Women's share of NJ local offices stalling, new data shows
Women are losing ground or treading water in New Jersey's local and county government offices, according to new data released Tuesday from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
(Source: CAWP)
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Chris Howell | May 26, 2026
The annual New Jersey County Report Card from CAWP found that women’s share of county commission seats fell two percentage points in 2026. It’s the first time in five years that the figure dropped below 35%. The share of town council seats held by women and the number of female mayors both saw increases too small to move the overall percentages.
Statewide, women now hold 34% of county commission seats, 32% of town council seats, and just 20% of mayors’ offices.
“Progress for women here in New Jersey politics has skidded to a stop,” said CAWP associate director Jean Sinzdak. Sinzdak said the pattern of the same counties landing at the bottom of the rankings year after year points to a systemic problem with candidate recruitment.
“When the same counties appear at the bottom of the rankings every year, it becomes clear that there is a lack of commitment from political gatekeepers to recruit candidates who reflect the state’s population.”
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In CAWP’s county-by-county rankings, Union, Essex, and Somerset topped the overall list, while Ocean, Sussex, and Cape May landed at the bottom. Cape May finished last for the second consecutive year.
The breakdown by office type showed striking contrasts. Somerset led all counties with women, holding 80% of county commission seats, while Cape May and Salem had none. In mayors’ offices, Union County led at 43% while Cape May was again last at 6%. Among town councils, Mercer County topped the rankings with 49% female representation, while Cumberland County was lowest at 18%.
(Source: CAWP)
The report comes one week before New Jersey’s primary elections. CAWP noted that every year is an election year in the state, and called on political parties and gatekeepers to be more intentional about recruiting women candidates.
CAWP is a unit of Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics and tracks women’s representation in political offices nationally.
Editor’s note: The Central Jerseyan is free to read and supported by advertising. If you value this kind of local reporting and want to help sustain it, you can become a citizen supporter on Patreon. Your contribution helps fund continued coverage of local government, schools, and community issues.