Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation in politics, on boards, in sports and entertainment, in judicial offices and in the private sector in the U.S. and around the world—with a little gardening and goodwill mixed in for refreshment!
Key milestones in women’s history this week include Victoria Woodhull becoming the first woman to run for president for the Equal Rights Party on May 10th, 1872.
Birthdays to celebrate include: political strategist Christine Pelosi; Maryland civil rights activist Gloria Richardson; Dorothy Sunrise Lorentino, the first Indigenous person included in the National Teachers Hall of Fame; Andrea Dew Steele, founder of Emerge America; and Harriet Quimby, the first American woman airplane pilot.
Democracy Runs on Women: Honoring the Election Officials Who Keep It Alive
The health of our democracy is only as strong as the individuals working to protect it. It is no surprise, then, that 80 percent of election officials are women, according to research from the Democracy Fund and Reed College. Serving as an election official or administrator was, at one point, a stable and often nonpartisan job for individuals to hold, serving their local community. Since 2020, the role of election officials has been thrust into the spotlight, forcing regular people to deal with an onslaught of harmful, occasionally hateful, rhetoric.
Unfortunately, election officials across the country have experienced an onslaught of misinformation aimed at eroding trust in the processes that make our government function, like registering to vote or requesting a mail ballot. In some communities, that misinformation turned to personal, often violent threats against the individuals responsible for fulfilling those administrative functions. These threats are as far-ranging as posting private information online to former advisors to the president, fueling false accusations against civilians on television and social media platforms, like in the case of Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss of Georgia.
Research from the Bipartisan Policy Center has shown that election officials nationwide have experienced rapid professional turnover since 2020. Women, in this case, are leaving their jobs due to genuine concern for their safety and increased scrutiny and distrust from the public in their professional capacity. Simply, our government cannot function locally, state, or nationally without women taking the risk to keep it going.
This Public Service Recognition Week, I am commending all of the women election officials across the nation who, every day, ensure that we all can make our voices heard. My thoughts also go out to the thousands of public servants who have been unfairly laid off from their jobs in the federal government, adding additional layers of confusion and uncertainty for individuals considering public service as a career choice.
You may also like: Women Saving Democracy, a Ms., RepresentWomen and Brennan Center multimedia collection—essays, videos, a podcast and more—that takes a deep dive into the very state of our nation’s systems of justice and democracy; explores how women’s leadership makes a difference; and assesses what kinds of reforms could ensure more fair representation and democratic outcomes.
Women Surge to Possible Majority in Australian Parliament
On May 3, Australia held national elections for all seats in its powerful house of representatives and just over half of its seats in its Senate. The combination of compulsory voting laws and ranked-choice voting means that nearly every eligible Australian voter has a say in picking their representatives—and this year the message was loud and clear.
The Australia Labor Party has won at least 89 seats, far ahead of the conservative Coalition’s 40 seats and independents with 10. Women surged in representation in both the House, which is elected in winner-take-all districts with RCV, and in the Senate, which uses proportional voting. While not all results are final, women are poised to have a majority of seats across both chambers. Here’s coverage from NCA News Wire:
A record number of women will represent Australians in the next term of government, with female MPs set to soar between 66 and 74 out of a total 150 seats. The figure is a considerable uptick from the then record-breaking 58 women who were elected to the 47th parliament, while just 40 women were elected under the Morrison-led 46th parliament in 2019.
In the House of Representatives, Labor has increased its female representation to 47 MPs out of a confirmed 87, meaning the number of female MPs outnumbers male MPs (40)…Meanwhile, the [conservative] Coalition has seven female MPs out 39, a decrease from its 2022 result of nine… Seven of the 10 confirmed independents set to enter parliament this term are also women.
The Australia Broadcasting Corporation adds details with its record-breaking number of women to enter Australian Parliament:
“In the Senate, women are again expected to outnumber men. While some seats are still too early to call, it is likely women will hold 44 of the 76 seats. It represents a significant rise in the number of women in parliament in just two election cycles. In the 46th parliament, there were just 40 women in the House and 32 in the Senate.”
The independent women winners may rise to eight seats. In nearly every case, they entered Parliament by running against men in districts seen as safe for the majority party—but with ranked-choice voting were able to pull together a winning coalition and overcome deficits in first choices.
As one example from this year, independent Jessie Price is up by 0.5 percent in the latest instant runoff tally even though in the first round trailing the Labor incumbent David Smith by 41 percent to 27 percent in what was categorized as a safe seat. As with most of these women independents, Price prioritized climate policy—and lifted up four values of “kindness as a force,” “our shared humanity,” “stronger together” and “integrity in government.”
Their success has been particularly potent in conservative-leaning districts, as the conservative Coalition’s populist messaging can be off putting to women, which contributed to major changes in diverse representation in 2022 and this year’s incredible gender imbalance by party. Even the Coalition’s leader Peter Dutton lost his seat, fittingly being defeated by Ali France, a woman with a life story of remarkable resilience.
Where Australia goes with its national elections in 2028 will be telling. Will Labor keep leaning into women’s leadership? Will the Coalition recruit more women, as many are calling for, and find a better way toward winning majorities again? Will independents keep making previous safe seats competitive? Other nations like the United States will have similar conversations, but without the dynamism and competition coming with Australia’s combination of voting rules.
North Carolina Supreme Court Election Drama Ends with Win For Allison Riggs
Taking sore losses to a whole new level, Jefferson Griffin has fought in the courts for months since losing a statewide election for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. Justice Allison Riggs’ victory was finally affirmed after partisans had sought to throw out thousands of votes. NBC News reports the conclusion of the legal struggle:
Republican Jefferson Griffin conceded the North Carolina Supreme Court race Wednesday to Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs, bringing an end to the last unresolved contest from the 2024 election that dragged on for months after a barrage of lawsuits. The announcement came two days after a federal judge ruled against Griffin’s legal challenge to tens of thousands of ballots and ordered the North Carolina Board of Elections to certify Riggs’ 734-vote victory
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Richard Myers, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, effectively put an end to all ongoing litigation and provided Griffin with seven days to appeal. Instead, Griffin chose to end his legal efforts six months after the final votes had been cast in November’s election…. Riggs said in a statement: “After millions of dollars spent, more than 68,000 voters at risk of losing their votes, thousands of volunteers mobilized, hundreds of legal documents filed, and immeasurable damage done to our democracy, I’m glad the will of the voters was finally heard, six months and two days after Election Day.”
Justice Riggs’ win means the Court will have three women out of seven seats.
A Bigger House Would Create More Space for Women
Image from RepresentWomen’s 2020 report on House Expansion
The U.S. Constitution is silent on fundamental questions of representation like how offices are elected, how many states elect Senators, and how many House members. We have a long history of state innovation with election methods, have admitted dozens of states, and regularly changed the size of the U.S. House until inexplicably stopping that growth in 1910. Given how rare it is to beat incumbents, creating new House seats would be one of the best ways to create more space for women to run.
Michigan Rep. Haley Stephens is proposing action. Expand Democracy explains more:
“A new bill introduced by Michigan’s Haley Stevens in the House of Representatives, H.R. 2797, proposes the establishment of a bipartisan commission to study the appropriate size of the House. The commission would be tasked with examining historical data, population trends, and comparative legislative structures to assess whether an increase in the number of representatives is warranted. Proponents argue that revisiting the size of the House could enhance representation and ensure that each member serves a manageable number of constituents. Our Common Purpose, a project of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, has excellent sources supporting its commission recommendation for a larger House. Supporters believe that a larger House could lead to more responsive governance, better reflect the diverse interests of the American populace and create new opportunities to modify winner-take-all congressional elections.”
Ohio Cities Hold Mayoral Elections Dominated by Men
Springtime in odd-numbered years isn’t the best time to draw votes to the polls, as demonstrated by low turnout in Ohio city elections this week. The Ohio Mayors Alliance features 31 mayors, of which 23 are men and eight women. Kettering’s mayor Peggy Lehner will be replaced by a man this year, while Samantha Turner fell 61 votes shy of defeating incumbent Youngstown mayor Tito Brown—with less than 4,000 votes cast in the Democratic primary in a city of 59,000 people. The nonpartisan top two primary in Cincinnati drew less than 24,000 voters in a city of 311,000 people; incumbent mayor Aftab Purevall will face off in November against Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother Cory Bowman after winning 83 percent to 13 percent.
Let’s hear it for moving decisive elections to November with ranked-choice voting to uphold majority rule – an approach that has contributed to women holding more than half the city council seats elected with this model, as researched by RepresentWomen.
Poland Streak of All-Male Presidents Likely to Continue—as will Romania
Like the United States, Poland has never had a woman president, and only two women prime ministers (Ewa Kopacz and Beata Szydło) in leadership for a total of barely three years. Poland holds a new presidential election on May 18, but Magdalena Agnieszka Biejat, the only woman candidate, is polling well below 10 percent.
Nevertheless, the European Institute for Gender Equality has a valuable profile of Poland and how women are on a positive path, boosted politically by a gender quota law passed in 2011.
“With 63.4 points out of 100, Poland ranks 18th in the EU on the Gender Equality Index 2024. Its score is 7.6 points below the [European Union] score. Poland’s score has increased by 1.5 points since 2021, with one of the largest improvements among Member States. The improvement was mainly due to increases in the domains of power (+ 3.2 points) and money (1.3 points). However, Poland’s ranking remained unchanged at 18th place. The country’s score has increased significantly by 7.9 points since 2010, mainly due to improvements in time (+ 17.3 points) and money (+ 10.2 points)….
“Since 2023, the share of women in parliament and regional or local assemblies has not changed (28 % of women for both indicators). However, there has been a significant increase in the representation of women in government, where they account for 30 % of ministers in 2024 (+ 11 points since 2023). In 2011, Poland introduced a gender quota for candidates, which requires that no less than 35 % of candidates are women or men. This quota applies to all elections except for the Senate.”
Eastern Europe neighbor Romania will once again have a male president, as two men will face off in a presidential runoff. The political establishment is in turmoil in anticipation of the election of a populist challenger.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky to Retire After 14 Terms
Longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky announced she will not seek reelection in 2026, ending a 14-term career representing Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. At 80, Schakowsky made the announcement during her 24th annual Ultimate Women’s Power Lunch in Chicago, vowing to remain politically active and “always an activist.” A key Democratic leader and advocate for healthcare, abortion rights and women’s issues, Schakowsky played a pivotal role in passing the Affordable Care Act and has been a staunch supporter of progressive causes.
Tina Sfondeles writes in WBEZ Chicago:
Speaking to reporters after the event, Schakowsky, with tears in her eyes, said, “I’m gonna keep fighting for a year and a half and beyond.
“I’m gonna give it a swing for a year and a half, and I’m sure there’s going to be wonderful people who decide to run, and I’ll be there to support them,” Schakowsky said.
Schakowsky said her decision was “not as tough as you might think.”
“It’s been a long time that I’ve been in Congress, but I’m not going anywhere,” Schakowsky said. “I’m going to continue to be active, an activist. I’m always an activist, and so I am looking to the future too.”
The congresswoman told the audience she still planned to be a “badass.”
Florida City Has its First-Ever Woman Mayor
Hialeh, Florida’s sixth-largest city with a population of over 220,000 people, has its first-ever woman mayor, as city councilor Jacqueline Garcia-Roves rose to the position from the city council. This week the Miami Herald tells the story:
From housewife and mother of three to mayor of the second-largest city in Miami-Dade County—Jacqueline Garcia-Roves made that leap in just six years. Garcia-Roves is becoming the first woman to serve as mayor of Hialeah, a strong mayor position, taking on the role in an interim capacity during the city’s centennial anniversary…
“I may be quiet, but I’m a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. I don’t believe in speaking without purpose” said Garcia-Roves in her speech as mayor. “I am here to work, to listen and to lead by example, with a clear focus on doing what is best for our beloved city.”
New Jeannette Rankin Biography, Winning the Earthquake
I greatly enjoyed reading Lorissa Rinehart’s upcoming book Winning the Earthquake: How Jeannette Rankin Defied All Odds to Become the First Woman in Congress (Macmillan Publishers). It offers a compelling portrait of a remarkable woman who reminds us that social and political change is grounded in community. Rankin was an early leader on solutions to the challenges of our antiquated voting system as demonstrated by her support for abolishing the Electoral College, expanding access to the ballot for women and absentee ballots, defending public broadcasting and empowering voters with ranked-choice voting and multimember districts. Here’s more from the publisher’s description:
“Born on a Montana ranch in 1880, Jeannette Rankin knew how to ride a horse, make a fire, and read the sky for weather. But most of all, she knew how to talk to people, how to convince them of her vision for America. It was this rare skill that led her, in 1916, to become the first woman ever elected to the House of Representatives.
“As her first act, Rankin introduced the legislation that would become the 19th Amendment [for women’s suffrage].. Throughout her two terms in 1916 and 1940, she continued to introduce and pass legislation benefiting unions, protecting workers, and increasing aid for children in poverty….A suffragist, feminist, peace activist, workers’ rights advocate, progressive, and Republican, Rankin remained ever true to her beliefs—no matter the price she had to pay personally. Yet, despite the momentous steps she made for women in politics, overcoming the boys club of capitalists and career politicians who never wanted to see a woman in Congress, Jeannette Rankin’s story has been largely forgotten. In Winning the Earthquake, Lorissa Rinehart deftly uncovers the compelling history behind this singular American hero, bringing her story back to life.”
Thank You, Washingtonian! D.C.’s 500 Most Influential People of 2025, Two Years in a Row
For the second year in a row, I have had the incredible honor of being included as one of the Washingtonian’s 500 most influential people in Washington, D.C.! I was part of the cohort of individuals committed to creating a more representative, effective, and responsible government. Congratulations to everyone who received a nomination for your commitment to defending our democracy.
Lifting Up Family and Mentors
This past weekend was a special one for me. On Friday, I was part of a day-long conference in celebration of Princeton’s Chuck Beitz, a giant among political philosophers. Chuck asked me to attend in part to connect his career to the influence my father, Colgate philosophy professor Huntington Terrell, had on his scholarship and approach to teaching. I was moved when Chuck lifted up that story in his remarks closing the evening—we all have opportunities to “pay it forward’ with the people that have helped us grow.
By Saturday, I was back in Takoma Park with my husband and three children coming together to celebrate the wedding of the brother of my son Lucas’ other half Rosie Cohen, with side dinners and lunches deepening our families connection. At the end of the day, it is love, care and community that binds us.
Happy May!
See You in Phoenix!
If you are attending the American Democracy Summit in Phoenix, Arizona I hope that you will sign up to attend a reception hosted by RepresentWomen and FairVote celebrating women leaders in the democracy reform movement. ! RepresentWomen, Vote Mama, and Vote Run Lead Action will also be holding a discussion on the state of women’s political representation during the Summit itself. Hope to see you next week!
