Minnesota Ranks 4th in the Nation in Electing Women to State Legislatures
Unlike its Upper Midwestern neighbors, Minnesota continues to be among the nation’s leading states in electing women to state legislative office, according an analysis by Smart Politics of data compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
For the second straight election cycle, 34.8 percent of Representatives and Senators in St. Paul are female (70 of 201), which ranks as the 4th highest percentage in the nation. Only Colorado (40.0 percent), New Hampshire (37.3 percent), and Vermont (37.2 percent) elected a larger percentage of women to their respective state legislatures.
Minnesota’ Upper Midwestern neighbors, however, not only trail the Gopher State, but also the national average of 24.2 percent. Iowa has the second lowest gender imbalance in the region at 22.7 percent (#28 in the nation), followed by Wisconsin at 22.0 percent (#31), South Dakota at 19.0 percent (#38), and North Dakota at 15.6 percent (#43).
The number of women holding the 7,382 legislative seats at state capitols nationwide has been consistently on the rise – increasing from 1,663 in 2005, to 1,729 in 2007, to 1,789 in 2009 after the latest election cycle.
Female State Legislators in the United States, 2005-2009
|
Year
|
Number
|
Percent
|
|
2009
|
1,789
|
24.2
|
|
2008
|
1,751
|
23.7
|
|
2007
|
1,729
|
23.4
|
|
2006
|
1,667
|
22.6
|
|
2005
|
1,663
|
22.5
|
Note: table compiled by Smart Politics with data from the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Not surprisingly, women legislators were elected into office much more frequently in traditionally Democratic states.
In fact, in the 2008 election cycle, the ten states with the highest percentage of female legislators were states carried by Barack Obama. Moreover, a staggering 20 of the top 23 states with the highest percentage of women holding legislative seats were “Obama states.”
On the flip side, 8 of the 10 states with the lowest percentage of female representation in state legislatures came from traditionally Republican and “McCain states,” including 14 of the lowest 16 states.
States with the Highest Percentage of Female Legislators, 2009
|
Rank
|
State
|
Percent
|
2008 Pres. vote
|
|
1
|
Colorado
|
40.0
|
Obama
|
|
2
|
New Hampshire
|
37.3
|
Obama
|
|
3
|
Vermont
|
37.2
|
Obama
|
|
4
|
Minnesota
|
34.8
|
Obama
|
|
5
|
Hawaii
|
32.9
|
Obama
|
|
6
|
Washington
|
32.0
|
Obama
|
|
7
|
Nevada
|
31.7
|
Obama
|
|
8
|
Connecticut
|
31.6
|
Obama
|
|
9
|
Maryland
|
31.4
|
Obama
|
|
10
|
New Mexico
|
30.4
|
Obama
|
|
11
|
Arizona
|
30.0
|
McCain
|
|
12
|
New Jersey
|
29.2
|
Obama
|
|
13
|
Kansas
|
29.1
|
McCain
|
|
14
|
Maine
|
29.0
|
Obama
|
|
15
|
Oregon
|
28.9
|
Obama
|
|
16
|
California
|
27.5
|
Obama
|
|
17
|
Illinois
|
27.1
|
Obama
|
|
18
|
Massachusetts
|
26.0
|
Obama
|
|
18
|
Montana
|
26.0
|
McCain
|
|
20
|
North Carolina
|
25.9
|
Obama
|
|
21
|
Michigan
|
25.0
|
Obama
|
|
22
|
New York
|
24.5
|
Obama
|
|
23
|
Delaware
|
24.2
|
Obama
|
|
24
|
Florida
|
23.8
|
Obama
|
|
24
|
Idaho
|
23.8
|
McCain
|
|
24
|
Texas
|
23.8
|
McCain
|
|
27
|
Arkansas
|
23.7
|
McCain
|
|
28
|
Iowa
|
22.7
|
Obama
|
|
29
|
Rhode Island
|
22.1
|
Obama
|
|
29
|
Utah
|
22.1
|
McCain
|
|
31
|
Indiana
|
22.0
|
Obama
|
|
31
|
Wisconsin
|
22.0
|
Obama
|
|
33
|
Missouri
|
20.8
|
McCain
|
|
34
|
Ohio
|
20.5
|
Obama
|
|
35
|
Nebraska
|
20.4
|
McCain
|
|
36
|
Alaska
|
20.0
|
McCain
|
|
37
|
Georgia
|
19.1
|
McCain
|
|
38
|
South Dakota
|
19.0
|
McCain
|
|
39
|
Tennessee
|
18.2
|
McCain
|
|
40
|
Wyoming
|
17.8
|
McCain
|
|
41
|
West Virginia
|
16.4
|
McCain
|
|
42
|
Virginia
|
15.7
|
Obama
|
|
43
|
North Dakota
|
15.6
|
McCain
|
|
44
|
Louisiana
|
15.3
|
McCain
|
|
45
|
Kentucky
|
15.2
|
McCain
|
|
46
|
Pennsylvania
|
14.6
|
Obama
|
|
47
|
Mississippi
|
14.4
|
McCain
|
|
48
|
Alabama
|
12.9
|
McCain
|
|
49
|
Oklahoma
|
11.4
|
McCain
|
|
50
|
South Carolina
|
10.0
|
McCain
|
|
Total
|
|
24.2
|
|
Not only were Republican states much less likely to produce larger percentages of female legislators, but those legislators who were elected throughout the nation have trended even more towards the Democratic Party.
From 2006 through 2009, Republican female legislators have decreased not only by percentage, but also in raw numbers. Overall, female members of the Republican Party elected to state legislatures have dropped by 20.9 percent since 2006 (36.4 to 28.8 percent).
Women State Legislators by Political Party, 2006-2009
|
Party
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
|
DEM
|
1,045 (62.7%)
|
1,181 (68.3%)
|
1,199 (68.5%)
|
1,260 (70.4%)
|
|
GOP
|
606 (36.4%)
|
533 (30.8%)
|
537 (30.7%)
|
515 (28.8%)
|
|
Other*
|
18 (1.1%)
|
15 (0.9%)
|
15 (0.9%)
|
14 (0.8%)
|
Note: ‘Other’ includes non-partisan (Nebraska) female legislators as well as those belonging to third parties.
Minnesota has not always been among the very top leaders in electing women to state legislative office. In 2006, the Gopher State was ranked just 13th in the nation, with 29.9 percent of its legislative seats held by women. Iowa and the Dakotas, however, have consistently been ranked in the bottom half during each of the past five years – never reaching the 23 percent mark.
Women State Legislators by State, 2005-2009
|
State
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
|
Alabama
|
10.0
|
11.0
|
12.9
|
12.9
|
12.9
|
|
Alaska
|
18.3
|
18.3
|
21.7
|
21.7
|
20.0
|
|
Arizona
|
33.3
|
33.3
|
33.3
|
33.3
|
30.0
|
|
Arkansas
|
16.3
|
16.3
|
20.7
|
20.7
|
23.7
|
|
California
|
30.8
|
30.8
|
27.5
|
27.5
|
27.5
|
|
Colorado
|
33.0
|
33.0
|
35.0
|
36.0
|
40.0
|
|
Connecticut
|
29.4
|
29.4
|
28.3
|
28.3
|
31.6
|
|
Delaware
|
33.9
|
33.9
|
30.6
|
30.6
|
24.2
|
|
Florida
|
23.8
|
23.8
|
23.1
|
23.1
|
23.8
|
|
Georgia
|
18.6
|
18.6
|
19.5
|
19.5
|
19.1
|
|
Hawaii
|
28.9
|
30.2
|
32.9
|
32.9
|
32.9
|
|
Idaho
|
27.6
|
27.6
|
22.9
|
23.8
|
23.8
|
|
Illinois
|
27.7
|
27.1
|
27.1
|
27.1
|
27.1
|
|
Indiana
|
16.7
|
16.7
|
18.7
|
18.7
|
22.0
|
|
Iowa
|
20.0
|
20.0
|
22.7
|
22.7
|
22.7
|
|
Kansas
|
32.7
|
32.7
|
29.1
|
29.1
|
29.1
|
|
Kentucky
|
12.3
|
11.6
|
12.3
|
13.0
|
15.2
|
|
Louisiana
|
16.6
|
16.6
|
17.4
|
14.6
|
15.3
|
|
Maine
|
23.1
|
23.1
|
30.6
|
31.7
|
29.0
|
|
Maryland
|
34.0
|
34.6
|
32.4
|
31.4
|
31.4
|
|
Massachusetts
|
24.5
|
24.5
|
24.5
|
25.5
|
26.0
|
|
Michigan
|
20.3
|
20.3
|
19.6
|
19.6
|
25.0
|
|
Minnesota
|
29.9
|
29.9
|
34.8
|
34.8
|
34.8
|
|
Mississippi
|
12.6
|
12.6
|
13.8
|
14.4
|
14.4
|
|
Missouri
|
21.3
|
21.3
|
19.3
|
20.3
|
20.8
|
|
Montana
|
24.7
|
24.7
|
24.7
|
24.7
|
26.0
|
|
Nebraska
|
24.5
|
24.5
|
18.4
|
18.4
|
20.4
|
|
Nevada
|
33.3
|
33.3
|
30.2
|
30.2
|
31.7
|
|
New Hampshire
|
30.7
|
30.4
|
35.8
|
35.6
|
37.3
|
|
New Jersey
|
15.8
|
18.3
|
19.2
|
28.3
|
29.2
|
|
New Mexico
|
31.3
|
31.3
|
30.4
|
30.4
|
30.4
|
|
New York
|
23.1
|
22.6
|
24.1
|
23.6
|
24.5
|
|
North Carolina
|
22.9
|
22.9
|
25.9
|
26.5
|
25.9
|
|
North Dakota
|
16.3
|
16.3
|
17.7
|
17.0
|
15.6
|
|
Ohio
|
19.7
|
18.9
|
16.7
|
17.4
|
20.5
|
|
Oklahoma
|
14.8
|
14.8
|
12.8
|
12.8
|
11.4
|
|
Oregon
|
27.8
|
27.8
|
31.1
|
32.2
|
28.9
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
12.6
|
13.0
|
14.6
|
14.6
|
14.6
|
|
Rhode Island
|
16.8
|
16.8
|
19.5
|
19.5
|
22.1
|
|
South Carolina
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
8.8
|
10.0
|
|
South Dakota
|
16.2
|
16.2
|
17.1
|
17.1
|
19.0
|
|
Tennessee
|
17.4
|
17.4
|
16.7
|
17.4
|
18.2
|
|
Texas
|
19.9
|
19.9
|
19.3
|
19.3
|
23.8
|
|
Utah
|
19.2
|
19.2
|
17.3
|
19.2
|
22.1
|
|
Vermont
|
33.3
|
33.3
|
37.8
|
38.3
|
37.2
|
|
Virginia
|
15.0
|
15.7
|
17.1
|
16.4
|
15.7
|
|
Washington
|
33.3
|
33.3
|
32.7
|
35.4
|
32.0
|
|
West Virginia
|
15.7
|
15.7
|
14.2
|
14.2
|
16.4
|
|
Wisconsin
|
25.8
|
25.8
|
22.7
|
22.7
|
22.0
|
|
Wyoming
|
14.4
|
15.6
|
23.3
|
23.3
|
17.8
|
|
Total
|
22.5
|
22.6
|
23.4
|
23.7
|
24.2
|
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Interesting analysis. There’s even better news.
Forty two percent of higher offices in Minnesota are occupied by women. Minnesota today has a female Senator and two of eight members of Congress are women. Three of four constitutional officers are women. Of the women in higher office, two-thirds are Democrats.