It’s only been four years since the U.S. elected a woman to the second highest office in the land, and the possibility of having a woman vice president could become an inevitability based on who former President Donald Trump chooses as his running mate.
However, even though more than half of the country is female (per U.S. Census Bureau data), women are still underrepresented in American politics.
According to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, just 28.2% of national Congressional seats are held by women.
That’s a record high. In fact, this year marks record highs for women serving in the U.S. House of Representatives (29%), state legislatures (32.9%), state executive offices (31.9%) and as governors with 12 women holding the title.
These governors are: Gov. Maura Healey (D) of Massachusetts, Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) of Arizona, Gov. Kathy C. Hochul (D) of New York, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) of Arkansas, Gov. Kay E. Ivey (R) of Alabama, Gov. Laura J. Kelly (D) of Kansas, Gov. Tina Kotek (D) of Oregon, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) of New Mexico, Gov. Janet T. Mills (D) of Maine, Gov. Kristi Noem (R) of South Dakota, Gov. Kimberly Reynolds (R) of Iowa and Gov. Gretchen E. Whitmer (D) of Michigan.
Most women who are elected officials are also Democrats, according to the CAWP data.
Here are the states with the highest percentages of women in elected political positions (1 has the highest and 10 has the lowest):
1. Nevada (60.3%)
2. Colorado (49%)
3. Arizona (48.8%)
4. Washington (45.6%)
5. Vermont (45%)
6. New Mexico (43.8%)
7. Maine (43.5%)
8. Rhode Island (43.4%)
9. Illinois (42.9%)
10. Maryland (42.6%)
Here are the bottom 10 states:
1. North Dakota (26.2%)
2. Louisiana (23.6%)
3. Arkansas (23.0%)
4. Wyoming (21.5%)
5. Oklahoma (19.5%)
6. Alabama (17.1%)
7. Mississippi (15.5%)
8. South Carolina (15.3%)
9. Tennessee (15.2%)
10. West Virginia (11.9%)
In addition to Vice President Kamala Harris – who is running again with President Joe Biden – businesswoman Nicole Shanahan is running as independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy’s running mate. While Trump hasn’t announced his running mate yet, there’s been speculation that he’ll run with a woman this time. Some potential picks include South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who ran against him in the GOP presidential primaries.
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Late last month, the CAWP revealed data about women who hold municipal offices throughout the U.S. It said that Colorado and Nevada were again at the top of the list. Oregon also had one of the highest percentages. Mississippi, North Dakota and Alabama were again near the bottom. Nebraska and South Dakota also had low percentages of women in municipal offices.
“The 2024 data on women in municipal offices shows little progress has been made in the last year,” said Debbie Walsh, director of CAWP. “Continued monitoring and advocacy is crucial to address the disparities. This is especially important on the municipal level, which is often the closest level of government to citizens, directly impacting their daily lives. Women, who are on the frontlines in their communities, should have an equal voice on local policies around education, public health, transportation, and development.”
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