Women gaining political power in California cities as they've lost it elsewhere
While women have lost ground in California's legislature and its congressional delegation, the state has seen a small increase in women serving on city councils over the past two years, a new report found.
Women now account for 31% of the members on California city councils, up from 29% in 2015. Women also serve as mayor in 28% of the state’s 482 cities.
The report was released Wednesday by California Women Lead, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in elected office.
Here are some of the report’s other notes:
- The number of women in California’s congressional delegation, including the 53 House members and two senators, decreased from 22 in 2015 to 19 in 2017.
- The number of women in the California Legislature decreased from 31 in 2015 to 26 in 2017.
- In California’s 10 largest cities, only one has a woman serving as mayor: Libby Schaaf in Oakland.
- There’s just one city with an all-female council — Blue Lake in Humboldt County. Fifty-six cities have all-male councils.
- Of California's eight statewide offices, only one is held by a woman: Controller Betty Yee.
- California has been represented by female Democrats in the U.S. Senate since 1993: Dianne Feinstein since 1992; Barbara Boxer from 1993-2017; and newly elected Kamala Harris.