Gender Matters Newm Hampshire’Satters Legislature Incoming Legislative Makeup by Gender

GGENDENDEERR MMAATTTTEERRSS a monthly statistical look at women

Provided by the New Hampshire Women’s Initiative in collaboration with the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies

DECEMBER 2012: FEMALE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN NH GENDER GENDER MATTERS NEWM HAMPSHIRE’SATTERS LEGISLATURE INCOMING LEGISLATIVE MAKEUP BY GENDER:

The New Hampshire Legislature is the largest state legislative body in the the United States, and the third- largest legislative body in the English speaking world, after the U.S. Congress and the British Parliament. Pennsylvania, the next largest state legislative body, ranks a distant second to New Hampshire’s 424, 150 WOMEN with 253 representatives in the Commonwealth 274 MEN House and Senate.

As a result, New Hampshire is the most- represented state in the country – that is, it THE TOP FEMALE STATE has the lowest ratio of people per state representative GOVERNMENTS FOR 2013: and senator of any of the ﬁ fty states. With 400 1) COLORADO 42% 2) VERMONT 40.6% 3) ARIZONA 35.6% members, each member of the New Hampshire 4) NEW HAMPSHIRE 35.4% House represents about 3,105 people. The least represented state in the country is California; each of the 120 members of the California legislature represents about 310,450 citizens – almost a hundred times New Hampshire’s ratio. WOMEN SERVING IN THE NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGISLATURE 1975-2013: HOW DOES NEW HAMPSHIRE COMPARE TO 180 160 THE REST OF THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF 140 GENDER RATIO OF ITS LEGISLATIVE MAKEUP? 120 100

As shown in the chart to the right, in every year since 60 NH 1975 more than 100 women have served in the New 40 US Hampshire Legislature. Preliminary election results 20 for 2012 indicate that 150 women will serve in the New 0

Hampshire General Court in the upcoming session. 1975 1979 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 A TIMELINE OF FIRSTS: NEW HAMPSHIRE WOMEN IN POLITICS

FIRST ALL-FEMALE DELEGATION AND GOVERNOR IN THE USA Maggie Hassan, Kelly Ayotte, Jeanne Shaheen, Ann McLane Kuster, and Carol Shea-Porter 2013 will be the ﬁ rst all-female delegation and governor in U.S. history

GOVERNOR-ELECT SENATOR SENATOR REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT MAGGIE HASSAN (D) KELLY AYOTTE (R) JEANNE SHAHEEN (D) ANN MCLANE KUSTER (D) CAROL SHEA-PORTER (D)

FIRST WOMAN IN USA TO FIRST NATIONAL FEMALE 2008 SERVE AS BOTH GOVERNOR 2008 SENATE MAJORITY & U.S. SENATOR On November 4, 2008 New Hampshire In 2008, Jeanne Shaheen became the ﬁ rst became the ﬁ rst state in the nation woman in the USA to be elected as both to elect a female majority to the state governor and U.S. senator. senate. Thirteen of the 24 senators elected were women. FIRST NH WOMAN ELECTED 2006 TO U.S. CONGRESS FIRST WOMAN ELECTED Carol Shea-Porter, served 2007-2011 1996 GOVERNOR OF NH Jeanne Shaheen, served 1997-2003

FIRST FEMALE GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 1982 FIRST FEMALE ELECTED TO Vesta Roy served as New Hampshire’s NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE SENATE st 1930 1 female governor for 7 days, from The ﬁ rst woman elected to the New December 30, 1982–January 6, 1983. Hampshire Senate was E. Maude She was previously New Hampshire’s 1st Ferguson, a Republican from Bristol. female State Senate President. Ferguson served from 1931-1933.

This piece contains preliminary post-election data; not all races have been ﬁ nalized or certiﬁ ed. Data is subject to change due to counting of provisional ballots, recounts, resignations, appointments and special elections

This and previous editions of Gender Matters have been made possible through the generous support of donors to The New Hampshire Women’s Initiative. For sponsorship opportunities or additional information please contact [email protected] or visit www.nhwi.org