Women Making Presence Known At NJ Statehouse

Associated Press
November 9, 2007
By Angela Delli Santi

TRENTON -- Need proof that New Jersey voters just elected a record number of women to the Legislature?

Check out the line outside the Statehouse ladies room.

"For the first time in anyone's memory, there was a line to get in," Assemblywoman Amy Handlin, said after Thursday's legislative session, which included old and new members. "Republicans and Democrats, we all laughed about it. There clearly were not enough stalls to go around, and we loved that."

A record 34 women won election to the 120-member Legislature on Tuesday, swelling the ranks of female lawmakers in a state long known for electing mostly white men.

Before Tuesday, "progressive" New Jersey had about the same percentage of women representatives in the Statehouse as Alabama and Mississippi. With the addition of 11 women elected Tuesday to seats previously held by men, the composition of the New Jersey Legislature resembles California and Connecticut, the two states it now shares 15th place with for number of women serving in the state Senate and Assembly.

"There has been a concerted effort on the part of a lot of people, as well as efforts by the parties and women's organizations, to try to do something to turn this around," said Debbie Walsh, director Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University.

An unusually high number of retirements and resignations created opportunities for women to run in districts long monopolized by male incumbents, Walsh said.

Before Tuesday's election, there were 23 women in the Legislature — 7 senators and 16 assemblywomen, about 19 percent of the total. Come January, when the newly elected members are sworn in, that number will jump to 28 percent. Women make up about 51 percent of New Jersey's population.

While the impact of the new female lawmakers is impossible to predict, lawmakers and political scientists agree that the sheer number of women will affect the tenor and quality of legislative debates.

"Anyone in the Legislature brings a unique perspective and viewpoint," said Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. "Female legislators will bring a perspective that will drive the debate even further."

Walsh said women lawmakers have different issue priorities than men, and are frequently more concerned about issues that effect women, families and children.

"Nationally, women in the Legislature see themselves as representing the interests of people who aren't typically heard from: people of color, poor people, urban people. They also believe more in transparency in government than their male colleagues," she said.

Roberts and Democratic Party chairman Joe Cryan said their party worked hard to recruit female candidates, and had even sponsored training sessions for prospective candidates to learn about public speaking, campaigning, fundraising and press relations.

"It's the overnight success that was 20 years in the making," Handlin said of the bump in female representatives.

Cryan said he would not be surprised if the new crop of women lawmakers took Trenton by storm.

"The boys should be put on notice," he said. "I'm proud to say these are not shrinking violets."

At the start of Thursday's Senate session, Sen. Loretta Weinberg, a feisty 72-year-old grandmother from Bergen County, needled Senate President Richard Codey about the bathroom issue — even though there are ladies rooms at the Statehouse.

"We would remind the Senate president we are overdue for our own ladies room," she said.