New Hampshire is set to have its next female governor, with Republican Kelly Ayotte and Democrat Joyce Craig competing in the gubernatorial race. The Libertarian candidate is trailing far behind in recent polling. The state has a history of electing women, with Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan serving as governors before moving on to the US Senate. The state was the first to have a female governor, state Senate president, and House speaker simultaneously, as well as the first to have a female majority in the state Senate.
Female candidates in New Hampshire tend to have a 3 percentage point advantage over male candidates, according to the director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. The state’s Democrats have capitalized on this trend by nominating more women to run for office. The State Archives in Concord highlight a long history of women in politics, including Marilla Marks Ricker, who ran for governor in 1910 and became the first woman to be admitted to an organized bar in the state.
Ricker, a suffragist and free thinker, only received four votes in her gubernatorial run but aimed to pave the way for women in politics. She believed that there was no reason why a woman could not hold the office of governor or president if she wanted to and was capable. Despite her limited success, Ricker’s efforts contributed to the eventual ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. This story serves as a reminder of the progress made in women’s political representation in New Hampshire.
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