Women in Elective Office 2024

Summary information on women officeholders by race and ethnicity for all levels of office

Vice President

Kamala Harris (D) became the first woman to hold the office of Vice President on January 20, 2021. She is also the first woman of color, the first Black person, and the first South Asian person elected to this office. Previously, Vice President Harris served in the U.S. Senate as well as California’s Attorney General.

Congress
151
(107D, 43R, 1Ind)
28.2% of 535 seats

The record high for women serving in the U.S. Congress was 152, last set between November 12, 2024 and December 8, 2024.

 

U.S. Senate
24
(14D, 9R, 1Ind)
24% of 100 seats

The record high for women serving in the U.S. Senate was 26, last set between January 3, 2021 and January 18, 2021.

U.S. House
127
(93D, 34R)
29.2% of 435 seats

This is a record high for women serving in the U.S. House.

U.S. Delegate
4
(2D, 2R)

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

Statewide Elective Executive
99
(54D, 43R, 2NP)
31.9% of 310 seats

The is a record high for women serving in statewide elective executive office.

 

Governor
12
(8D, 4R)

This is a record high for women serving as governors.

Name Party Race/Ethnicity Dates Served State
Maura Healey D White 2023-present Massachusetts
Katie Hobbs D White 2023-present Arizona
Kathy C. Hochul D White 2021-present New York
Sarah Huckabee Sanders R White 2023-present Arkansas
Kay E. Ivey R White 2017-present Alabama
Laura J. Kelly D White 2019-present Kansas
Tina Kotek D White 2023-present Oregon
Michelle Lujan Grisham D Latina 2019-present New Mexico
Janet T. Mills D White 2019-present Maine
Kristi Noem R White 2019-present South Dakota
Kimberly Reynolds R White 2017-present Iowa
Gretchen E. Whitmer D White 2019-present Michigan
Lieutenant Governor
22
(13D, 9R)
Name Party Race/Ethnicity Dates Served State
Susan Bysiewicz D White 2019-present Connecticut
Jacqueline Coleman D White 2020-present Kentucky
Suzanne Crouch R White 2017-present Indiana
Nancy Dahlstrom R White 2023-present Alaska
Kim Driscoll D White 2023-present Massachusetts
Pamela Evette R White 2019-present South Carolina
Peggy Flanagan D/DFL Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian 2019-present Minnesota
Bethany A. Hall-Long D White 2017-present Delaware
Deidre M. Henderson R White 2021-present Utah
Kristen Juras R White 2021-present Montana
Eleni Kounalakis D White 2019-present California
Sylvia J. Luke D Asian American/Pacific Islander 2023-present Hawaii
Sabina Matos D Black, Latina 2021-present Rhode Island
Aruna Miller D Asian American/Pacific Islander 2023-present Maryland
Tammy Miller R White 2023-present North Dakota
Jeanette M. Nunez R Latina 2019-present Florida
Dianne I. Primavera D White 2019-present Colorado
Sara Rodriguez D White 2023-present Wisconsin
Leslie Rutledge R White 2023-present Arkansas
Winsome Earle Sears R Black 2022-present Virginia
Juliana Stratton D Black 2019-present Illinois
Tahesha Way D Black 2023-present New Jersey
Other Statewide Elective Executive
65
(33D, 30R, 2NP)
Position Democrat Republican Non-Partisan Total
Secretary of State 9 3 - 12
Attorney General 8 4 - 12
State Treasurer 4 3 - 7
State Auditor 5 3 - 8
Agriculture Commissioner - - - -
Commissioner of Lands 2 1 - 3
Commissioner of Labor - 1 1 2
Public Service Commissioner - 2 - 2
Superintendent of Public Instruction 1 5 1 7
State Comptroller 3 1 - 4
Corporation Commissioner 1 2 - 3
Insurance Commissioner - 1 - 1
Public Utilities Commissioner - 1 - 1
Railroad Commissioner - 1 - 1
State Legislature
2,424
(1,584D, 814R, 21NP, 5Ind)
32.8% of 7,386 seats

Since 1971, the number of women serving in state legislatures has more than quintupled. This is not a record high for women serving in state legislatures.

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

 

State Senate
589
(380D, 190R, 18NP, 1Ind)
29.9% of 1,973 seats
State House/Assembly
1,835
(1,204D, 624R, 3NP, 4Ind)
33.9% of 5,413 seats
Top 10 States

Nevada (60.3%)
Arizona (50.0%)
Colorado (49.0%)
Vermont (45.0%)
Washington (44.9%)
New Mexico (43.8%)
Illinois (42.9%)
Maryland (42.6%)
Rhode Island (42.5%)
Maine (42.5%)

Bottom 10 States

West Virginia (11.9%)
Tennessee (15.2%)
Mississippi (15.5%)
South Carolina (15.9%)
Alabama (17.1%)
Oklahoma (19.5%)
Wyoming (21.5%)
Arkansas (23.0%)
Louisiana (23.6%)
Utah (26.9%)

Municipal Officeholders - Cities over 10,000
32.3%

Data provided by the Center for American Women and Politics and KnowWho Data Services as of March 2024. Numbers include members and officers of the municipal legislative branch of incorporated cities and towns with populations over 10,000 as per the U.S. Census. These bodies vary by municipality, but include city councils, boards of alderman, city commissions, among others. Mayors and other officials who perform mayoral functions are included in these counts.

Mayors – Cities over 30,000
433
26.8% of 1,616 seats

Population data from the U.S. Census and officeholder data from the Center for American Women and Politics as of September 2023.

Mayors – 100 Most Populous Cities
34
34% of 100 seats

Of the 34 women mayors in the top 100 most populous cities as of September 2023, 8 are Black women, 3 are Latina, and 6 are Asian American/Pacific Islander women.

Current Mayors of the 100 Most Populous Cities
City Name Rank Race/Ethnicity
Los Angeles, CA Karen Bass 2 Black
Phoenix, AZ Kate Gallego 5 White
Philadelphia, PA Cherelle Parker 6 Black
Fort Worth, TX Mattie Parker 12 White
Jacksonville Donna Deegan 13 White
Charlotte, NC Vi Alexander Lyles 15 Black
San Franciso, CA London Breed 17 Black
Washington, DC Muriel Bowser 21 Black
Boston, MA Michelle Wu 23 Asian American/Pacific Islander
Las Vegas, NV Shelley Berkley 26 White
Tucson, AZ Regina Romero 34 Latina
Omaha, NE Jean Stothert 42 White
Raleigh, NC Janet Cowell 43 White
Oakland, CA Sheng Thao 48 Asian American/Pacific Islander
Tampa, FL Jane Castor 49 White
Wichita, KS Lily Wu 52 Asian American/Pacific Islander
New Orleans, LA LaToya Cantrell 53 Black
Bakersfield, CA Karen K. Goh 55 Asian American/Pacific Islander
Anaheim, CA Ashleigh Aitken 57 White
Santa Ana, CA Valerie Amezcua 59 Latina
Riverside, CA Patricia Lock Dawson 60 White
Henderson, NV Michelle Romero 61 White
Islip, NY Angie M. Carpenter 62 White
Corpus Christi, TX Paulette M. Guajardo 63 Latina
Lexington, KY Linda Gorton 64 White
Greensboro, NC Nancy Vaughan 69 White
St. Louis, MO Tishaura Jones 70 Black
Lincoln, NE Leirion Gaylor Baird 73 White
Anchorage, AK Suzanne LaFrance 75 White
Irvine, CA Farrah Khan 77 Asian American/Pacific Islander
Fort Wayne, IN Sharon Tucker 80 Black
Madison, WI Satya Rhodes-Conway 85 White
North Las Vegas, NV Pamela A. Goynes Brown 89 Black
Reno, NV Hillary Schieve 90 White
Gilbert, AZ Brigette Peterson 91 White
Fremont, CA Lily Mei 99 Asian American/Pacific Islander
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 State Legislature
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%
2016 19.6% 24.1% 24.5%
2017 19.6% 22.8% 25.1%
2018 20.6% 23.8% 25.4%
2019 23.7% 29.3% 28.9%
2020 23.6% 28.9% 29.3%
2021 26.9% 30.3% 31.1%
2022 27.3% 31.0% 31.0%
2023 28.2% 31.3% 32.7%
2024 28.4% 31.9% 32.8%