Uncertainty clouds future of legislative gender parity

A little less than a year after the California Legislature achieved near gender parity, uncertainty clouds the next chapter. Will the 2026 elections preserve the historic gains, or will the Capitol slide backward?

With at least eight women lawmakers set to exit due to term limits or seeking other offices (and even more possible due to reshuffling from Proposition 50), the next elections could either uphold California’s reputation as a global leader in gender equity or mark the start of a retreat.

Susannah Delano, executive director of Close the Gap California, which works to recruit female progressive candidates, pointed out that women actually need to win nine seats just to net one.  While California could become the first major global economy with both a woman governor and a Legislature led by women, it could also revert to one-third women sitting in the Capitol.

The latter would be heartbreaking to Delano, who added that she remains optimistic. “We haven’t gone backward on women’s representation this decade,” she said. “It’s been all forward progress.”

The number of Democratic women in the state legislature grew by 104% in the last decade in part because of efforts by Close the Gap, which works to identify candidates and districts with the best chances of success. The effort has worked so well that the organization is expanding its model to Florida and Ohio state legislatures.

Among Close the Gap’s recruits to run in 2026 is former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott, who is running for State Senate District 40. The position is currently held by Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, who will be termed out.

Elliott said gender parity is important to the future of the state. “Women are very good at collaborating and getting results,” she said. “The victory is not about ego; the victory is about improving people’s lives.”

Elliott came in contact with Close the Gap while participating in Emerge California, which offers candidate training for Democratic women. She said the support from both groups has been invaluable in her political endeavors, saying she and the women she met through Emerge California are like sisters. The women provide advice and encouragement to each other to continue through the considerable challenges that can come with running for political office.

With at least eight women lawmakers set to exit due to term limits or seeking other offices (and even more possible due to reshuffling from Proposition 50), the next elections could either uphold California’s reputation as a global leader in gender equity or mark the start of a retreat.

Recruiting women candidates has become more challenging over the years because of the increasingly heated political climate, Delano said. Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Squad, a group of progressive Democrats famously including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been the targets of extreme vilification, Delano noted.  After Melissa Hortman, the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband were fatally shot in their home in June, Close the Gap sent out an email blast about the issue.

“There are a number of studies showing women receive a disproportionate level of threats and harassment- especially women of color and especially black women candidates,” Delano said.

Elliott said women who do run for office need support from family and friends, which fortunately she has had.

Interestingly, this go-around is the first time she will face other women in an election. In the Democratic primary, she will be opposed by Sabrina Bazzo and Suzanne Till. While she wants to win the race, she still wants to lift other women up. To that end, she is focusing on explaining why she is the best candidate, rather than attacking the other contenders. “We can do that without cutting each other down,” she said.

Over in the Central Valley, one woman who is taking the leap into running for political office for the first time is Ana Palacio, a registered nurse and patient advocate in Bakersfield. She is running as a candidate for Assembly District 35, which opened up as Dr. Jasmeet Bains, the current representative, is running for Congress.

Palacio was approached this summer by a political organizer she works with at Service Employees International Union Local 521 to take the leap. While her first reaction was “That’s crazy,” she soon began to warm up to the idea. She enjoyed helping her union achieve desired legislation in Sacramento. “I really enjoyed lobbying and talking to Assembly members and senators and talking about policy and what that looks like on the ground,” Palacio said.

Palacio was inspired by both working Close the Gap and attending the Poderosas (“powerful”) Legislative Summit in Fresno in August. Sponsored by Poder Latinx (“Latinx power”), the summit is a “platform for uplifting, training, and connecting young Latina leaders committed to building grassroots power in their own communities.”

Palacio was surprised to learn that gender parity was an issue in the California Legislature. “I’m surrounded by so many strong women everywhere, I was surprised that we hadn’t reached that parity,” she said.

She believes women’s special contributions come in part from the fact that they have historically been multi-taskers. “We have our hands in so many things all the time, it becomes really easy to see how things are inter-connected… We are good at seeing ripple effects,” she said.

Even if women do lose seats in the Legislature, they won’t give up, Palacio said. Progressive women are staying strong in the current political environment. “We’ve been going backwards for a while now, the last year for sure,” she said. “All it’s done is reinvigorate more women to get involved.”