Women in Elective Office Today

Winning may not be everything, but losing has little to recommend it. 


— Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator

This day in 1978, Dianne Feinstein, who has been serving as a U.S. senator since 1992, became the first woman mayor of San Francisco. She served from 1978 to 1988, or the maximum two terms. Let’s take this as an excuse to look at women in elective office today!

In 2013

• 20 women will serve in the U.S. Senate (16D, 4R), including the first openly gay senator and the second woman of color to serve as senator.
• 78 women will serve in the U.S. House (58D, 20R).
• 75 women will hold executive positions at the state level (38D, 36R, 1NP); 5 of these will be governor (down from 6) (1D, 4R).
• 405 women will serve in state senates (256D, 138R, 10NP, 1Ind.).
• 1,368 women will serve in state houses of representatives (874D, 490R, 4Prg.).
• every state legislature will now include at least one woman. (Thanks, South Carolina, for finally electing a Lady Legislator!)

Currently, 417 women serve as mayors of the 1,248 U.S. cities with populations greater than 30,000. Of the 100 largest cities, two are served by African American women mayors.

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