Women have been making their mark in the political arena for many years, and Central Texas is no exception. From the Governor's office to the state legislature, female leaders are increasingly taking on influential roles in the region. In this article, we'll take a look at the current state of women in Central Texas politics, including who holds office, their party affiliations, and how they are making an impact. The Governor of Texas is currently Greg Abbott, a Republican who was elected in 2014 and is set to serve until 2026. However, there have been several women who have held the office in the past.
The first female Governor of Texas was Miriam A. Ferguson, who was elected in 1925 and served two terms. Subsequently, Ann Richards and Janice Kaye have both held the office. The Texas Senate is comprised of 31 members representing 31 different geographical districts of the state. At present, there are six women serving in the Senate: Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo), Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels), Beverly Powell (D-Burleson), Angela Paxton (R-McKinney), Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin), and Carol Alvarado (D-Houston).
All six of these women were elected to their positions. In addition to these six women, there are also four female non-voting delegates to Congress representing American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the United States. These delegates are Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) and Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS).At the national level, women have made remarkable progress in recent years. On the first day of the 118th Congress, 124 women were voting members in the House of Representatives, representing 28% of the voting members of the House. This is a record high for female representation in Congress. Women also hold a considerable number of positions in state senates and chambers or assemblies.
Women represent 29.9% of seats in state senates and 33.7% of seats in state chambers or assemblies. Three women are state senate presidents and 13 other pro tempore senate presidents. President Joe Biden's cabinet includes 12 women from the 25 positions he has appointed at the cabinet or cabinet level. This is the highest proportion of women ever seen in history, at 48%. Former President Bill Clinton's second cabinet had the second highest percentage of women, at 41%.In higher education, Frances Elizabeth Willard became the first female president of a university in 1871 when she led Evanston College for Ladies in Illinois, which later merged with Northwestern University.
In 1977, Margaret Mary Rogers became the first woman to lead a major research university (the University of Texas) and, in 1994, Judith Rodin became the first permanent female president of an Ivy League institution (University of Pennsylvania).As we can see from this overview, women have made tremendous strides in politics both nationally and locally in Central Texas. From governors to senators to cabinet members to university presidents, female leaders are increasingly taking on leadership roles and making their voices heard.
