On this website, you will find the latest updates and our most recent research.

Please visit our main website for detailed profiles, fun facts, history, and more on women running for public office in Ohio.

The BW Center for Women & Politics of Ohio is a nonpartisan public resource dedicated to telling the stories of the remarkable women who have run for public office in Ohio, collecting data on women candidates, and providing undergraduates with the opportunity to engage in original research.

Professor Barbara Palmer Goes to Iceland

Barbara Palmer, Executive Director of the Center for Women and Politics of Ohio, attended the Reykjavik Global Forum in November of 2023, as part of a delegation of American women sponsored by Running Start. She met with women prime ministers, members of parliament, and leaders of non-profits from around the world. "It was an honor to learn from these inspirational leaders. I can't wait to share my experiences with my students."

BW Students Participate in 2023 NEW Leadership at Ohio State

Irene Jayapandian ('25), Maddie Robinson ('23), and Jillian Smith ('24) were selected to be part of a week-long political leadership program in Columbus in May. Jayapandian was the student keynote speaker at a reception featuring Members of the Ohio Statehouse, Capitol Hill staffers, lobbyists, and community leaders.

Read All About It! The CWPO in the News

Liana Gonzalez and Christina Vitakis, 2022-23 CWPO Undergraudate Research Fellows, publish op-eds with Professor Barbara Palmer in The Cleveland Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com.

"Ohio's Diversity Not Reflected At the Statehouse"

"Why Are There So Few Women in Ohio Politics?"

OHIO STATS (as of Sept 2023)

0

The number of women in the US Senate from Ohio out of 2.

4

The number of women in the US House from Ohio out of 15.

0

The number of women in State-Wide Executive Office in Ohio out of 6.

38

The number of women in the Ohio Statehouse out of 132 members.

8

The number of women of color in the Ohio Statehouse out of 132 members.

0

The number of Latinas elected in the entire history of the Ohio Statehouse.

19%

The proportion of women who are County Comissioners.

70%

The proportion of women who are County Recorders.

4%

The proportion of women who are County Sherrifs.

43%

The proportion of women serving on the Ohio State Supreme Court.

45%

The proportion of women serving on the Ohio Courts of Appeals.

34%

The proportion of women serving in the Courts of Common Pleas.

Since 2019, all 14 judges on the Summit County Court of Common Pleas have been women. The photo features the 10 women who serve on the general division.

FOR MORE INFORMATION & MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Professor Barbara Palmer, PhD, is the Creator and Executive Director of the BW CWPO and can be reached at bpalmer@bw.edu. She is on sabbatical doing more research until January of 2024.