Office on the Economic Status of Women

Women in Public Office

• Women in the Minnesota Legislature, 2011 (Posted April 12, 2011 - including 2/15/11 and 4/12/11 special election results)
• Women in the Minnesota Legislature, 2011 (Posted December 9, 2010)
• Women in Executive Offices in Minnesota, 2010 (Posted December 9, 2010)
• Women in Elected Offices of Local Government in Minnesota, 2007(Status Report- Updated February 12, 2007)
• Women in the Minnesota Legislature, 2007 (Status Report- Updated November 9, 2006)
• Women in Minnesota Executive Offices, 2006 General Election Results (Status Report - Updated November 9, 2006)
• Women in the Minnesota Senate, 2009 State Map, Metro Map (Updated January 16, 2009)
• Women in the Minnesota House, 2009 State Map, Metro Map (Updated January 16, 2009)
• Women in the Minnesota Judiciary (Posted May 21, 2010)
• Women in the Minnesota Legislature, 2006 (Status Report - Updated January 18, 2006)
• Women in the Minnesota Legislature by Session, 1923-2011 (Updated April 13,2011)
• Women in the Minnesota Legislature by Year(s) Elected, 1922-2010 (Updated April 13, 2011)
• Number of Women Elected to the MN Legislature, 1922-2010 (Updated April 13, 2011)
• Women in the Judiciary (Updated May 21, 2010)
• Women in Elected Offices of Local Government in Minnesota, 2009(Status Report- Posted August 14, 2009)
• Women in the Minnesota Legislature, 2009 (Status Report- Posted November 6, 2008)
• Women in Elected Offices of Local Government in Minnesota, 2007(Status Report- Updated February 12, 2007)
• Women in the Minnesota Legislature, 2007 (Status Report- Updated November 9, 2006)
• Women in Minnesota Executive Offices, 2006 General Election Results (Status Report - Updated November 9, 2006)
• Women in Elected Offices of Local Government in Minnesota, 2005 (Status Report - Posted July 11, 2005)
• Women in Minnesota Executive Offices, 2002 General Election Results (Status Report - Posted April 26, 2006)
• 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.

• Historical Information about the Minnesota Legislature from the Legislative Reference Library
  
• Rutgers University Center for the American Woman and Politics