After Years of Gains, Gender Gap Growing In NC Politics

After years of gains, fewer women are seeking political office in North Carolina. That's according to a report from Meredith College.  It found that women make up the majority of North Carolina voters but they represent less than a quarter of elected and appointed offices.

The report was done by Meredith political scientist David McLennan along with two student researchers at the women's college. McLennan says fewer women in office could mean fewer role models for women who might consider running and less focus on women's issues.

“Sometimes we think the problem has been solved – we've had a woman governor, we've had two women senators in the state of North Carolina," he says. "And so a lot of people are complacent about the issue – they think well ‘Hey, we've had high profile women, we don't have to worry about it.' And the students that were involved were shocked to see that there are 44 counties in North Carolina where there are no women on the county board of commissioners.”

The study also found that men have outnumbered women in voter turnout in North Carolina over the last few elections even though more women are registered. McLennan says that bucks a national trend of high female turnout.