Presence of elected women increases in Maine House

Highest percentage of women elected to House in 14 years, mostly Democrats

November 14, 2006

AUGUSTA – When the newly elected 123rd Maine Legislature convenes in January, many of the new lawmakers in the House Chamber will be women. Democratic victories statewide included more than a dozen newly elected women, reversing a trend of declining women legislators in Maine since the early ‘90s.

There will be 45 women serving in the House for the 123rd Legislature, an increase of 16 over the previous term. Of the 45 women elected to the House, 33 are Democrats and 12 are Republicans. The Maine Senate saw an increase from 11 women to 12 out of the 35-member body.

Over the past decade, Maine has suffered a steady decline in electing women lawmakers at the state level, reaching a historic low of only 32 women in the House in 2004 – ranking Maine, a former national leader in electing women, around the middle of the pack nationally.

This year’s boost, attributed largely to a strong showing of Democratic women candidates, means Maine women will make up nearly one-third of the Legislature for the next two years. Rep. Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven, said that recruiting women candidates was a top priority for the Democrats going into this year’s election. She formed the Maine Women’s Leadership PAC to support women running for office.

“We feel great about the increase of women in our party in the House,” said Pingree. “While each election is a testament to the hard work of an individual candidate, I believe the increase of women in the House is due to a focused effort to recruit, train, and support women. We have made some good progress, and I hope we can continue to see this kind of progress for many elections to come.”

It is not uncommon for the majority of women lawmakers to be registered as Democrats. Nationally, Democratic women elected at the state level outnumber Republicans by almost two-to-one. As of January 2006, Maryland - where Democrats hold a strong majority - had the highest ratio of women legislators, at almost 35 percent. Republican-controlled South Carolina had the lowest, at just below 9 percent.

Maine Legislators have expressed optimism that the increase in women lawmakers – and Democrats in general – will attract more attention to women’s issues in the upcoming legislative session. “Even when you’re a member of the majority party, if you’re a woman, you’re part of a minority,” said the state’s youngest woman lawmaker, Rep. Emily Ann Cain, D-Orono, who worked with Pingree to recruit and support women candidates.

“It’s hard to put together a critical mass around women’s issues when there are so few elected women. Now, with so many more women – and so many dynamic women – we may not have to work as hard toward that critical mass,” said Cain.

Kimberly Silsby, D-Augusta, is one of the new Democratic women legislators elected to the House. She said that she was inspired by the success of past and current women legislators who have taken the lead on important Maine issues, and that they were role models to her in her decision to run.

“Protecting the safety of our children and putting an end to domestic violence are not just women’s issues; they’re Maine family issues and they reflect Maine values,” said Silsby. “We’ve had some fantastic, inspiring women legislators who have brought these issues to the forefront. I’m excited to join them in working toward solutions for all Mainers.”

Members of the 123rd Legislature will be sworn into office during the first full week of December.

Contact:

Travis Kennedy, Communications Director, 287-1430