Facts: Women in Public Office in 2009

Congress

In 2009, women hold 90 (16.8%) of the 535 seats in the 111th U.S. Congress. Seventeen women serve in the Senate (17%) and 73 in the House (16.8%). Three
Democratic women serve as non-voting Delegates to the House, from D.C., the Virgin Islands and Guam. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), as Speaker of the House, is the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in Congress.

Of the 90 serving, 69 are Democrats: 21 are Republicans. Twenty-one (23.3%) are women of color (12 African Americans, six Latinas, three Asian Pacific Islanders; 20 D’s, 1 R). Fifty-five of the 73 women in the House held previous elective office, ranging from school board member to statewide office.

Nineteen states have no female representation in either house of Congress. Four states (DE, IA, MS and VT) have never sent a woman to Congress. Arizona has sent four to the House: Isabella Selmes Greenway (D) 1933-36, Karan English (D) 1992-94, Gabrielle Giffords (D) elected in 2006, and Ann Kirkpatrick (D) elected in 2008.

Statewide Elective Offices

Women hold 72 of the 314 (22.9%) statewide elective executive positions. Fifty are Democrats; 21 are Republicans; one is nonpartisan, Seven are women of color. Only six serve as governors: Jan Brewer (R-AZ), M. Jodi Rell (R-CT), Linda Lingle (R-HI), Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Bev Perdue (D-NC) and Christine Gregoire (D-WA). Eight serve as lieutenant governors; four serve as attorneys general; 13 as secretaries of state; 10 as treasurers/chief financial officers; and five as chief education officials. Sandra Kennedy (D) and Kris Mayes (R) serve on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

State Legislatures

1,791 (24.3%) of the 7,382 state legislators are women (1,266 Democrats, 511 Republicans, 14 np/other). Three hundred forty-nine (19.5%) are women of color: 330 Democrats, 17 Republicans, two nonpartisan. Colorado ranks first in the percentage of women legislators (39.0%). South Carolina again ranks last (10.0%). Only six women serve as presidents of state senates; five serve as speakers of state houses.

Arizona is in 10th place in the percentage of women legislators (31.1%). Women hold 28 of the 90 legislative seats (12 out of 30 in the Senate - 7 Democrats, 5 Republicans; 16 out of 60 in the House - 9 Democrats, 7 Republicans). Three serve in leadership positions in the Senate: Pam Gorman (R) as majority whip, Rebecca Rios (D) as assistant minority leader, Linda Lopez (D) as minority whip. One serves in leadership position in the House: Kyrsten Sinema (D) as assistant minority leader. Three out of 12 Senate committee chairs are woman; four out of 15 House committee chairs are women.

Municipal Offices

As of July 2009, 10 mayors of the 100 largest U.S. cities are women. Arizona has one, Elaine Scruggs of Glendale. Thirty-five (14.2%) of the 246 mayors of cities over 100,000 are women. One hundred ninety-two (16.8%) of the 1,142 mayors of cities over 30,000 are women (a 4.2% drop from 1999).

As of July 2009, 49 (27.6%) of the 177 elected municipal officials in the 25 Arizona cities with populations of over 30,000 are women. Only three (12%) of the 25 mayors are women – Scruggs, Marie Lopez Rogers of Avondale & Sara Presler of Flagstaff. Forty-six (30.3%) of the 152 council members are women. Four of the six members of the Tucson City Council are women, making it the only city council in the 25 cities with a female majority. Surprise is the only city with no woman serving on its mayor/council.

Arizona County Offices

In 2009, 14 (25.5%) of the 55 Arizona county board of supervisor positions are filled by women. Three are board chairs (in Cochise, Gila & La Paz counties). Seven (47%) of the 15 counties have no female supervisors. Four women (27%) serve as county attorneys; 5 (33%) as assessors; 13 (87%) as clerks of the court; 15 (100%) as recorders; 9 (60%) as school superintendents; 10 (67%) as treasurers.

Arizona Judiciary

In 2009, 50 (28.2%) of the 177 Superior Court judges are women: 30 (31.3%) out of 96 in Maricopa; 9 (30%) out of 30 in Pima; 11 ((21.6)%) out of 51 in the 13 outlying counties. Twenty-two (25.9%) of the 85 Justices of the Peace are women: 3 out of 25 in Maricopa County, 4 out of 8 in Pima County; 15 out of 52 in the other 13 counties.

Only five (22.7%) of the 22 Court of Appeals judges are women--five out of 16 in Div. One (Phoenix), zero out of six in Div. Two (Tucson). Following Chief Justice Ruth McGregor’s retirement from the State Supreme Court on 6/30, only one woman, Rebecca White Berch, remains on the court. She became Chief Justice on July 1st.

Arizona Tribes

In 2009 five (22.7%) of the 22 Arizona tribes are led by women, with five women also serving as tribal vice chairs/presidents.

Percentages of Women in U.S. Elective Offices

Office	1971	1979	1983	1987	1991	1995	1999	2003	2007	2008	2009
U.S. Congress	3%	3%	4%	5%	5.6%	10.3%	12.1%	13.8%	16.3%	16.3%	16.8%
Statewide Elective	n/a	11%	13%	14%	17.5%	25.6%	28%	25.4%	24.1%	23.8%	22.9%
State Legislatures	5%	10%	13%	16%	18.3%	20.7%	23%	22.5%	23.5%	23.7%	24.3%
Mayors (U.S. cities of 30,000 or more)	1%	7%	9%	11%	17%	18.2%	21%	17%	16.2%	16.2%	16.8%

WORLDWIDE

As of March 2009, the U.S. ranks 70th in the percentage of women in national legislatures, down from 41st in 1997.

Compiled by the Arizona Women's Political Caucus from information provided by the Center for the American Woman and Politics (CAWP), Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University; National League of Cities; U.S. Conference of Mayors; 50-50 by 2020; League of Arizona Cities and Towns; Arizona Association of Counties; Arizona Women Lawyers Association. Updated continuously at www.AwpcOnline.org .

For further information contact the Arizona Women's Political Caucus at 520-625-4579 or lhbarter@cox.net

08/19/09
3rd Edition

No more waiting No more tokenism No more excuses

Changing the Face of Arizona Politics