Women Now 50% or More in Seven State Legislative Chambers Amid Growth in Women's State Legislative Seats

Following the 2024 elections, there will be a new record number of women serving in state legislatures around the country, according to early analysis from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. With 48 (24D, 24R) women candidates in 37 races that are still too close to call, the record number of women serving in state legislatures is projected to increase by at least 19. In addition, a number of state legislatures and state legislative chambers will reach or surpass parity, some for the first time, following this year’s elections. These numbers can change as races that are too close to call are decided. They can also fluctuate between now and when officeholders are sworn in for other reasons, including resignations. A full analysis of women’s representation in state legislative offices, including state-by-state and chamber-specific trends, is available at the Results for Women State Legislative Candidates in Election 2024 page on the CAWP website. This page will update as results are determined.

“There are a number of bright spots in 2024, including the growth in the number of majority-woman and gender-parity legislatures and legislative chambers. New Mexico and Colorado will become majority-woman legislatures for the first time, and there will be seven legislative chambers at or beyond parity in 2025,” said CAWP Director Debbie Walsh. “These sorts of changes require strategic focus and hard work on the ground. In aggregate, however, with more than seven thousand state legislative seats nationwide, we’re looking at a very incremental increase of women state legislators. And we continue to exist in an environment where Democratic women drastically outnumber Republican women in state legislatures. The sustained support that led to 2024 state success stories is a model for nationwide parity; it should be taken up across the country and on both sides of the aisle.”

State Legislatures: By the Numbers

These numbers can change as races that are too close to call are decided. They can also fluctuate between now and when officeholders are sworn in for other reasons, including resignations.

• At least 2,450 women will serve in state legislatures in 2025. This represents 33.2% of all state legislative seats nationwide. The previous record was 2,431, first set in 2024.
  • At least 1,579 Democratic women will serve in state legislatures. The record is 1,593, first set in 2024.
  • At least 851 Republican women will serve in state legislatures. This exceeds the record of 815, first set in 2024.
  • An additional 4 women will serve as independents and 16 will serve as nonpartisans in state legislatures.
  • 48 (24D, 24R) women are in state legislative races that are too close to call.
• At least 590 women will serve in state senates in 2025. The record is 596, first set in 2023.
  • At least 382 Democratic women will serve in state senates in 2025. The record is 386, first set in 2024.
  • At least 194 Republican women will serve in state senates in 2025. This exceeds the record of 191, first set in 2023.
  • An additional 14 women will serve in state senates as nonpartisans.
  • 12 (7D, 5R) women are in state senate races that are too close to call.
• At least 1,860 women will serve in state houses in 2025. This exceeds the record of 1,838, first set in 2024.
  • At least 1,197 Democratic women will serve in state houses in 2025. The record is 1,209, first set in 2024.
  • At least 657 Republican women will serve in state houses in 2025. This exceeds the record of 623, first set in 2024.
  • An additional 4 women will serve as independents and 2 will serve as nonpartisans in state houses.
  • 36 (17D, 19R) women are in state house races that are too close to call.

Gender Parity or Majority-Woman State Legislatures

An asterisk (*) indicates that this has been achieved for the first time as a result of the 2024 elections. More states may be added as results are determined in races that are currently too close to call. Visit our Women in State Legislatures fact sheet for additional information about gender-parity or majority-woman state legislatures.

• Colorado* (52%) [The Colorado Legislature has previously reached parity but is projected to be majority women for the first time in 2025.]
• Nevada (61.9%) [Nevada is the first state to become majority women in its overall legislature as well as the first state where both chambers of its legislature were majority women simultaneously.]
• New Mexico* (53.6%)

Gender Parity or Majority-Woman State Legislative Chambers

An asterisk (*) indicates that this has been achieved for the first time as a result of the 2024 elections. More chambers may be added as results are determined in races that are currently too close to call. Visit our Women in State Legislatures fact sheet for additional information about gender-parity or majority-women state legislative chambers.

• Nevada Senate (61.9%)
• Nevada House (61.9%)
• Arizona Senate (53.3%)
• California Senate* (52.5%)
• Colorado House (58.5%)
• New Mexico House (62.9%)
• Oregon House (50%)

A Note on the Record Number of Women Governors

CAWP has previously reported that there will be a record number of women governors in 2025. This is true, but, due to a pair of upcoming political events, that record level will be short lived. Next year, the number of women governors will briefly hit 14 (9D, 5R), a new record. In this year’s elections, former Senator Kelly Ayotte won the New Hampshire gubernatorial election. In addition, Delaware Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long will briefly serve as governor when current Governor John Carney leaves office to begin his duties as the next mayor of Wilmington but before the next Delaware governor, Matt Meyer, is sworn in. The number of women governors will be 14 (9D, 5R) during this period (less than two weeks) and will then be 13 (8D, 5R) after Hall-Long leaves office. However, with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security, the number of women governors will be 12 (8D, 4R) once she leaves office, bringing this number to current levels.

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Find all of CAWP’s data on women in state legislative offices currently, including information on race/ethnicity and by party, here. For the latest data on women in state legislative office in 2025, visit CAWP’s Results for Women State Legislative Candidates in Election 2024 page.