February 28, 2023

According to CAWP’s annual ranking of states by women’s representation in state legislatures, the top three states in 2023 are Nevada (61.9%), Colorado (50%), and Arizona (47.8%), while the bottom three are West Virginia (11.9%), Mississippi (14.4%), and Tennessee (14.4%). While women’s state legislative representation is at a record high, women still hold just 32.7% of all seats nationwide. Learn more, and see where your state ranks, at our Women in State Legislatures 2023 fact sheet.

For the first time in history, more than one state has reached or surpassed gender parity in state legislative representation, with Colorado now at parity and Nevada, the first state to have a majority-women legislature, now over sixty percent women. In addition, six state legislative chambers are at or above gender parity in representation: the Arizona Senate (53.3%), the Colorado House (58.5%), the Nevada Senate (61.9%), the Nevada Assembly (61.9%), the New Hampshire Senate (50%), and the New Mexico House (54.3%).

Take a deeper look at what happened for women in state legislative elections in 2022 in part three of our report on the 2022 midterms, Women in Election 2022: Marking Midterm Progress, where you’ll find additional detail about how women fared in election 2022 nationally and in each state. In addition to providing historical comparisons to previous and record cycles, particularly 2018 and 2020, the report offers data on women’s representation among all state legislative nominees and general election win rates by gender, party, and incumbency status.

CAWP’s 2023 Ready to Run® New Jersey campaign training program, the first in-person program since 2019, is right around the corner! Get registered now to learn everything you need to know for your upcoming political campaign or find out how you can get more engaged, involved, and impactful in your

political activism. Ready to Run®

New Jersey 2023 will take place on

March 17-18 in New Brunswick, NJ. Sessions include:

• ELLA Wins (Elections & Leadership Latina Academy)
• Rising Stars: Educating Asian American Women for Politics
• Run Sister Run: Empowering Black Women for Public Office 
• Digital Strategies for Candidates, Campaigns, and Advocates
• Strategic Campaign Communications
• Launching Your Campaign
• Finding Your Political Voice and Influence – Elected or Not
• Navigating New Jersey’s Political Parties for Candidates
• Legislative Advocacy
• Fundraising for Success

Learn more about the agenda and the presenters and panelists here.

Last week, Virginia State Senator Jennifer McClellan won a special election for the vacant seat in the VA-04 congressional district, becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia. Upon her swearing in: 

• 150 (107D, 42R, 1Ind) women will serve in the U.S. Congress, holding 28% of seats. This is a new record and surpasses by one the previous record, set at the swearing-in of the 118th Congress.
• 125 (92D, 33R) women will serve in the U.S. House, holding 28.7% of seats. This is likewise a new record and surpasses by one the previous record, set at the swearing in of the 118th Congress.
• 107 Democratic women will serve in Congress, matching the record set in 2022. Women will hold 41% of Democratic seats in Congress.
• 92 Democratic women will serve in the House. This is a new record and surpasses by one the previous record, which was set in 2022. Women will hold 43.2% of Democratic seats in the House.
• 28 Black women will serve in Congress. This is a new record and surpasses by one the previous record, set at the swearing-in of the 118th Congress.
• 28 Black women will serve in the House. This is a new record and surpasses by one the previous record, set at the swearing-in of the 118th Congress.

For the most up-to-date information on women serving in Congress, see CAWP’s fact sheet, Women in the U.S. Congress 2023; this page will update when Representative-elect McClellan is sworn in.

Is there a college student in your life eager to explore their public leadership potential? Applications for the 2023 cohort of NEW Leadership® New Jersey are due by Monday, March 13th! NEW Leadership® is CAWP’s program devoted to helping college students deepen their political engagement and get involved in the fight to advance women’s leadership. Want to know more? Hear from NEW Leadership® students in their own words in the video above as they discuss the life-changing, transformational power of the NEW Leadership® program.

Our flagship Susan N. Wilson NEW Leadership® New Jersey will take place June 8-13th at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. This non-partisan, six-day residential program will give students the opportunity to meet women leaders, learn about women’s participation in American politics, and develop and practice leadership skills through panel discussions, workshops, and projects.

Do you know students living outside of New Jersey who are ready to begin their leadership journey? Encourage them to participate in one of our 20 NEW Leadership® National Network partner programs around the country.

Earlier this month, Nikki Haley announced her presidential bid, becoming the fifth prominent Republican woman candidate for president, according to CAWP’s criteria for prominent presidential candidacies. Haley is also the first woman governor (former or current) to enter a presidential primary and the first Asian American woman with a significant national profile to campaign for the Republican nomination for president.

In her role as a contributor to Forbes, CAWP’s Kelly Dittmar writes of Haley’s challenges to former President Trump in her newest piece, “Nikki Haley’s Response To Trump’s Tough-Guy Tactics Will Shape Role Of Gender In 2024.” Read our press release on Haley’s campaign announcement for more information about women in presidential primaries.

Our friends at Represent Women are holding a free virtual event, their Democracy Solutions Summit, bringing together experts and leaders in election administration, voting rights, and democracy reform. The event will be held March 7th, 8th, and 9th from 3-5 PM EST. Learn more and register to attend here.