HARTFORD — Women are trailing men in Connecticut when it comes to elected representation in city halls, the state legislature and Congress.
It’s a trend that’s found across the nation, despite Hillary Clinton being poised to accept the Democratic nomination for president this week.
Women make up 28.3 percent of the Connecticut General Assembly. Only seven Connecticut women have served in the U.S. House of Representatives, and only two currently serve. The state has never elected a female U.S. senator.
Republican New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart says persuading women to run for political office is tough. She says many worry about balancing family life with politics.
The executive director of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University says she sees more young women interested in politics since Barack Obama’s first election, which inspired millennials to get involved.
