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Alabama

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Alabama belatedly ratified the amendment in 1953

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 15.7%

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Alaska

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: As Alaska was not a state at the time its legislature could not vote on the ratification of the 19th amendment. The Alaska territory extended voting rights to white women in 1913. Indigenous women were excluded.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 38.3%

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Arizona

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Arizona passed a state referendum for women's suffrage in 1912. Arizona ratified the 19th Amendment on February 12, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 38.9%

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Arkansas

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Arkansas ratified the 19th Amendment on July 28, 1919

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 23.7%

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California

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: California passed a state referendum for women's suffrage in 1911. California ratified the 19th Amendment on November 1, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 30.8%

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Colorado

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Colorado passed a state referendum for women's suffrage in 1893. Colorado ratified the 19th Amendment on December 15, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 47%

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Connecticut

First women to serve in the state legislature:

  • House: Representative Emily Sophie Brown, Representative Grace Edwards, Representative Lillian Frink, Representative Mary Hooker, Representative Helen Jewett, 1921.
  • Senate: Senator Alice Merritt, 1925

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Connecticut ratified the 19th Amendment on September 14, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 33.2%

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Delaware

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Delaware belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on March 6, 1923

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 24.2%

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Florida

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Florida belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on May 13, 1969

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 30.0%

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Georgia

First women to serve in the state legislature:

  • House: Representative Bessie Kempton, Representative Viola Ross Napier, 1923
  • Senate: Senator Margaret Johnson, 1925

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Georgia belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on February 20, 1970

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 30.5%

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Idaho

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Idaho passed a state referendum for women's suffrage in 1896. Idaho ratified the 19th Amendment on February 11, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 31.4%

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Illinois

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Illinois passed legislation recognizing women's suffrage (limited to certain offices) in 1913. Illinois ratified the 19th Amendment on June 17, 1919

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 35.6%

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Indiana

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Indiana ratified the 19th Amendment on January 16, 1920

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 24.0%

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Iowa

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Iowa ratified the 19th Amendment on July 2, 1919

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 29.3%

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Kansas

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Kansas passed a state referendum for women's suffrage in 1912. Kansas ratified the 19th Amendment on June 16, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 27.9%

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Kentucky

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Limited groups of women in Kentucky were granted school suffrage from 1838 until 1902, and again in 1912. Kentucky ratified the 19th Amendment on January 6, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 22.5%

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Louisiana

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Louisiana belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on June 11, 1970.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 16.0%

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Maine

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Maine ratified the 19th Amendment on November 5, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 38.7%

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Maryland

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Maryland belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on March 26, 1941.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 38.8%

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Massachusetts

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Massachusetts ratified the 19th Amendment on June 25, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 28.5%

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Michigan

First women to serve in the state legislature:

  • House: Representative Cora Belle Reynolds Anderson, 1925
  • Senate: Senator Eva McCall Hamilton, 1921

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Michigan extended suffrage to women with a state constitutional amendment in 1918. Michigan ratified the 19th Amendment on June 10, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 35.8%

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Minnesota

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Minnesota ratified the 19th Amendment on September 8, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 31.8%

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Mississippi

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Mississippi belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on March 22, 1984.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 13.8%

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Missouri

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Missouri ratified the 19th Amendment on July 3, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 24.9%

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Montana

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Montana passed a state referendum for women's suffrage in 1914. Montana ratified the 19th Amendment on August 2, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 30.0%

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Nebraska

First women to serve in the state legislature:

  • House: Representative Mabel Gillespie, Representative Clara Humphrey, Representative Sarah Muir, 1925 (The Nebraska Legislature had two chambers until 1936.)
  • Senate: Senator Nell Krause, 1945

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: The Nebraska Legislature passed a law extending limited suffrage to women in 1917. Nebraska ratified the 19th Amendment on August 2, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 28.6%

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Nevada

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: A state constitutional amendment extended Nevada women suffrage in 1914. Nevada ratified the 19th Amendment on February 7, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 52.4%

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New Hampshire

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: New Hampshire ratified the 19th Amendment on September 10, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 34.2%

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New Jersey

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: New Jersey extended the right to vote to women (who owned wealth or property) in its constitution from statehood in 1776. The legislature rescinded this right in 1807. New Jersey ratified the 19th Amendment on February 9, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 30.8%

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New Mexico

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: New Mexico ratified the 19th Amendment on February 21, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 35.7%

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New York

First women to serve in the state legislature:

  • Assembly: Assemblywoman Mary Lilly, Assemblywoman Ida Sammis, 1919
  • Senate: Senator Rhoda Fox Graves, 1935

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: A state constitutional amendment extended full suffrage to New York women in 1917. New York ratified the 19th Amendment on June 16, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 32.4%

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North Carolina

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: North Carolina belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on May 6, 1971.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 25.3%

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North Dakota

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: North Dakota ratified the 19th Amendment on December 1, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 21.3%

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Ohio

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Ohio ratified the 19th Amendment on June 16, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 26.5%

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Oklahoma

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: The Oklahoma constitution recognized women's right to vote in 1917. Oklahoma ratified the 19th Amendment on February 28, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 21.5%

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Oregon

First women to serve in the state legislature:

  • House: Representative Marian Towne, 1915
  • Senate: Senator Kathryn Clarke, 1915

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Oregon passed a state referendum for women's suffrage in 1912. Oregon ratified the 19th Amendment on January 13, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 40.0%

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Pennsylvania

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Pennsylvania ratified the 19th Amendment on June 24, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 26.5%

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Rhode Island

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Rhode Island ratified the 19th Amendment on January 6, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 38.1%

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South Carolina

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: South Carolina belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on July 1, 1969.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 15.9%

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South Dakota

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: A state constitutional amendment extended suffrage to South Dakota women in 1918. South Dakota ratified the 19th Amendment on December 4, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 23.8%

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Tennessee

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920. It was the 36th state to do so, ensuring that the amendment became law nationwide.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 15.9%

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Texas

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Texas ratified the 19th Amendment on June 28, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 23.8%

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Utah

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: The Utah territory passed women's suffrage legislation in 1870. An act of the U.S. Congress in 1887 took away women's voting rights. When Utah achieved statehood in 1896 women's suffrage was enshrined in the state constitution. Utah ratified the 19th amendment on September 30, 1919.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 24.0%

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Vermont

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Vermont belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on February 8, 1921.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 40.0%

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Virginia

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Virginia belatedly ratified the 19th Amendment on February 21, 1952.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 26.4%

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Washington

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: Washington passed a state referendum for women's suffrage in 1910. Washington ratified the 19th amendment on March 22, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 41.5%

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West Virginia

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: West Virginia ratified the 19th Amendment on March 10, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 14.2%

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Wyoming

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: The Wyoming Territory passed a women's suffrage act in 1869. Wyoming ratified the 19th amendment on January 27, 1920.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 15.6%

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District of Columbia

The District of Columbia Home Rule Act was enacted in 1973, providing for an elected mayor and an elected Council of the District of Columbia. The first election was in 1974.

First women to serve in the Council: Councilmember Willie Hardy, Councilmember Polly Ehrlich Shackleton, Councilmember Nadine Winter, 1975

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: As a federal district, the District of Columbia could not participate in the ratification process.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 30.8%

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Guam

First women to serve in the territorial legislature: Senator Cynthia Johnson Torres, Senator Lagrimas Leon Guerrero Untalan, 1954

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: As a United States territory, Guam was not eligible to participate in the ratification process.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 66.7%

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Northern Mariana Islands

First women to serve in the territorial legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: The Northern Mariana Islands became a United States territory in 1947 and was not eligible to participate in the ratification process.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 7.1%

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Puerto Rico

First women to serve in the territorial legislature.

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: As a United States territory, Puerto Rico was not eligible to participate in the ratification process.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 17.9%

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Virgin Islands

First women to serve in the state legislature:

Date the 19th amendment was ratified: As a United States territory, the Virgin Islands was not eligible to participate in the ratification process.

Percentage of women in the legislature in 2019: 26.7%

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Related Resources

Women Legislative Leaders 2023

Ninety-seven women serve as speaker of the House, president of the Senate, speaker pro tem, Senate president pro tem, majority leader or minority leader for the 2023 legislative session. This is the highest number of serving in a leadership role to date.
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