Women in State Legislatures 2022

Number and Percentage of Women in State Legislatures, 1980-2022

Current State Legislature
2,289
(1,509D, 758R, 14NP, 7Ind, 1Prg)
31% 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-by-State Summary Data on Current Women State Legislators

State Senate
562
(364D, 184R, 14NP)
28.5% of 1,972 seats
Full list of officeholders
State House/Assembly
1,727
(1,145D, 574R, 7Ind, 1Prg)
31.9% of 5,411 seats
Full list of officeholders
Party Breakdown
Party Total Legislators State Senators State Representatives
Democrats 1,509 (65.9%) 364 (64.8%) 1,146 (66.4%)
Republicans 758 (33.1%) 184 (32.7%) 573 (33.2%)
Nonpartisans* 14 (0.6%) 14 (2.5%) 0 (0%)
Independents 7 (0.2%) 0 (0%) 7 (0.4%)
Progressives 1 (0.1%) 0 (0%) 1 (0.1%)
TOTAL 2,289 (100%) 562 (100%) 1,727 (100%)

*In Nebraska, where the legislature is unicameral, legislators are elected on a nonpartisan basis.

Top 10 States

Nevada (58.7%)
Colorado (45.0%)
Oregon (44.4%)
Rhode Island (44.2%)
New Mexico (43.8%)
Maryland (43.6%)
Arizona (43.3%)
Maine (42.5%)
Washington (42.2%)
Vermont (41.7%)

Bottom 10 States

West Virginia (13.4%)
Mississippi (14.4%)
Tennessee (14.4%)
Alabama (16.4%)
South Carolina (17.1%)
Wyoming (17.8%)
Louisiana (19.4%)
Oklahoma (20.8%)
North Dakota (22.0%)
Arkansas (23.0%)

State Legislators by Race and Ethnicity

*Women who self-identify as more than one race/ethnicity are included on CAWP pages for each group with which they identify. We strongly caution against adding totals from each racial/ethnic group should, as it will double count officeholders. This figure does not include 11 legislators whose race/ethnicity we could not confirm.

More information on State Legislators by Race and Ethnicity.

Of the 2,289 current women state legislators:

  • 79 identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander
  • 368 identify as Black
  • 153 identify as Latina
  • 11 identify as Middle Eastern/North African
  • 2 identify as Multiracial Alone
  • 32 identify as Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian 
  • 1,684 identify as white

State Legislative Leadership

More information on women in state legislative leadership

Current Women Presidents or Presidents Pro Tem of Senates
15
(11D, 4R)

Karen Fann (R-AZ)
Toni Atkins (D-CA)
Kerry Donovan (D-CO)
Michelle Kidani (D-HI)
Beth Mizell (R-LA)
Karen Spilka (D-MA)
Melony G. Griffith (D-MD)
Sharon M. Carson (R-NH)
M. Teresa Ruiz (D-NJ)
Mimi Stewart (D-NM)
Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-NY)
Louise Lucas (D-VA)
Rebecca Balint (D-VT)
Karen Keiser (D-WA)
Donna J. Boley (R-WV)

Current Women Speakers of State Houses
6
(4D, 2R)

Louise Stutes (R-AK)
Jan Jones (R-GA)
Adrienne Jones (D-MD)
Melissa Hortman (D-MN)
Jill Krowinski (D-VT)
Laurie Jinkins (D-WA)

Current Women in D.C. and Territorial Legislatures
54
(19D, 3R, 6Ind, 2NP, 8PNP, 11PPD, 5 Third Party)

Count includes women legislators in U.S. Territories (American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands) and on the D.C. City Council. PNP stands for Partido Nuevo Progresista, or the New Progressive Party, and PPD stands for Partido Popular Democratico, or the Popular Democratic Party, both parties specific to Puerto Rico.

Territorial Senate
17
(1D, 1Ind, 1NP, 5PNP, 6PPD, 3 Third Party)
Territorial House/Assembly
17
(5D, 1Ind, 1NP, 3PNP, 5PPD, 2 Third Party)
Territorial Unicameral Legislatures
20
(13D, 4R, 3I)

(Washington D.C., Guam, Virgin Islands)

Location Total Women Total Legislature % Women Overall
American Samoa 2 (2NP) 39 5.1%
District of Columbia 7 (5D, 2Ind) 13 53.8%
Guam 9 (5D, 4R) 15 60.0%
Northern Mariana Islands 7 (6D, 1Ind) 29 24.1%
Puerto Rico 24 (8PNP, 11PPD, 4 Third Party)* 78 30.8%
Virgin Islands 5 (3D, 2Ind) 15 33.3%

State Legislative Firsts

  • 1894: The first three women elected to a state legislature in the country were Clara Cressingham, Carrie C. Holly, and Frances Klock, all in the Colorado House of Representatives.
  • 1896: Martha Hughes Cannon (D-UT) became the first woman elected state senator in the country.
  • 1924: Cora Belle Reynolds Anderson (R-MI) became the first woman of color elected to a state legislature.
  • 1933: Minnie Davenport Craig (R-ND) became the first woman to serve as speaker of a state house.
  • 1974: Elaine Noble (D-MA) became the first openly LGBT candidate elected to a state legislature.
  • 1983: Vesta Roy (R-NH) became the first woman to serve as president of a state senate.
  • 2007: Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) became the first woman of color to serve as president of a state senate.
  • 2008: Karen Bass (D-CA) became the first woman of color to serve as speaker of a state house.
  • 2013:Tina Kotek (D-OR) became the country's first openly lesbian state House speaker. 
  • 2017: Twenty-five years after Althea Garrison's election and non-consensual outing, Danica Roem (D-VA) became the first openly transgender person to be elected and to serve in a state legislature in the United States. 
  • 2017: Crisanta Duran (D) became speaker of the Colorado General Assembly, the first Latina to lead either house of a state legislature.
  • 2019: Nevada became the first state to have women hold a majority of state legislative seats (32 of 63, or 50.8%). 

For other important state legislative firsts, visit the Milestones for Women in American Politics page.

Women in State Legislatures 2022
State State Rank Senate Total Women/Total Senate House Total Women/Total House Total Women/Total Legislators %Women Overall
AL 47 4D, 1R 5/35 12D, 6R 18/105 23/140 16.4
AK 26 1D, 4R 5/20 7D, 6R 13/40 18/60 30
AZ 7 10D, 6R 16/30 13D, 10R 23/60 39/90 43.3
AR 41 3D, 4R 7/35 10D, 14R 24/100 31/135 23
AS N/A 1Ind** 1/18 1I 1/21 2/39 5.1
CA 23 11D, 4R 15/40 19D, 5R 24/80 39/120 32.5
CO 2 11D, 1R 12/35 27D, 6R 33/65 45/100 45.0
CT 18 8D, 1R 9/36 35D, 20R 55/151 64/187 34.2
DC N/A 5D, 2Ind 7/13 n/a -unicameral- 7/13 53.8
DE 25 7D, 0R 7/21 11D, 1R Dec-41 19/62 30.6
FL* 15 9D, 7R 16/40 23D, 17R 40/120 56/160 35.0
GA 20 15D, 2R 17/56 46D, 17R 63/180 80/236 33.9
GU N/A 5D, 3R 8/15 n/a -unicameral- 8/15 53.3
HI 14 10D, 0R 10/25 15D, 2R 17/51 27/76 35.5
ID 24 5D, 7R 12/35 5D, 17R 22/70 34/105 32.4
IL 11 21D, 4R 25/59 39D, 8R 47/118 72/177 40.7
IN 40 2D, 6R 8/50 15D, 12R 27/100 35/150 23.3
IA 32 7D, 5R 12/50 21D, 10R 31/100 43/150 28.7
KS 31 6D, 10R 16/40 17D, 15R 32/125 48/165 29.1
KY 36 3D, 3R 6/38 18D, 14R 32/100 38/138 27.5
LA 44 2D, 3R 5/39 9D, 14R 23/105 28/144 19.4
ME 8 10D, 4R 14/35 44D, 20R, 1I 65/151 79/186 42.5
MD 6 13D, 2R 15/47 58D, 9R 67/141 82/188 43.6
MA* 27 13D, 0R 13/40 41D, 4R, 1I 46/160 59/200 29.5
MI* 12 8D, 3R 11/38 28D, 14R 42/110 53/148 35.8
MN* 12 14D, 7R 21/67 38D, 13R 51/134 72/201 35.8
MS* 48 3D, 7R 9/52 6D, 7R, 2I 15/122 25/174 14.4
MO 38 5D, 6R 11/34 26D, 13R 39/163 50/197 25.4
MP N/A 1D, 1Ind 2/9 5D, 1I 6/20 8/29 27.6
MT 21 12D, 1R 13/50 17D, 20R 37/100 50/150 33.3
NE 33 14Ind 14/49 n/a -unicameral- 14/49 28.6
NV 1 8D, 2R 10/21 19D, 8R 27/42 37/63 58.7
NH 19 5D, 4R 9/24 90D, 46R 136/400 145/424 34.2
NJ* 15 8D, 3R 11/40 20D, 11R 31/80 42/120 35.0
NM 5 10D, 2R 12/42 29D, 8R 37/70 49/112 43.8
NY 17 14D, 5R 19/63 52D, 3R 55/150 74/213 34.7
NC 39 10D, 6R 16/50 19D, 8R 27/120 43/170 25.3
ND 42 3D, 7R 10/47 8D, 13R 21/94 31/141 22.0
OH* 27 2D, 4R 6/33 18D, 15R 33/99 39/132 29.5
OK 43 5D, 4R 9/48 9D, 13R 22/101 31/149 20.8
OR 3 8D, 1R 9/30 20D, 11R 31/60 40/90 44.4
PA 30 8D, 6R 14/50 32D, 28R 60/203 74/253 29.2
PR N/A 14Ind 14/27 n/a 10Ind 24/78 30.8
RI 4 16D, 2R 18/38 29D, 3R 32/75 50/113 44.2
SC 46 2D, 3R 5/46 13D, 11R 24/124 29/170 17.1
SD 33 1D, 8R 9/35 4D, 17R 21/70 30/105 28.6
TN* 48 5D, 3R 8/33 2D, 9R 11/99 19/132 14.4
TX 35 4D, 6R 10/31 33D, 7R 40/150 50/181 27.6
UT 37 4D, 1R 5/29 12D, 10R 22/75 27/104 26.0
VI N/A 3D, 2Ind 5/15 n/a -unicameral- 5/15 33.3
VT 10 10D 10/30 48D, 13R, 4Ind 65/150 75/180 41.7
VA 22 7D, 3R 10/40 25D, 11R 36/100 46/140 32.9
WA 9 14D, 5R 19/49 34D, 9R 43/98 62/147 42.2
WV 50 1D, 3R 4/34 4D, 10R 14/100 18/134 13.4
WI 27 6D, 3R 9/33 21D, 10R 30/99 39/132 29.5
WY 45 5R 5/30 4D, 7R 11/60 16/90     17.8

* States share the same rank if their proportions of women legislators are exactly equal or round off to be equal ( FL, NJ; MI, MN; NE, SD; MA, OH).
** Ind = other parties; in the Senate, 13 non-partisans; in the House, 2 Progressives, 5 Independents.