Women Still Drastically Underrepresented in New Jersey Politics

Women hold fewer than a third of all elected and appointed positions across all levels of New Jersey political offices, according to the latest From Data to Diversity report from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. This biennial report, which tracks both gender and race/ethnicity of officeholders in the Garden State, shows once again that white men are the most overrepresented group when compared to their share of the population.

“These numbers aren’t surprising, based on what we’ve seen in recent elections and the drop in women’s representation in our legislature,” said CAWP Associate Director Jean Sinzdak, “but they remain disheartening. We need real intentionality from political leaders in breaking through this stagnation to increase the number of women and people from traditionally underrepresented communities serving in public office in New Jersey.”

CAWP’s From Data to Diversity information is now available in a newly-launched NJ Public Officials Data Explorer, which presents this collection in interactive data visualizations with key facts, context, recommendations, and what everyday New Jerseyans can do to take action on underrepresentation. Explore this new resource here.

Key findings in CAWP’s NJ Public Officials Data Explorer 2026 include:
 

Elected Officials

• Across all levels of office, women comprise 31.1% of officeholders, with men comprising 68.8%.
• White men continue to be the most overrepresented group at every level of office in New Jersey. They are 53.7% of officeholders and just 25.3% of the population.
• Among all women, Asian American/Pacific Islander women and Latinas face some of the biggest disparities between representation in government and representation in the population. AAPI women are 0.9% of officeholders and 6.6% of the population. Latinas are 5.9% of officeholders and 12.2% of the population.
• Significant partisan differences emerge by race and gender. White men and women account for 59.9% of all Democratic officeholders and 92.2% of Republican officeholders.
• Gender disparities are also evident by party. Women make up 39.6% of Democratic officeholders and 23.3% of Republican officeholders across all levels. In the state legislature, women comprise 37.8% of the Democratic caucus and 13.2% of the Republican caucus.

 
Appointed Officials

Governor Mikie Sherrill began her term in January of this year, and this data was compiled in early January. The appointments process for her administration is ongoing, and this data does not reflect her administration’s appointments. Governor Sherrill’s Cabinet is essentially at gender parity; 13 of 27 (48.1%) Cabinet positions – including those who have been confirmed, those nominated and awaiting confirmation, and acting members – are held by women.

• Women comprise 29.7% of the appointed officials on the New Jersey state boards and commissions included in this study in 2026, while men hold 57.7% of these positions.
• In 2005, women made up 22% of appointees on selected boards and commissions, and by 2019, this proportion had risen to 27%.
• White men accounted for 46.1% of appointees on the boards and commissions studied. They are just 25.3% of the state’s population.
• Asian American/Pacific Islanders hold 3.4% of the state’s appointed offices and are 12.9% of the population. Latina/os comprise 24% of the population but only 5.5% of appointees. New Jersey currently has the fourth-largest Asian American population and the eighth-largest Hispanic population in the country.

Visit the NJ Public Officials Data Explorer 2026 to find detailed data about who serves New Jersey, learn more about our methodology, and discover ways that all New Jerseyans can get involved in state politics.