Mapped: Texas women in municipal office
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Less than one-third of Texas' municipal offices are held by women, placing the Lone Star State among the lowest in the country for female representation in local government.
Why it matters: Slightly more than half of Texans identify as female, per U.S. census data, but municipal offices don't reflect the population they represent.
- Women make up 28.9% of municipal officeholders in the state.
The analysis by the Center for American Women and Politics looked at the demographics of local offices, including city councils, boards of aldermen, city commissions, mayors and officials who perform mayoral functions.
- The center reviewed all incorporated cities and towns with populations over 10,000.
- Hawaii was the only state where women made up half of those in municipal office, while Mississippi ranked last at 19.7%.
Zoom in: Carole Keeton was the first and only woman to be elected mayor of Austin, and 2015 marked the first majority female Austin City Council.
- While the mayoral filing window ahead of the Nov. 8 election officially opens in July, campaign treasurer applications submitted to the city indicate at least five people could run for mayor — four of them women.
- The filing window closes on Aug. 22 at 5pm.