Women's Progress in New Jersey Politics Stalling Out

With the 2026 New Jersey primary just one week away, the annual New Jersey County Report Card from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) reveals that progress for women is stalling or falling in terms of their share of seats in local and county government. The annual data collection from CAWP, a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, tracks women’s share of seats in town councils, county commissions, and mayoralties around the state and provides a ranking of counties based on each of these categories and overall. In 2026, the share of county commission seats held by women fell by two percentage points, marking the first time in five years that the proportion of women serving on county commissions statewide fell below 35%. The number of women serving as mayors increased by just one, and the number serving on town councils increased by just 11 — raw-number increases so small that they do not increase the overall percentage of those offices held by women.

“Progress for women here in New Jersey politics has skidded to a stop,” said CAWP associate director Jean Sinzdak. “Thankfully, every year is an election year in the Garden State, and perhaps primary elections next week will put us on a path to a more representative government. But this work starts long before primary day, and intentionality matters. When the same counties appear at the bottom of the rankings every year, it becomes clear that there is a lack of commitment from political gatekeepers to recruit candidates who reflect the state’s population.”

In 2026, women hold 34% of county commission seats, 32% of town council seats, and just 20% of mayors’ offices around the state. In CAWP’s 2026 rankings of counties:

• Overall Rankings: The top three counties for women’s representation overall are Union, Essex, and Somerset. This ranking is derived from a combined average of the share of mayoralties, town council seats, and county commissionerships held by women. The bottom three counties are Ocean, Sussex, and, once again in last place, Cape May.
• Mayoralties: The top counties for women’s representation in mayors’ offices are Union (43%), Burlington (33%), Essex (27%), and Warren (27%). The bottom counties are Ocean (12%), Middlesex (12%), and Cape May (6%).
• County Commissions: The top counties for women’s representation on county commissions are Somerset (80%), Bergen (57%), Mercer (57%), and Middlesex (57%). The bottom counties are Gloucester (14%), Cape May (0%), and Salem (0%).
• Town Councils: The top counties for women’s representation on town councils are Mercer (49%), Essex (39%), Gloucester (37%), and Union (37%). The bottom counties are Warren (24%), Ocean (24%), Sussex (23%), and Cumberland (18%).

Full tables for the overall county ranking and the rankings for mayoralties, county commissions, and town councils – with rank change from 2025 – follow below. Additional information about women in New Jersey politics, including previous county report cards, milestones, and women officeholders currently and over time, can be found on CAWP’s New Jersey Data page; for comparisons, see our 2025 New Jersey County Report Card here.