When it comes to women in U.S. politics, men hold far more elected offices than women. In Utah, the gender gap is a bit wider. But in this last election, a shift started to happen with more and more female mayors taking office — many of them the first elected female mayor in their city’s history.
“When women do run, they tend to win,” said Pat Jones, former state legislator and CEO of the Women’s Leadership Institute. She says about 17 percent of Utah cities have a female mayor.
While the numbers overall are still low for female versus male mayors in the state, six of the state’s 10 largest cities are run by women. That includes Salt Lake City, West Valley, Provo, Sandy, St. George and South Jordan.9 South JordanMayor Michelle Kaufusi in Provo is now in her second term in office, and she is the city’s first elected female mayor.
Two-term Mayor Holly Daines from Logan says more good people — both women and men — are needed in local politics. “It’s an overcoming of sorts. I think the reason it’s not ‘more equal’ is an obstacle that doesn’t exist, and I think for other women that’s an obstacle you don’t need to think about. Just think about where you fit in, what you really want to do," Halterman said.
“Women look at things differently than men do,” Gunnison Mayor Lori Nay said. “I think it’s important people serve for the right reasons, and that can be really fulfilling when you do.”
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