History in Mayoral Elections; Setbacks and Advancements in State Legislative Races

For the latest data on  women in the 2023 elections, updated with results from undecided races, visit the Results for Women Candidates in Election 2023 page.

With a number of races still too close to call, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, reports on results from the 2023 elections. In Kentucky, elections were held for statewide elective executive office; in New Jersey and Virginia, elections were held for state legislative offices; and in Mississippi elections were held for both statewide executive and state legislative offices. There were also notable mayoral elections held around the country. Louisiana, which also has statewide and state legislative elections in 2023, will conduct its general election on November 18th.

These results are outlined in much greater detail on our Results for Women Candidates in Election 2023 page. That page will be updated as races are called, and following the Louisiana general election, with full data on women candidates in election 2023.

Key results from the 2023 elections include:

• New Jersey Legislature. Women’s representation will decline in the New Jersey Legislature following the 2023 election. Thus far, 40 (32D, 8R) women have won elections for state legislative seats, and only one woman remains in a race that is too close to call, guaranteeing that the state will fall short of the current and record number of seats held by women in its legislature, 43.
  • Women’s representation will also decline in each chamber, with women winning 10 Senate seats (women currently hold 11 Senate seats) and 30 Assembly seats, with one woman in an uncalled contest (women currently hold 32 Assembly seats).
• Virginia General Assembly. Women’s representation in the Virginia General Assembly will increase following the 2023 election. Thus far, 47 (38D, 9R) women have won state legislative elections; three women are running in races that are currently too close to call. The current number of women serving in the state legislature is 46. Because two of the three women running in uncalled races are running against one another, it is also likely that Virginia will set a new record for women’s representation in its state legislature, surpassing the record of 47 set earlier this year.
  • Women’s representation in the Virginia Senate will also increase as a result of this election, with 14 (11D, 3R) women winning Senate seats (nine women currently hold seats in the Virginia Senate). However, women’s representation will decline in the Virginia House of Delegates. Thus far, 33 (27D, 6R) women have won House races. With three women in uncalled races, and two of those facing each other, the state will fall short of the current 37 seats held by women in the Virginia House.
• Mississippi Legislature. Women’s representation in the Mississippi Legislature will increase following the 2023 election. With all races featuring women candidates decided, 27 (9D, 16R, 2I) women have won state legislative elections, surpassing the 25 women currently serving in the Mississippi Legislature. Women will hold just 15.5% of state legislative seats in Mississippi in 2024 and will likely remain in the bottom-five states in CAWP’s rankings of states by women's state legislative representation.
  • Women’s representation in the Mississippi Senate will decline as a result of the 2023 election. Nine (2D, 7R) women won Senate elections in 2023, falling short of the 10 women currently serving. However, women’s representation in the Mississippi House will increase, with 18 (7D, 9R, 2I) women winning election, surpassing the 15 who currently serve.
• Mayoral Milestones.
  • Cherelle Parker won election as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s mayor, becoming the first woman and first Black woman elected as the city’s mayor. Of the top 10 American cities by population, now only New York City has never elected a woman mayor. Currently, 8 (7D, 1NP) Black women serve as mayors in cities among the top 100 most populous cities in the U.S. 
  • Lily Wu became the first Asian American person elected as mayor of Wichita, Kansas. Currently, 4 (3D, 1R) Asian American women serve as mayors in cities among the top 100 most populous cities in the U.S.
  • Representative Sheila Jackson Lee advanced to a runoff election for the mayor of Houston, TX. Should she win, she would become the first Black woman mayor of Houston.

CAWP will update our ranking of states by women's state legislative representation after the swearing in of new members in 2024. For full results from the 2023 election, with updates as results are determined in undecided races and from Louisiana's November 18th general election, visit the Results for Women Candidates in Election 2023 page on the CAWP website.