Despite Mikie Sherrill’s win, New Jersey has fewer women lawmakers

🔴 New Jersey has slipped to 34th nationally for women serving in state legislatures.

🔴 The state has lost female lawmakers compared to recent years.

🔴 Advocates warn fewer women in Trenton could shape policy priorities.

While a woman is in charge at Drumthwacket, New Jersey is losing ground on the progress it's made to put more female lawmakers in office.

Of the 120 seats in the New Jersey legislature, only 30% of them are held by women. These 36 female representatives include nine state senators and 27 assemblywomen. Five are Republicans, including two state senators and three women in the General Assembly.

"In recent years, we had as many as 42 women serving in the legislature. So it's a decline, it's the opposite of what we'd like to see in terms of trends," said Jean Sinzdak, associate director at the Center for American Women and Politics.

National rankings show New Jersey falls behind other states

And the Garden State is slipping compared to other states when ranked by women's representation in state legislatures, according to the latest CAWP data. Out of 50 states, New Jersey ranked 34th — a drop of six spots from 28th.

These are the states with the most women lawmakers. The percentage is how much of a state legislature is made up of female representatives:

1. Nevada (61.9%)
2. New Mexico (54.5%)
3. Colorado (52%)
4. California (49.2%)
5. Arizona (47.8%)
6. Oregon (45.6%)
7. Washington (44.9%)
8. Illinois (44.1%)
9. Vermont (43.9%)
10. Rhode Island (42.5%)

New Jersey would need a total shakeup in Trenton if it wants to crack that top 10 list.

Election losses contribute to decline in women legislators

Gov. Mikie Sherrill won her seat in the governor's mansion by over 14 points. She's New Jersey's second female governor.

In District 25, Democrat Marisa Sweeney beat incumbent Christian Barranco. But the November 2025 election was a mixed bag for Republican women in the state legislature.

In District 2, incumbent Claire Swift, a Republican, lost her seat to Democrat Maureen Rowan. And in District 21, two Democrats, both men, beat incumbent Republicans Michele Matsikoudis and Nancy Munoz.

READ MORE: Lyft driver paroled after sex assault of 15-year-old in NJ

Why fewer women in Trenton could shape policy priorities

Losing women in the state legislature has real impacts on the priorities that lawmakers have, said Sinzdak. She said women have distinct life experiences and are more likely to push for certain policies related to education, health care, and safety.

In 1995, it was then-Gov. Christine Todd Whitman who signed the law to require that health insurance companies pay for more than 24-hour hospital stays for women giving birth.

Advocates say recruitment is key to reversing the trend

As for how to get New Jersey back on track to having more women holding office, the key is recruitment. Sinzdak said that historically, party leaders are less likely to recruit women. She encourages party organizations to look for women leaders in their communities who would be good leaders and bring new perspectives.

Any woman, of any party affiliation, who is interested in running a campaign for political office can get help through CAWP. Their Ready to Run program (available here) trains aspiring candidates on how to navigate the political landscape, fundraise, and communicate with the media. This year, the program will be held on March 20 and 21 in New Brunswick.

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