A look at how states compare on women in elected office
Women comprise half of the U.S. population, yet they are underrepresented at various levels of elected office. Here is a closer look at how states compare when it comes to women in elected office:
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STATES WITH THE MOST FEMALE STATE LAWMAKERS, 2016:
- COLORADO, 42 percent.
- VERMONT, 41 percent.
- ARIZONA, 38 percent.
- WASHINGTON, 34 percent.
- MINNESOTA, 33 percent.
- NEVADA, 33 percent.
- ILLINOIS, 32 percent.
- MARYLAND, 31 percent.
- MONTANA, 31 percent.
- OREGON, 31 percent.
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STATES WITH THE FEWEST FEMALE STATE LAWMAKERS, 2016:
- KENTUCKY, 17 percent.
- TENNESSEE, 17 percent.
- UTAH, 15 percent.
- LOUISIANA, 15 percent.
- MISSISSIPPI, 14 percent.
- ALABAMA, 14 percent.
- WEST VIRGINIA, 14 percent.
- OKLAHOMA, 14 percent.
- SOUTH CAROLINA, 14 percent.
- WYOMING, 13 percent.
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STATES THAT HAVE NEVER ELECTED OR APPOINTED A FEMALE TO THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
- ALASKA
- DELAWARE
- IOWA
- MISSISSIPPI
- NORTH DAKOTA
- VERMONT
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STATES THAT HAVE NEVER ELECTED OR APPOINTED A FEMALE TO THE U.S. SENATE:
- ARIZONA
- COLORADO
- CONNECTICUT
- DELAWARE
- IDAHO
- INDIANA
- KENTUCKY
- MISSISSIPPI
- MONTANA
- NEVADA
- NEW JERSEY
- NEW MEXICO
- OHIO
- OKLAHOMA
- PENNSYLVANIA
- RHODE ISLAND
- SOUTH CAROLINA
- TENNESSEE
- UTAH
- VERMONT
- VIRGINIA
- WYOMING
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STATES THAT HAVE NEVER ELECTED OR APPOINTED A FEMALE GOVERNOR:
- ARKANSAS
- CALIFORNIA
- COLORADO
- FLORIDA
- GEORGIA
- IDAHO
- ILLINOIS
- INDIANA
- IOWA
- MAINE
- MARYLAND
- MINNESOTA
- MISSISSIPPI
- MISSOURI
- NEVADA
- NEW YORK
- NORTH DAKOTA
- PENNSYLVANIA
- SOUTH DAKOTA
- TENNESSEE
- VIRGINIA
- WEST VIRGINIA
- WISCONSIN
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STATES WITH FEWER FEMALE STATE LAWMAKERS IN 2016 THAN IN 2005:
- CALIFORNIA
- CONNECTICUT
- DELAWARE
- HAWAII
- KANSAS
- LOUISIANA
- MARYLAND
- NEBRASKA
- NEW HAMPSHIRE
- NEW MEXICO
- NORTH CAROLINA
- OKLAHOMA
- UTAH
- WEST VIRGINIA
- WISCONSIN
- WYOMING
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STATES WITH THE SAME NUMBER OF FEMALE LAWMAKERS IN 2016 AS IN 2005:
- MICHIGAN
- MISSISSIPPI
- NEVADA
- TENNESSEE
- TEXAS
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Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures, Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.