Bergen County Among Top Counties For Women Politicians In NJ

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Bergen ranks among the top counties in the state for female representation in New Jersey government, according to an analysis its researchers ultimately dubbed "disappointing."

The 2022 Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University analysis ranks Bergen County second for the number of women commissioners (four), sixth for councilors (141) and 12th for mayors (nine), the data show.

To do the math, that means women make up 57 percent of its seven commissioners, 35 percent of Bergen County's 405 councilors and 13 percent of its 70 mayors.

The numbers represent downward trend for the county. With the loss of two female mayors and no increases in women commissioners, Bergen County slipped two spots on the list from 2021.

Researchers at the Center for American Women and Politics said women's representation remains “fundamentally stalled” in many New Jersey counties – including nearby Essex County.

“While women made incremental gains as county commissioners and in municipal council offices, they lost ground as mayors in New Jersey since CAWP’s previous report card in 2021,” researchers said.

The top three counties were Union, Middlesex and Somerset, respectively. That's the same top three as last year, with Middlesex moving ahead of Somerset. The bottom three counties were Ocean and Passaic.

Statewide, women gained just two county commissioner seats bumping them to 36 percent, up one point from 35 percent last year.

Women gained 26 seats on city and town councils, but researchers noted that's not a large portion of the 3,109 such seats statewide, and women’s share held steady at 30 percent.

Female electeds lost ground as mayors between 2021 and 2022, losing seven mayoralities to a total share of just 16.8 percent.

“Here in New Jersey it seems tremendously difficult to move the needle for county and local offices," CAWP Associate Director Jean Sinzdak said.

“It’s discouraging to see such sluggish growth."

This story was updated at 5:05 p.m. Thursday when the Center for American Women and Politics issued a correction to its statewide data and the number of women mayors in the state.

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