Women in State Legislatures 2025

Number and Percentage of Women in State Legislatures, 1980-2025

Current State Legislature
2466
(1,584D, 862R, 16NP, 4Ind)
33.4% of 7,386 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
592
(385D, 193R, 14NP)
30% of 1,973 seats
State House/Assembly
1847
(1,199D, 669R, 2NP, 4Ind)
34.1% of 5,413 seats
Party Breakdown
Party Total Legislators State Senators State Representatives
Democrats 1,584 (64.2%) 385 (65.0%) 1,199 (64.0%)
Republicans 862 (35.0%) 193 (32.6%) 669 (35.7%)
Nonpartisans* 16 (0.6%) 14 (2.4%) 2 (0.1%)
Independents 4 (0.2%) 0 (0%) 4 (0.2%)
Progressives 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
TOTAL 2,466 (100%) 592 (100%) 1,874 (100%)

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

Top 10 States

Nevada (61.9%)
New Mexico (53.6%)
Colorado (53.0%)
California (48.3%)
Arizona (47.8%)
Oregon (44.4%)
Washington (44.2%)
Illinois (43.5%)
Alaska (43.3%)
Vermont (42.8%)

Bottom 10 States

West Virginia (11.2%)
South Carolina (12.9%)
Mississippi (15.5%)
Tennessee (17.4%)
Alabama (18.6%)
Arkansas (21.5%)
Oklahoma (23.5%)
Louisiana (23.6%)
North Dakota (25.5%)
Wyoming (25.8%)

Majority-Woman and Gender Parity Legislatures and Chambers

Lists below distinguish between states that have already achieved gender parity (50% women) or majority-woman status (women >50%) in the state legislature as a whole and/or within a single state legislative chamber. Counts indicate the total number of states that have achieved this status in the past and/or at present.

Overall Legislature
4

Current:
Colorado, first hit in 2025 (majority-woman)
Nevada, first hit in 2018 (majority-woman)
New Mexico, first hit in 2023 (majority-woman)

Past:
Arizona, first hit in 2023 (majority-woman)
Colorado, first hit in 2023 (gender parity)
 

Senate Only
5

Current:
Arizona, first hit in 2021 (majority-woman)
California, first hit in 2025 (majority-woman)
Nevada, first hit in 2023 (majority-woman)

Past:
New Hampshire, first hit in 2009 (majority-woman)
New Hampshire, first hit in 2023 (gender parity)
Rhode Island, first hit in 2021 (gender parity)

House/Assembly Only
6

Current:
Alaska, first hit in 2025 (majority-woman)
Colorado, first hit in 2019 (majority-woman)
Nevada, first hit in 2018 (majority-woman)
New Mexico, first hit in 2021 (majority-woman)

Past:
Arizona, first hit in 2024 (gender parity)
Oregon, first hit in 2021 (majority-woman)

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 27 legislators whose race/ethnicity we could not confirm.

2025 State Legislative numbers will be updated in the spring as we collect data.

More information on State Legislators by Race and Ethnicity.

Of the 2,423 current women state legislators:

  • 98 identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander
  • 386 identify as Black
  • 191 identify as Latina
  • 14 identify as Middle Eastern/North African
  • 3 identify as Multiracial Alone
  • 36 identify as Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian 
  • 1,724 identify as white

 

State Legislative Leadership

More information on women in state legislative leadership

 2025 State Legislative Leadership information will be available after all legislatures are sworn in.

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

Kathleen Passidomo (R-FL)
Michelle Kidani (D-HI)
Amy Sinclair (R-IA)
Regina Ashford Barrow (D-LA)
Karen Spilka (D-MA)
Ann H. Rest (D-MN)
Shirley Turner (D-NJ)
Mimi Stewart (D-NM)
Pat Spearman (D-NV)
Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-NY)
Kim L. Ward (R-PA)
Hanna M. Gallo (D-RI)
Louise Lucas (D-VA)
Karen Keiser (D-WA)
Donna J. Boley (R-WV)

Current Women Speakers of State Houses
10
(9D, 1R)

Cathy Tilton (R-AK)
Julie McCluskie (D-CO)
Valerie Longhurst (D-DE)
Adrienne Jones (D-MD)
Rachel Talbot Ross (D-ME)
Melissa Hortman (D-MN)
Julie Fahey (D-OR)
Joanna McClinton (D-PA)
Jill Krowinski (D-VT)
Laurie Jinkins (D-WA)

Current Women in D.C. and Territorial Legislatures
48
(15D, 2R, 5Ind, 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
(2D, 1Ind, 1NP, 5PNP, 5PPD, 3 Third Party)
Territorial House/Assembly
15
(1D, 2Ind, 1NP, 3PNP, 6PPD, 2 Third Party)
Territorial Unicameral Legislatures
16
(12D, 2R, 2I)

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

Location Total Women Total Legislature % Women Overall
American Samoa 2 (2NP) 39 5.1%
District of Columbia 5 (4D, 1Ind) 13 38.5%
Guam 6 (4D, 2R) 15 40.0%
Northern Mariana Islands 6 (3D, 3Ind) 29 20.7%
Puerto Rico 24 (8PNP, 11PPD, 5 Third Party)* 78 30.8%
Virgin Islands 5 (4D, 1Ind) 16 31.3%

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.
  • 2011: Margarita Prentice (D) became Senate President Pro Tempore of the Washington Senate, the first Latina to lead either chamber of a state legislature.
  • 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. 
  • 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 2024
State State Rank Senate Total Women/Total Senate House Total Women/Total House Total Women/Total Legislators %Women Overall
AL 46 3D, 1R 4/35 11D, 11R 22/105 26/140 18.6
AK 9 2D, 3R 5/20 9D, 10R, 2Ind 21/40 26/60 43.3
AZ 5 11D, 5R 16/30 18D, 9R 27/60 43/90 47.8
AR 45 3D, 3R 6/35 8D, 15R 23/100 29/135 21.5
AS N/A 1Ind** 1/18 1 1/21 2/39 5.1
CA 4 16D, 5R 21/40 31D, 6R 37/80 58/120 48.3
CO 3 11D, 3R 14/35 32D, 7R 39/65 53/100 53.0
CT 22 10D, 1R 11/36 39D, 15R 54/151 65/187 34.8
DC N/A 4D, 1Ind 5/13 n/a -unicameral- 5/13 38.5
DE* 17 6D, 0R 6/21 16D, 1R 17/41 23/62 37.1
FL* 11 7D, 8R 15/40 21D, 32R 53/120 68/160 42.5
GA* 23 12D, 1R 13/56 48D, 20R 68/180 81/236 34.3
GU N/A 4D, 2R 6/15 n/a -unicameral- 6/15 40.0
HI 15 7D, 1R 8/25 20D, 3R 23/51 31/76 40.8
ID 39 4D, 8R 12/35 6D, 11R 17/70 29/105 27.6
IL 8 19D, 5R 24/59 45D, 8R 53/118 77/177 43.5
IN 40 3D, 7R 10/50 15D, 15R 30/100 40/150 26.7
IA 38 7D, 7R 14/50 14D, 13R 27/100 41/150 27.3
KS 30 6D, 7R 13/40 20D, 21R 41/125 54/165 32.7
KY 35 4D, 4R 8/38 12D, 20R 32/100 40/138 29.0
LA 43 2D, 3R 5/39 11D, 18R 29/105 34/144 23.6
ME 14 12D, 3R 15/35 40D, 23R 63/151 78/186 41.9
MD 13 13D, 1R 14/47 58D, 7R 65/141 79/188 42.0
MA 32 10D, 1R 11/40 47D, 3R 50/160 61/200 30.5
MI 16 11D, 3R 14/38 29D, 15R 44/110 58/148 39.2
MN 19 18D, 3R 21/67 37D, 16R 53/134 74/201 36.8
MS 48 2D, 7R 9/52 7D, 9R, 2I 18/122 27/174 15.5
MO 36 6D, 4R 10/34 27D, 20R 47/163 57/197 28.9
MP N/A 2D, 1Ind 3/9 1D, 2I 3/20 6/29 20.7
MT* 27 11D, 5R 16/50 17D, 17R 34/100 50/150 33.3
NE 37 14NP 14/49 n/a -unicameral- 14/49 28.6
NV 1 9D, 4R 13/21 19D, 7R 26/42 42/63 61.9
NH 20 5D, 5R 10/24 83D, 60R 143/400 153/424 36.1
NJ* 27 7D, 2R 9/40 25D, 6R 31/80 40/120 33.3
NM 2 13D, 3R 16/42 33D, 11R 44/70 60/112 53.6
NY* 23 19D, 3R 22/63 48D, 3R 51/150 73/213 34.3
NC 33 12D, 4R 16/50 26D, 9R 35/120 51/170 30.0
ND 42 1D, 8R 9/47 8D, 19R 27/94 36/141 25.5
OH 25 4D, 5R 9/33 17D, 19R 36/99 45/132 34.1
OK 44 6D, 8R 14/48 11D, 10R 21/101 35/149 23.5
OR 6 8D, 3R 11/30 18D, 11R 29/60 40/90 44.4
PA 31 9D, 8R 17/50 37D, 26R 63/203 80/253 31.6
PR N/A 13Ind 13/27 n/a 11Ind 24/78 30.8
RI* 11 15D, 2R 17/38 29D, 2R 31/75 48/113 42.5
SC 49 2D, 0R 2/46 8D, 12R 20/124 22/170 12.9
SD* 17 2D, 10R 12/35 4D, 23R 27/70 39/105 37.1
TN 47 5D, 3R 8/33 5D, 10R 15/99 23/132 17.4
TX 26 4D, 4R 8/31 33D, 20R 53/150 61/181 33.7
UT 34 5D, 2R 7/29 10D, 14R 24/75 31/104 29.8
VI N/A 4D, 1Ind 5/16 n/a -unicameral- 5/16 31.3
VT 10 10D, 0R 10/30 52D, 13R, 2Ind 67/150 77/180 42.8
VA 21 11D, 4R 15/40 27D, 7R 34/100 49/140 35.0
WA 7 14D, 3R 17/49 37D, 11R 48/98 65/147 44.2
WV 50 0D, 4R 4/34 2D, 9R 11/100 15/134 11.2
WI* 27 8D, 2R 10/33 26D, 8R 34/99 44/132 33.3
WY 41 0D, 7R 7/31 3D, 14R 17/62 24/93   25.8

* States share the same rank if their proportions of women legislators are exactly equal or round off to be equal (FL, RI; SD, DE; GA, NY; MT, NJ, WI).
** Ind = other parties; in the Senate, 14 non-partisans; in the House, 2 non-partisans, 4 Independents.