersey Legislature will increase by one. Notably, of the 14 non-incumbent women winners of House and Senate contests, four (4D) identify as Latina (including one who identifies as Latina and white) and four (4D) identify as Black.

Virginia

In Virginia,  48 (38D, 10R) women have been elected to the state legislature. The number of women in Virginia's state legislature will increase from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 46 (32D, 14R) women serve in the Virginia General Assembly, holding 32.9% of seats. In 2024, women will hold 34.3% of Virginia’s legislative seats. This will mark a new record; the current record for women serving in the Virginia Legislature is 47, set in 2023.

  • 14 (11D, 3R) women have been elected to the Senate. Based on these results, the number of women in Virginia’s Senate will increase from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 9 (6D, 3R) women serve in the Senate, holding 22.5% of seats. In 2024, women will hold 35% of Virginia Senate seats. This will mark a new record; the current record for women serving in the Virginia Senate is 11, first set in 2020.
    • Of the women winners, 5 (5D) are incumbents and 9 (6D, 3R) won open-seat contests.
  • 34 (27D, 7R) women have been elected to the House of Delegates. Based on these results, the number of women in Virginia’s House will drop from 2023 to 2024. Currently, 37 (26D, 11R) women serve in the House, holding 37% of seats. In 2024, women will hold 34% of Virginia House seats.
    • Of the women winners, 22 (17D, 5R) are incumbents and 12 (10D, 2R) won open-seat contests.

In 2023, 14 (8D, 6R) women incumbents – representing 29.8% of women legislators serving at the time of the Virginia primary election – did not run for re-election, departed office, or lost a primary election. Another two (2R) women incumbents were defeated in the general election.

Based on these results, the number of Asian/Pacific Islander women in the Virginia Legislature will increase by one and the number of Black women in the Virginia Legislature will increase by eight. Notably, of the 21 non-incumbent women winners of House and Senate contests, nine (9D) identify as Black, including one non-incumbent woman who is both Black and Asian/Pacific Islander.

CAWP Staff