Utah's been praised for its quality of life, but there's a stark contrast when it comes to gender equity in politics. A recent study by the Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) at Utah State University pinpoints this issue, unwrapping the not-so-rosy status of women in Utah's political realm. Sure, Utah ranked high as the fourth best state to live in according to WalletHub, but when it comes to women holding office, the figures are less than impressive.
The UWLP has been on this beat since 2014, keeping tabs on the political participation of women in the Beehive State. Their latest brief, "The Status of Women in Utah Politics: A 2025 Update," lays out the facts. As reported by USU Today, only 16.7% of Utah's congressional delegation is female, a figure that pales in comparison to the 28.4% national average. Rep. Celeste Maloy stands alone as the sole female Utahn in Congress.
Looking at the state level, it's a mixed bag. While women occupy 40% of Utah's Statewide Executive Office seats, they still lag behind the national average of 31.6%. Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson and State Auditor Tina Cannon, who's made history as the first woman in that role in Utah, are flying the flag for gender diversity in these positions. On the legislative side of things, women hold 29.8% of the seats in the Utah State Legislature, with Utah positioned 34th in the country, based on the number of women serving.
In local governments, the gender gaps widen. Women occupy a measly 20.5% of county commission and council seats. Utah county offices like auditor, clerk, recorder, and treasurer are slightly better off, with women holding 62.1% of these elected positions. But when you shift to mayors, only 22.9% are women, which is a slight uptick since 2017. "While we have seen slight progress in some areas of political leadership, there is still plenty of work ahead to improve Utah’s political representation of women," states Susan Madsen, UWLP director, as per USU Today. Corinne Clarkson, a UWLP research associate, held the pen alongside Madsen in authoring this latest research brief.
