August 19, 2025

In the past decade, women have achieved near parity with men among Democratic state legislators. Women remain less than a quarter of all Republican state legislators.

From 2016 to 2025, women have increased their representation in state legislatures by almost ten percentage points (24.4% to 33.5%).

Women are now nearly 50% of all Democratic state legislators, up from 34.1% in 2016. While women have increased their representation among Republican state legislators from 2016 to 2025, they are still just 21.3% of Republicans in state legislatures, up from 17.1% in 2016.

In addition, women are more than 50% of Democratic legislators in 28 states, up from 4 states in 2016. Republican women legislators are not at or above parity with men in any state legislature in 2025.

It’s 2025 but the 2026 election is already here. Last week, CAWP launched The Buzz: 2026 Potential Women Candidates, which tracks candidates who are prepping campaigns for Congress, governor, and other statewide executive offices. Women are already launching campaigns that could lead to the first women governor in multiple states, the first Black woman governor in America, and other milestones. The Buzz also provides seat status for these potential candidates, making clear which women are challenging incumbents in their own party, seeking to take on an incumbent of the other party, or taking advantage of an open seat. This list will update regularly as we head into the 2026 midterm, and will eventually transform into the full list of all filed women candidates for these offices as filings are finalized.

Stay informed with The Buzz: 2026 Potential Women Candidates.

New Brief on CAWP-Supported Research

In Opportunities and Obstacles for Latina State Legislators in Colorado, a newly released brief  supported by a CAWP Research Grant, Dr. Celeste Montya shares her findings about the opportunities and challenges that Latinas continue to face on the path to the Colorado statehouse. She combines quantitative analysis with interviews of Colorado's Latina state legislators to find:

1. The most common paths to the legislature for Latinas have been through open seats and vacancy appointments, from the Denver metro area, and in the Democratic Party;
2. For many Latina legislators, community activism or advocacy served as a motivation to run, a source of experience, and a means of mobilizing support;
3. The relationship between Latinas and (both) political parties is not always a positive one; and
4. Two of the biggest obstacles faced by Latinas in running for and staying in office are financial resources and discrimination. Montoya's brief includes discussion of the implications of her findings for increasing Latina political representation.

Get more details in the full brief.

Make a Will, Make an Impact

August is Make-a-Will Month — a perfect time to protect your loved ones, plan your future, and create a lasting impact at Rutgers. With a will, you can safeguard your assets and even include a gift to support the Center for American Women and Politics for generations to come. We’ve partnered with FreeWill to offer a free, secure tool that lets you create your will in less than 20 minutes.