A record 13 women will serve as governor next year after the election of New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte, breaking the record set in 2023. Ayotte, a former U.S. senator, defeated the Democratic nominee Joyce Craig, former mayor of New Hampshire’s largest city. Experts say women holding top public offices normalizes their presence and opens the door for more women to seek executive positions. Eighteen states have never had a woman in the governor’s office. Kelly Dittmar of the Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics says 13 out of 50 is still underrepresentation for women.
