Sacramento, CA (March 17, 2010) - Despite statistical gains made over the past three decades, the number of women in California running for - and getting elected to - office at the national, state and local levels is currently decreasing, according to a new report released today by California Women Lead. The latest statistical snapshot shows a continued need for increased representation by elected women in Congress, in the State Legislature, and on local Boards of Supervisors.
Although California women should be proud of their numbers who currently do hold elected office - the ranks include California's two United States Senators, the current Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives and the first African-American woman ever to serve as Speaker of the State Assembly who just concluded two years in that leadership position - the report, entitled "California Women in Elected Office-2010," reveals that the number of California women serving at the national, state and local levels is not as high as one would suspect, and the outlook for increasing those numbers, not as bright.