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MAJORITY WOMEN, MAJORITY REPUBLICAN What does Iowa’s female representation in Congress mean for women in politics? WORDS BY DARBY HOLROYD | ART BY RACHEL HARTLEY
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espite the rocky history of women’s representation in Iowa, it remains one of the few states with a majority of women representing it in Congress. Six years ago, Iowans elected a woman to the U.S. Senate for the first time. Three years later, the state elected two women to the U.S. House for the first time. It’s safe to say that women’s political leadership is a new phenomenon in Iowa.
Republican Joni Ernst serves as one of Iowa’s two senators. She is joined by Republicans Rep. Ashley Hinson and Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks as well as Democrat Rep. Cindy Axne. These women sit as three of the state’s four representatives. On top of this significant representation in Congress, Iowa also has a female governor, Kim Reynolds. This female-dominated political leadership is
rare in the United States. In fact, there are only six other states with a similar majority. When specifically analyzing Congressional delegations with the same number of representatives, out of the six states that hold four seats in the House, Iowa and Nevada are the only two with a majority of female leadership. It’s evident that based on percentage alone, Iowa is a leader in how many women are in both the Senate and
WOMEN’S REPRESENTATION ACROSS THE NATION
Iowa (4 of 6) isn’t the only state with a majority-female representation in Congress. Here’s where we shape up. Minnesota (6 of 10) Nevada (4 of 6) New Hampshire (3 of 4)
New Mexico (3 of 5) Washington (8 of 12) Wyoming (2 of 3) DRAKE POLITICAL REVIEW
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