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A record number of 13 women set to serve as US governors, still an ‘underrepresentation’
By clinching New Hampshire, Kelly Ayotte is set to become the 13th female US governor.
With Kelly Ayotte’s win in New Hampshire, a record number of 13 women are now set to serve as governors in the US next year. This year's historic election cycle has resulted in a record-breaking lineup of female officials, topping the previous record of 12 women serving as governors at the same time in 2022. However, it is still an “underrepresentation,” according to Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics.
A record high of 13 women governors elected in US
The US government has largely been male-dominated. But that changed during the 2022 midterms, when women led major party tickets in 20 of the 36 gubernatorial races, resulting in 12 women elected as US governors at the same time. Even then, 18 states have never had a female governor. “This is another side of political leadership where women continue to be underrepresented. Thirteen out of 50 is still underrepresentation,” Dittmar said.
By clinching New Hampshire, Ayotte is set to become the 13th female US governor. The other 12 women sharing the win are: Kay Ivey in Alabama, Katie Hobbs in Arizona, Sarah Huckabee Sanders in Arkansas, Kathy Hochul in New York, Kim Reynolds in Iowa, Laura Kelly in Kansas, Janet Mills in Maine, Maura Healy in Massachusetts, Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan, Michelle Lujan Grisham in New Mexico, Tina Kotek in Oregon, and Kristi Noem in South Dakota.
Reflecting on Kamala Harris' failed presidential bid, Dittmar said, “We would also fail to tell the correct story if we didn't acknowledge the ways in which both gender and race shape the campaign.” “We're both celebrating the milestones that women have achieved, but at the same time, as we note those milestones, we also have to recognize that there is a lot of progress left to make for women,” she added, according to NPR.
