Where Massachusetts ranks in women holding elected office
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Massachusetts ranked 19th in the country for the number of women holding municipal office and far lower for female representation in the State House, according to a new report.
Why it matters: Representation in public office is another measure used to analyze gender politics in a city or state at a time when Massachusetts leaders are touting the state as a safe haven for women.
State of play: One-third of municipal office holders in Massachusetts identify as women, per the report from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
Between the lines: Massachusetts has seen its share of women trailblazers in recent years, electing its first female governor in Maura Healey and first female mayor of Boston in Michelle Wu.
- Everett elected Gerly Adrien to the city council in 2020, its second woman and the first Black woman in the role.
- Haverhill elected its first woman mayor, Melinda Barrett, in November.
The State House's legislature is nearly one-third female. But the state ranked 29th for gender representation.
Zoom out: Colorado, Connecticut and Arizona ranked higher than Massachusetts in both categories.