Fewer Women Make It To Ohio Legislature

According to a Report from the Akron Beacon Journal on Ohio.com, the number of women in the Ohio General Assembly has slipped from a post-1992 high to a low of 17%. That means that only 1 in 6 legislators is female, making Ohio 40th on the list of states when it comes to electing or appointing women to house and senate positions. The Report indicates that Democrats are still matching the high levels from 1995-1996, but there is a huge decline in the number of women Republicans. Republican House Speaker Husted said they are working on bringing in women, and 2 women are now part of the majority floor leadership program. The Report quotes Kathleen Chandler as saying that while women who actually run for office are relatively successful, their participation is hindered when white males are appointed to fill vacancies. Interestingly, former Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, claims that it is difficult to "find qualified, interested women candidates."