Women in Statewide Elective Executive Office 2016

Current Statewide Elective Executive
77
(34D, 42R, 1NP)
24.8% of 311 seats

Total count for women statewide elective executive officeholders does not include: officials in appointive state cabinet-level positions; officials elected to executive posts by the legislature; officials elected as commissioners or board members from districts rather than statewide; members of the judicial branch; or elected members of university Boards of Trustees or Boards of Education.

NP = non-partisan

Statewide Elective Executives 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. 

Of the 77 current women statewide elective executives:

  • 3 identify as Asian American/Pacific Islander
  • 3 identify as Black
  • 3 identify as Latina
  • 1 identifies as Native American/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian 
  • 69 identify as white

Current Statewide Elective Executives by Position

Kate Brown, an Oregon Democrat, became governor in 2015 after the elected governor resigned. She served as secretary of state from 2009 until her succession to governor. She served in the Oregon House of Representatives and Oregon State Senate, becoming senate majority leader.

Mary Fallin, an Oklahoma Republican, was elected to an open sear to become the state's first woman governor in 2010 and reelected in 2014. She served as U.S. Representative from 2007-2011. She was lieutenant governor from 1995 to 2007 and served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1990 to 1994.

Nikki Haley, a South Carolina Republican, was elected to an open seat to become the state's first woman governor in 2010 and reelected in 2014. She served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011 and was majority whip from 2007 to 2011. She was assistant executive director, Lexington Medical Center Foundation. She served as a major in the Civil Air Patrol. She owns a business with her family. An Asian American, she was one of the first two women of color to serve as governors.

Maggie Hassan, a New Hampshire Democrat, won an open election in 2012 and was reelected in 2014. She served in the state senate from 2004-2010; there she was senate majority leader in 2010 and previously assistant Democratic whip and president pro tempore.

Susana Martinez, a New Mexico Republican, was elected to an open seat to become the state's first woman governor in 2010 and reelected in 2014. She was elected the Dona Ana County District Attorney, serving from 1996 to 2009. A Latina, she was one of the first two women of color to serve as governors.

Gina Raimondo, a Rhode Island Democrat, won an open seat to become the state's first woman governor in 2014. She served as general treasurer from 2011-2015.

Lieutenant Governor
12
(4D, 8R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Kimberly M. Guadagno R 2010-2017 New Jersey
Jenean Hampton R 2016-2019 Kentucky
Kathy C. Hochul D 2015-2021 New York
Kay E. Ivey R 2011-2017 Alabama
Rebecca Kleefisch R 2011-2018 Wisconsin
Donna Lynne D 2016-2018 Colorado
Karyn E. Polito R 2015-2022 Massachusetts
Kimberly Reynolds R 2011-2017 Iowa
Evelyn Sanguinetti R 2015-2018 Illinois
Tina Smith D/DFL 2015-2017 Minnesota
Mary Taylor R 2011-2018 Ohio
Nancy Wyman D 2011-2018 Connecticut
Attorney General
8
(5D, 3R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Pamela J. Bondi R 2011-2018 Florida
Cynthia H. Coffman R 2015-2018 Colorado
Kamala Harris D 2011-2016 California
Maura Healey D 2015-2022 Massachusetts
Lisa Madigan D 2003-2018 Illinois
Ellen F. Rosenblum D 2012-present Oregon
Leslie Rutledge R 2015-2022 Arkansas
Lori R. Swanson D/DFL 2007-2018 Minnesota
Secretary of State
14
(8D, 6R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Jeanne P. Atkins D 2015-2016 Oregon
Barbara K. Cegavske R 2015-2022 Nevada
Nellie M. Gorbea D 2015-2022 Rhode Island
Alison Grimes D 2012-2019 Kentucky
Ruth Johnson R 2011-2018 Michigan
Shantel Krebs R 2015-2018 South Dakota
Connie Lawson R 2012-2021 Indiana
Elaine Folk Marshall D 1997-present North Carolina
Linda H. McCulloch D 2009-2016 Montana
Denise W. Merrill D 2011-2022 Connecticut
Michele Reagan R 2015-2018 Arizona
Natalie E. Tennant D 2009-2016 West Virginia
Maggie Toulouse Oliver D 2016-present New Mexico
Kim Wyman R 2013-2021 Washington
State Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer
8
(4D, 4R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Allison J. Ball R 2016-2023 Kentucky
Janet Cowell D 2009-2016 North Carolina
Lynn Fitch R 2012-2019 Mississippi
Deborah B. Goldberg D 2015-present Massachusetts
Kelly M. Mitchell R 2015-2022 Indiana
Denise L. Nappier D 1999-2018 Connecticut
Elizabeth A. Pearce D 2011-2022 Vermont
Kelly L. Schmidt R 2005-2020 North Dakota
State Auditor
9
(5D, 4R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Suzanne M. Bump D 2011-2022 Massachusetts
Cynthia I. Cloud R 2011-2018 Wyoming
Suzanne Crouch R 2014-2016 Indiana
Nicole Galloway D 2015-2022 Missouri
Andrea D. Lea R 2015-2022 Arkansas
Monica J. Lindeen D 2009-2016 Montana
Mary Mosiman R 2013-2018 Iowa
Rebecca Otto D/DFL 2007-2018 Minnesota
Beth A. Wood D 2009-2023 North Carolina
State Comptroller/Controller
2
(1D, 1R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Leslie Geissler Munger R 2015-2016 Illinois
Betty T. Yee D 2015-2022 California
Superintendent of Public Instruction
9
(3D, 5R, 1NP)

(note: title varies from state to state)

Name Party Year(s) Served State
June St. Clair Atkinson D 2005-2016 North Carolina
Kirsten Baesler NP 2013-present North Dakota
Jillian Balow R 2015-2022 Wyoming
Diane Douglas R 2015-2018 Arizona
Joy L. Hofmeister R 2015-2021 Oklahoma
Denise Juneau D 2009-2016 Montana
Glenda Ritz D 2013-2016 Indiana
Molly M. Spearman R 2015-2022 South Carolina
Sherri Ybarra R 2015-2022 Idaho
Commissioner of Insurance
1
(1D)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Karen Weldin Stewart D 2009-2016 Delaware
Commissioner of Labor
2
(2R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Cherie Killian Berry R 2001-2020 North Carolina
Melissa McLawhorn Houston R 2015-2018 Oklahoma
Corporation Commissioner
1
(1R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Dana L. Murphy R 2009-2022 Oklahoma
Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner
1
(1R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Cindy Hyde-Smith R 2012-2018 Mississippi
Public Service Commissioner
2
(2R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Twinkle A. Cavanaugh R 2011-present Alabama
Julie Fedorchak R 2013-present North Dakota
Public Utilities Commissioner
1
(1R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Kristie Fiegen R 2011-present South Dakota
Railroad Commissioner
1
(1R)
Name Party Year(s) Served State
Christi L. Craddick R 2013-present Texas