Progress for Parity in Texas

Lone Star women make political gains, but there are still more opportunities to seize

If you’re a regular reader here, I’m sure you remember Brooke López, co-founder of the Lone Star Parity Project, a nonpartisan initiative dedicated to sharing the stories of women involved in Texas politics.

Since I last spoke with Brooke and her co-founder, Adrianna Maberry, the Parity Project has continued to evolve, compiling valuable data across multiple election cycles and reshaping our understanding of women’s representation in Texas politics. (The organization’s research covers “women+”—anyone who identifies as a woman.)

Lone Star Parity Project’s recent State of the Texas Woman 2025 report reveals both progress and persistent challenges that deserve our attention, so I thought this was a great time to check in with Brooke for updates on the organization’s mission to create meaningful change in Texas politics.

Key Findings from the 2024 Election

Looking at the new report, several findings jumped out at me. In the 2024 election, Texas women won 25.9% of available elected seats. That’s a 3.6% increase from the 2020 election. This progress is primarily attributed to Republican women, who saw a significant spike in their representation. In 2024, 481 Republican women won elected office, up from 369 in 2020. Democratic women experienced a slight decrease, with 192 winning in 2024 compared with 201 in 2020.

I was also struck by just how many uncontested races there were in Texas—and how many unopposed candidates were men. In fact, almost 72% of uncontested positions are held by men. These races could be a significant opportunity for women to increase political parity, Brooke says.

The report also revealed some interesting patterns in the types of offices women hold in Texas. Women continue to be overrepresented in administrative “behind-the-scenes” roles such as county treasurer, county clerk and tax assessor-collector. Meanwhile, women remain significantly underrepresented in policy and law enforcement positions. An especially striking fact is that women only hold roughly 10% of county commission roles.

The report highlights that 17 counties in Texas (out of 254) elected women at or above parity in 2024, up from just seven counties in 2020. Dallas County had the highest percentage of women elected at 71.4%, followed by Crockett and Glasscock counties at 66.7%. Women made their biggest gains in representation in West Texas.

Evolution of the Lone Star Parity Project

Since I first wrote about Lone Star Parity Project, it’s become a full-blown 501(c)(3) with a dedicated staff and an affiliate network connecting different entities working to amplify women’s voices or get women elected in Texas politics. The organization’s research is also part of an exhibit on elections at Texas Woman’s University.

Brooke is already thinking about more areas the Parity Project could explore. “There is more research that needs to be done on the career-to-elected-office pipeline,” she says. “We’ve noticed that women may not win what we consider ‘career’ elected offices, like constable and sheriff,” which may be due to their level of representation in fields like law enforcement. On the other hand, “a lot of women are now working in the legal field, and we see a significant increase in women’s representation in judgeships.”

However, Brooke’s ultimate goal for the organization might surprise you. “I hope that one day we don’t have to exist,” she says. “One, because I hope that this data is far more accessible in the future. And two, the ultimate, big hope is that we reach parity.”

How You Can Support the Movement

If you’re feeling as fired up about the Parity Project’s work as I am, there are several ways you can join the movement. The organization accepts donations and offers paid opportunities if you’re interested in writing stories or working on research for their reports. Most importantly, Brooke encourages sharing the new report as widely as you can to help potential candidates and those who want to support women running for office.

And if you are a Texas woman who’s thinking about throwing your hat into the political ring, both Brooke, who ran for office herself when she was only 18, and I strongly encourage you. “I definitely think that without the encouragement I received from others, I would have never entered into this space,” she says.

The report has valuable information that could help women shape their campaign strategies. “I think it’s important to look at the research that we put out,” she says. “Is your political party predominantly winning these races? Is there a career pipeline that maybe you’re not aware of that is going to give you a better chance of winning?”

But whether or not you want to run for office, always remember that your voice and your vote matter. There’s never been a better time to step into your power and change the face of Texas politics.