NOTICE The Legislative Coordinating Commission Office on the Economic Status of Women is not currently staffed. As a result, with the exception of the CPI tables used in calculating cost of living adjustments, this website is not being updated. 12/14/2018
Women
in Public Office - 2002 Election Results (Newsletter
#263, January/February 2003 includes historical information on women elected
to the Minnesota House, Senate and Legislature, women in Minnesota
executive offices, women judges in Minnesota courts, and women in
elected offices of local governments)
In 1922 women became eligible to vote and run
for election to the Minnesota Legislature. Since 1922, a total of 200 women have been elected as
legislators. 54 have been elected to the Minnesota Senate and 133 have been elected
to the Minnesota House. Thirteen women - Linda Berglin, Barbara Goodwin, Becky Lourey, Sharon
Marko, Mary Jo McGuire, Carla Nelson, Sandy Pappas, Donna Peterson, Pat Piper, Ann Rest, Linda Runbeck, Linda Scheid,
and Katie Sieben - have been elected to both the House and Senate.
The elections held November 7,
2006 marked an historic high for women elected to office in Minnesota. Women were elected to hold 70 (34.8%) of the 201 seats in
the Minnesota Legislature. In the Senate,
women were elected to 27 (40.3%) of the 67 seats, the new historic high number of
women elected in that body. As a result of the February 15, 2011 special election, women were elected to 44 (32.8%) of the 134 seats in the Minnesota House, an historic high for that body.
Historic Highs
Women Elected to the Minnesota Senate, House and Legislature as a Result of General Elections
Number of Women Elected
Percentage of the Total Seats
to be Held by Women
Year(s) of Election
Senate
27
40.3%
2006
House
43
32.1%
2006
Legislature
70
34.8%
2006
As a Result of
Special Elections
Number of Women Elected
Percentage of the Total Seats
to be Held by Women
Year(s) of Election
Senate
26
38.8%
2005
House
44
32.8%
2011
Legislature
63
31.3%
2005
Other Sources of Informationon Women in Public Office: