Press Release
From the Office of
State Representative
Gale D. Candaras

CONTACT: CANDACE OUILLETTE GAUMOND FEBRUARY 19, 2001
OFFICE OF STATE REP. GALE D. CANDARAS (D) WILBRAHAM
599-4785/599-1773

PRESIDENTS’ DAY RELEASE: STATUS OF WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT

WILBRAHAM: State Representative Gale D Candaras released the latest statistics today showing that women are making modest yearly gains in increasing their representation in legislatures nationwide. According to the Center for American Women and Politics, women now account for 22.4% of the 7,424 state legislators in the United States. Candaras said, “It has taken thirty years to increase the number of women in state legislatures five fold and I think you can see that we still have a long way to go. We are half the population but we hold only one quarter of the legislative seats. The Mass House fluctuates between 20 and 25% women. We now have 37 women out of a membership of 160 representatives and 12 out of 60 senators for a total of 24.5%. What’s significant is that, when we lose a woman in the House it is, most often, because she has been elected to the Senate.” National statistics for 2001 show that women hold 393 or 19.8% of the 1,984 state senate seats and 1,267 or 23.3% of the 5,440 state house or assembly seats.

Massachusetts ranks 19th in the nation in terms of the number of women elected to the state legislature with Washington State, at 39%, having the highest percentage of women elected and Alabama having the lowest percentage with only 8% in the state legislature. Candaras pointed to the astonishingly low number of women who make it into leadership positions in state legislatures. Nationwide, only three women serve as senate presidents and there is only one woman who serves as Speaker of the House and she is Moira K. Lyons (D) of the Connecticut State Legislature. Candaras is hopeful that local State Senator Linda Melconian (D) will make Massachusetts history as the first woman Senate President when Tom Birmingham leaves that post to run for Governor.

Candaras said the most significant barrier to women being elected at all levels of government continues to be money. “It is not lack of talent or lack of ambition that stops women candidates, it’s money. At the grass roots level, most women write checks for groceries and pediatricians. They do not write checks to campaign committees so other women can run for office. If they do write a check, it’s generally for a very small amount of money. Whatever is left over in their checkbook after paying for the groceries or orthodontist. It is their husbands who are writing the large checks to candidates and those candidates are overwhelmingly men.” Candaras feels, however, that it’s important for women to donate even small amounts to candidates. “It makes women feel invested in the outcome and shows good grass roots support. Those small donations from women add up and are very telling in a campaign.” Candaras also feels women are constrained by outmoded notions that they should not be too aggressive in raising funds and in campaigning in general. Candaras said, “After serving as a selectwoman and state representative, I can tell you one thing for certain, being demure may win you the admiration of many in your district, but it won’t help you much when you’re going door to door asking for people’s votes or when you’re fighting for your district in Boston!”