In the wake of Donald Trump’s election, an unprecedented number of women — primarily Democrats — are running for office in 2018. Final numbers will not be available for some time, but Emily’s List, an organization that works to elect Democratic women, has reported being contacted by more than 26,000 women who are interested in running for office since Election Day 2016. That is compared with 920 during the entire two-year 2016 election cycle.
Two states had elections in 2017.
Before
After
30%
N.J. elected more Democrats and fewer women.
20%
Va. elected more Democrats and more women.
10%
Percent of seats
held by women
65%
50%
60%
More Democrats
in office
More
Republicans
The open question is whether this energy will result in more women being elected in 2018. It did in Virginia’s 2017 election, where 15 more female legislators were elected to the state’s 100-member House of Delegates.
Two of the victors who defeated Republican male incumbents in Virginia will be the first Hispanic women to serve in the state’s House. A third will be the first openly transgender person elected and seated in a U.S. statehouse.
Del. Danica Roem
Roem, who is transgender,
defeated socially conservative
Robert G. Marshall.
Del. Elizabeth Guzman
Guzman, an immigrant from
Peru, defeated Scott
Lingamfelter.
Del. Hala Ayala
Hala Ayala beat Richard
Anderson, who ran unopposed
in 2015.
Del. Danica Roem
Del. Elizabeth Guzman
Del. Hala Ayala
Roem, who is
transgender, defeated socially conservative
Robert G. Marshall.
Guzman, an immigrant
from Peru, defeated
Scott Lingamfelter.
Hala Ayala beat Richard
Anderson, who ran
unopposed in 2015.
Del. Danica Roem
Del. Elizabeth Guzman
Del. Hala Ayala
Roem, who is transgender,
defeated socially conservative
Robert G. Marshall.
Guzman, an immigrant from
Peru, defeated Scott
Lingamfelter.
Hala Ayala beat Richard
Anderson, who ran unopposed
in 2015.
Only one other state had a statewide election in 2017. In New Jersey’s 2017 election, two female Republican state senators lost their seats to male Democrats.
Both states are still far from having equal representation for women. Given the way female representation looks across the country, even the tidal wave of women running probably will not be enough to get one woman into office for every man.
[The political playbook for 2018: Get angry, then get elected]
No state is even close to equal representation
Overall, about a quarter of elected positions in the United States are held by women. There are 1,977 women in power across governorships, congressional seats, and state legislative seats — which means 2,006 more have to win for women to reach equal representation.
Their numbers are highest in states that vote Democratic. In some right-leaning states, women’s share of political leadership drops as low as 11 percent. This chart shows the proportion of Congresspeople, governors, and state legislators who are women, alongside the political parties of both male and female elected officials in the state. (See the full list below.)
Women make up 51 percent of the population. If they were
equally represented, they would hold half of all positions at every level of government.
0
25%
50%
100%
Percent of
seats held
by women
75%
More
Democrats
50%
More
Rep.
75%
100%
* Nebraska’s legislature is nonpartisan. Its governor, three representatives to the U.S. House and one of its U.S. senators are all Republicans.
Women make up 51 percent of
the population. If they were equally
represented, more than half of all positions at every level of government would be held by women.
0
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
100%
Percent of seats
held by women
More
Democrats
in office
75%
Vermont has never elected a woman to Congress, but 40 percent of its legislature are women.
Delaware elected its first female member
of Congress in 2016.
10%
20%
50%
30%
40%
50%
More
Republicans
in office
75%
Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote.
100%
* Nebraska’s legislature is nonpartisan. Its governor, three representatives to the U.S. House and one of its U.S. senators are all Republicans.
Women make up 51 percent of
the population. If they were equally
represented, more than half of all positions at every level of government would be held by women.
50%
Vermont has never elected a woman to Congress, but 40 percent of its legislature are women.
40%
30%
20%
Delaware elected its first female member
of Congress in 2016.
10%
Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote.
Percent of seats
held by women
100%
75%
50%
75%
100%
More Democrats in office
More Republicans in office
* Nebraska’s legislature is nonpartisan. Its governor, three representatives to the U.S. House and one of its U.S. senators are all Republicans.
The gap is even greater in Congress; 21 states have never sent a woman to the Senate. Five states have never elected a woman to the House. Overall, only 84 of the 432 House members are women (three seats are vacant). Twenty-two of the 100 Senators are women — and that is a record number.
U.S. Senate
One woman
Two women
Previously represented by a woman
Never represented by a woman
Sen. Tina Smith
The former lieutenant governor of Minnesota was nominated to replace fellow Democrat Al Franken, who resigned amid sexual
misconduct allegations.
U.S. House
Percentage of women in state's delegation
7%
25%
50%
100%
Previously represented by a woman
Never represented by a woman
Rep. Karen Handel
In June, Handel became the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Georgia when she beat a male Democrat in the special election to replace Tom Price.
U.S. House
Percentage of women in state's delegation
U.S. Senate
One woman
Two women
7%
25%
50%
100%
Previously represented by a woman
Previously represented by a woman
Never represented by a woman
Never represented by a woman
Sen. Tina Smith
Rep. Karen Handel
The former lieutenant governor of Minnesota was nominated to replace fellow Democrat Al Franken, who resigned amid sexual
misconduct allegations.
In June, Handel became the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Georgia when she beat a male Democrat in the special election to replace Tom Price.
U.S. House
U.S. Senate
Percentage of women in state's delegation
One woman
Two women
7%
25%
50%
100%
Previously represented by a woman
Previously represented by a woman
Never represented by a woman
Never represented by a woman
Sen. Tina Smith
Rep. Karen Handel
The former lieutenant governor of Minnesota was nominated to replace fellow Democrat Al Franken, who resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations.
In June, Handel became the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Georgia when she beat a male Democrat in the special election to replace Tom Price.
[The sorry state of female representation in Congress just got slightly better thanks to Tina Smith]
At the state executive level, representation is not much better. Twenty-two states have never had a female governor. Three of the six sitting female governors were appointed to the top seat and not elected. Every state has elected women to its legislature. On average, one in every four state legislators is female.
Governor
Never held by a woman
Previously held by a woman
Woman
Gov. Kim Reynolds
The newest female governor is Reynolds, a Republican who was appointed to the governorship after Terry Branstad CO was named Trump’s ambassador to China.
Women in state legislatures
11%
25%
40%
State Sen. Manka Dhingra
In November, Dhingra won a special election to flip control of Washington State’s senate to Democrats. The seat was vacant after Republican Andy Hill died of lung cancer.
Governor
Women in state legislatures
Never held by a woman
Previously held by a woman
11%
25%
40%
Woman
Gov. Kim Reynolds
State Sen. Manka Dhingra
The newest female governor is Reynolds, a Republican who was appointed to the governorship after Terry Branstad was named Trump’s ambassador to China.
In November, Dhingra won a special election to flip control of Washington State’s senate to Democrats. The seat was vacant after Republican Andy Hill died of lung cancer.
Governor
Women in state legislatures
Never held by a woman
Previously held by a woman
11%
25%
40%
Woman
Gov. Kim Reynolds
State Sen. Manka Dhingra
The newest female governor is Reynolds, a Republican who was appointed to the governorship after Terry Branstad was named Trump’s ambassador to China.
In November, Dhingra won a special election to flip control of Washington State’s senate to Democrats. The seat was vacant after Republican Andy Hill died of lung cancer.
Despite how far they have to go, women are well-positioned for 2018. Studies show women win elections at the same rates as men. The lack of women in office stems from a lack of women running — which is much less of an obstacle this year. With the country’s general swing to the left, female candidates, who overwhelmingly run as Democrats, have a better shot than usual.
How many women represent each state?
Click on a column to sort the list.
Are you a woman running for office?
Do you know a woman running for office in 2018?
About this story
The Post did not count women in political offices such as lieutenant governor because those are elected in some states but appointed in others. Sources include the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, U.S. Governor’s Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, U.S. Congress. Photos from the Associated Press, Getty Images and European Pressphoto Agency.
Originally published Feb. 1, 2018.
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