Women Still Under-Represented At Minnesota’s City Halls

ST. CLOUD (AP) — The number of women elected to local government posts in Minnesota has leveled off at far less than even since reaching an all-time high in 2002.

1990 to 2002 were the peak years for female mayors and city council members in Minnesota. In that 12-year period, the number of female mayors went from 75 to a high of 131 in 2002.

Since then, the number has hovered steadily in the 120s. There are 854 mayors total in Minnesota, meaning about 15 percent of them are women. Women make up less than 30 percent of Minnesota city councils.

Claire Haag, a professor of political science at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University, says she finds women still have less confidence than do men about running for office.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.