Although Hispanic women continue to be underrepresented in elected office, they have made notable strides in California government, particularly at the local level.
Hispanics Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) and the USC Equity Research Institute analyzed some 500,000 political offices, from local governments up to the federal branch in 2022. The researchers tried to determine what gains this key cohort of Americans had made.
In California, where Latinas make up 20% of the state population (7.8 million people), they represent 11% of political offices. In the state legislature, Latinas hold 19% of seats. They hold 4% and 9% of county seats respectively.
Latina representation in state constitutional offices is 0%. Similarly, few local water board seats (2%) are occupied by Hispanic women.
Far and away, the education sector has the greatest Latina representation. 20% of K-12 offices and 13% of community college offices are held by Latinas. In Los Angeles, Latina school board representation is a remarkable 30%. According to HOPE, Latinas continue to be underrepresented on school boards in Orange County and the Inland Empire.
Latinas still have a long way to go to achieve parity in the political system. However, HOPE’s report highlights significant successes that will lay the groundwork for the next class of Latina politicians.
Read the full report here.