SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When California lawmakers return to the State Capitol in December, there will be a record number of women in the legislature.

The legislature is made up of 40 senators and 80 assembly members. For the first time, 59 out of the 120 seats will be held by women.

“The world has never seen women govern in the numbers we’re about to in California. That is significant for California, for the nation, and honestly for the globe. We’re the 5th largest economy in the world,” said Susannah Delano, Executive Director for Close the Gap California.

Close the Gap California is a group that works to recruit progressive women to run for open seats. The organization launched in 2013 with a goal of reaching gender parity by 2028.

Women’s representation dropped to a 20-year low at the end of 2017 when there were only 26 women in the legislature.  

Close the Gap California helped recruit more than 40% of the women who will serve in the new class of lawmakers.

Delano notes the Senate will achieve and surpass gender parity. The Assembly will be a few members short of having equal representation, but Delano says it will still have a record number of female legislators.

“Around 80% are Democrats, more than 80% are women are color, and they’re from all over the state,” she adds. “A lot of them are really young, not all of them are, but they have a really vast range of experience and expertise.”

That lived experience is the reason Delano emphasizes the importance of having more women at the decision-making table.

“There’s also a lot of data and research to suggest that women actually approach leadership differently. They’re more likely to cross the aisle and cooperate in terms of bipartisanship, and they are actually more productive than their male counterparts.”

Assembly member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, who’s the new chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, says having a diverse group of women is key to make sure all families have a voice in the halls of power.

“Some come from urban areas, the Central Valley, rural areas — so everybody has a different need for their community, but we all come together particularly with child care,” said Aguiar-Curry.

She adds making child care more accessible for working parents will be one of the caucus’ top priorities in 2025.

Aguiar-Curry vowed to work across party lines and looks forward to welcoming all the new members.

“It’s fun to see so many new Republican women on the team because we haven’t had that many before. We have more Latino republicans than we have ever before.”

California lawmakers will return to Sacramento on Dec. 2 for their swearing-in ceremony.