Group says Michigan is at the cusp of achieving gender parity with women in elected office

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Attorney General Dana Nessel, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson at the Michigan Democratic Party's nominating convention in Lansing on Aug. 21, 2022. (Andrew Roth | Michigan Advance)

Michigan ranks third in the country for the state with the best gender parity for women in elected office, according to rankings from RepresentWomen , a non-profit organization tracking gender representation in elected office in the U.S.

With a 49.5 out of 100 score, Michigan is at the edge of gender parity. The two states that outrank Michigan, Wisconsin and Maine, have achieved gender parity with Wisconsin scoring 51.8 and Maine scoring 54.1 this year.

Michigan has never strayed far from the top ten states since RepresentWomen began compiling its annual Gender Parity Index in 2013, but since the 2018 election when women were elected to lead all three of Michigan’s statewide executive offices, the state has been inching towards parity.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan’s second ever female governor, often speaks on workforce and educational opportunities for women in the state, embracing a “ wear pink, get sh*t done ” mentality to femininity in politics.

Last summer when the “Barbie” movie was coming out, Whitmer’s office came out with an unofficial “Governor Barbie” calling for empowerment for children and women to seek out their dream jobs and roles.

“Together, we work to create spaces and structures that empower women to show up as they are and allow them [to] lead from the front,” Whitmer posted on “X” in July of 2023.

The state rankings are based on how many women serve or have recently served in state executive offices, state legislatures, in the U.S. House and Senate and in mayoral and county executive roles.

According to RepresentWomen, representation of women in Michigan’s state legislature has increased from 11% in 1984 to 40% currently.

It’s been just over 100 years since the first woman was elected to Michigan’s legislature and there’s still much to be done before more women can enter the arena and be able to stay, several elected officials told Michigan Advance earlier this year when newsrooms across States Newsroom examined the “mom gap” in state legislatures.

Currently, six of Michigan’s 13 members of congress are women and half of Michigan’s Senate team, Debbie Stabenow, Michigan’s first and only female U.S. Senator, is not seeking re-election this year.

In 2013, the Gender Parity Index’s inaugural report, 40 states ranked less than 25 out of 100 for gender parity and that number is down to 26 states.

But progress has to be sustained achieve parity, the Gender Parity Index report says. Between 2023 and 2024, Michigan has not changed in its 3rd place state ranking or its 49.5 score

“…great improvements in women’s representation often overshadow smaller changes that occur year-to-year,” the Gender Parity Index report reads. “The 2024 Index reflects our complex political landscape, suggesting progress in women’s political representation may stagnate or even backslide. Every year, there are differences in both the changes themselves and the magnitude of change.”

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