Statestats: Women in State Legislatures: May 2010 

There are more women serving in legislatures in 2010 than ever before: More than 24 percent of all state legislators are women. That’s 1,802 women nationwide. New Hampshire has the highest percentage of female lawmakers, a little more than 37 percent, with Vermont and Colorado close behind. 

With more than 6,000 seats up for election in 2010, the number of women legislators may increase for the 2011 sessions. The question is how much. While 2010 is a high-water mark, the ratio of women legislators has increased by fewer than 4 percentage points in the last 15 years.

Whether this trend of marginal increases in every election will continue depends largely on how many women decide to run. Research shows women win their races as often as men do, under the same conditions (an open seat vs. running as a challenger or incumbent), so the number of women on the ballot will likely determine the number of women under the dome next year.