The International Women’s Day 2018 campaign theme is #PressforProgress.
In working toward a more inclusive society, we remember the pioneers who paved the way for the women of today, as well as celebrate the success of the many women who continue to serve in civic life
Women in office today owe a debt of gratitude to the bold women who dared defy gender barriers to hold positions of power.
Sacramento’s first female mayor, Belle Cooledge, was appointed by her colleagues in 1948 after being elected as a council member in 1947. She served two more years on city council before being defeated in 1951.
Sacramento didn’t have an elected female mayor until 1983, when Anne Rudin began her term. Rudin, a councilmember from 1972-1982, served as mayor until 1993.
Rose Anne Vuich, who represented farming communities around Fresno, was elected the state’s first female senator in 1977, serving until 1993.
California’s first U.S. Senator, Dianne Feinstein, was elected in 1991 and is still in office.
Currently in Sacramento and California, women hold many elected offices and judicial positions.
Here are some of them:
Sacramento County
- District Attorney: Anne Marie Schubert
- Assessor: Christina Wynn
- County Board of Supervisors (two of five supervisors)
- District 3 Supervisor Susan Peters
- District 4 Supervisor Sue Frost
City of Sacramento
- District 1 councilmember Angelique Ashby
- State of California Executive Branch
- State Controller Betty Yee
California Assembly
- AD 4 Cecilia Aguiar-Curry - D
- AD 13 Susan Talamantes Eggman - D
- AD 16 Catharine Baker - R
- AD 30 Anna Caballero - D
- AD 37 S. Monique Limon - D
- AD 43 Laura Friedman - D
- AD 44 Jacqui Irwin - D
- AD 47 Eloise Gómez Reyes - D
- AD 48 Blanca Rubio – D
- AD 51 Wendy Carrillo - D
- AD 58 Cristina Garcia - D
- AD 60 Sabrina Cervantes - D
- AD 62 Autumn Burke - D
- AD 65 Sharon Quirk-Silva - D
- AD 67 Melissa Melendez - R
- AD 75 Marie Waldron - R
- AD 79 Shirley Weber - D
- AD 80 Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher - D
California Senate
- SD 5 Cathleen Galgiani - D
- SD 9 Nancy Skinner - D
- SD 16 Jean Fuller - R
- SD 19 Hannah-Beth Jackson - D
- SD 20 Connie Leyva - D
- SD 30 Holly Mitchell - D
- SD 34 Janet Nguyen - R
- SD 36 Pat Bates - R
- SD 39 Toni Atkins – D
Federal Courts
Magistrate judges
- Magistrate Judge Deborah Barnes (Sacramento)
- Magistrate Judge Allison Claire (Sacramento)
- Magistrate Judge Carolyn K Delaney (Sacramento)
- Magistrate Judge Erica P Grosjean (Fresno)
- Magistrate Judge Barbara McAuliffe (Fresno)
- Magistrate Judge Sheila K. Oberto (Fresno)
- Magistrate Judge Sandra M. Snyder (Fresno)
- Magistrate Judge Jennifer L. Thurston (Bakersfield)
- United States District Judges in the Eastern District of California
- District Judge Kimberly J Mueller (Sacramento) Mueller is the first (and only) female US District Judge in the Eastern District of California.
Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento
Judges
- Shelleyanne W.L. Chang, Department 1, 24
- Lauri A. Damrell, Department 2
- Trena H. Burger-Plavan Department 11
- Maryanne G. Gilliard, Department 12
- Tami R. Bogert, Department 14
- Laurel D. White, Department 15
- Marjorie Koller, Department 16
- Stacy Boulware Eurie, Department 18
- Emily E. Vasquez, Department 32
- Pamela L. Smith-Steward, Department 34
- Jennifer K. Rockwell, Department 37
- Sharon A. Lueras, Department 38
- Helen R. Gweon, Department 41
- Jill H. Talley, Department 44
- Jerilyn L. Borack, Department 90
- Judy Holzer-Hersher, Department 92
- Alyson L. Lewis, Department 97
- Bunmi O. Awoniyi, Department 124
- Laurie M. Earl, Department 130
- Shama H. Mesiwala, Department 133
U.S. Senate
- Senator Dianne Feinstein (since 1991)
- Senator Kamala Harris (since 2017)
- U.S. House of Representatives
- Nanette Barragan – D 44th District, since 2017
- Mimi Waters – R 45th District since 2015
- Norma Torres – D 35th District since 2015
- Karen Bass – D 37th District since 2013 (33rd District 2011-2013)
- Judy Chu – D 27th District since 2013 (32nd District 2009-2013)
- Jackie Speier – D 14th District since 2013 (12th District 2008-2013)
- Doris Matsui – D 6th District since 2013 (5th district from 2005-2013)
- Linda Sanchez – D 38th District since 2013 (39th District 2003-2013)
- Susan Davis – D 53rd District since 2003 (49th District 2001-2003)
- Grace Napolitano – D 32nd District since 2013 (38th District 2003-2013, 34th District 1999-2003)
- Barbara Lee – D 13th District since 2013 (9th District 1998-2013)
- Zoe Lofgren – D 19th District since 2013 (16th District 1995-2013)
- Lucille Roybal-Allard – D 40th since 2013 (34th 2003-2013, 33rd 1993-2003)
- Anna Eshoo – D 18th District since 2013 (14th District 1993-2013)
- Maxine Waters – D 43d District since 2013 (35th District 1993-2013, 29th District 1991-1993)
- Nancy Pelosi – D, 12th District since 2013 (8th District 1993-2013, 5th District 1987-1993)