NJ Has Record Number Of Female County Freeholders: Study

There are a record number of women serving as county freeholders in New Jersey, according to a report released Wednesday.

On March 6, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, issued the first part of its “New Jersey County Report Card,” which tracked female county freeholders and mayors around the state.

"Much attention has been paid recently to the record numbers of women running for office nationally, but this report makes it clear that there is much work to be done to recruit and encourage women to run for local office here in the Garden State," CAWP associate director Jean Sinzdak said.

"We urge New Jersey women to throw their hats in the ring, and we ask our county party leaders on both sides of the aisle to use their influence to recruit women to run."

Read the full report here.

FEMALE COUNTY FREEHOLDERS ON THE RISE

According to the CAWP – for the first time in history – 43 women serve as county freeholders in New Jersey, making up 32 percent of all seats in the state. It’s an increase of four percent from the previous year, the group said.

The top three counties for women's representation on freeholder boards are Somerset (60%), Bergen (57%), and Union (56%), where women hold a majority of the available positions.

By contrast, both Salem and Warren counties have zero women serving as freeholders, the CAWP stated.

Only 14 women of color – about 10 percent of the statewide total – serve as freeholders, including seven black women, five Latinas and two Asian-Pacific Islanders, researchers stated.

THIS NJ COUNTY HAS NO FEMALE MAYORS

Around the state, 86 women serve as mayors. It’s an increase from 80 the previous year, but is also a total that makes up just 15 percent of all New Jersey mayors, the CAWP stated.

According to researchers, the counties with the highest proportion of women serving as mayors are Union (38%), Mercer (33%), and Hunterdon (27%).

Hudson County has zero women among its 12 mayors, the study stated.

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