New Online Database Established at Iowa State as a Tool to Aid Women Candidates for Elective Office

The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University has established a new Women in Iowa Politics database. The project was created by Valerie Hennings a , scholar-in-residence at the center. The database contains an interactive map with the names and contact information for women mayors, legislators, and council members. The site also contains in-depth election analysis that can be used as a tool for women seeking elective office in Iowa.

For the first time in Iowa history women now are both the Senate President and the House Majority Leader. There are 35 women serving in the state legislature, tying the all-time high. In the 2012 elections for the state legislature, women candidates were successful 60 percent of the time, a higher rate than for male candidates. The database may be accessed here.

Dr. Hennings is a graduate of Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. She holds a master’s degree in women’s studies from George Washington University and a second master’s degree and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin.