Center for Women and Politics of Ohio | Baldwin Wallace University

Fifty years before a woman could vote or even enter most restaurants without a male escort, Victoria Woodhull, an Ohio native, ran for president of the United States. Her campaign in 1872 set the stage for how women would change the face of politics for the next 150 years.

The Baldwin Wallace Center for Women and Politics of Ohio (CWPO) is a non-partisan public resource that tells the story of women running for public office in Ohio. You are invited to contribute to the conversation, dig into research and share the resources of this Center.

One Hundred Years (And Then Some!) of Women Running for Office in Ohio

With data covering over 100 years, more than 600 elected officials, and 50 election cycles, combined with the compelling and inspiring stories of the state's trail blazers, this 40-page book explores the history of the remarkable women who have represented Ohio from 1872 to 2020. While tremendous progress has been made, in the 21st century, female candidates in Ohio still face significant barriers, and the state has fallen behind the nation in the proportion of women serving in many of its offices. With the new reforms that will reshape Ohio's legislative districts going into effect in 2022 and the demographic changes altering the state’s political profile, will Ohio be able to catch up?

Buy the book: One Hundred Years (And Then Some!) of Women Running for Office in Ohio

photo: Barbara Palmer

Dr. Barbara Palmer

Dr. Barbara Palmer, professor of political science and the founder and executive director of the CWPO, is an expert on women running for public office and the author of Women and Congressional Elections: A Century of Change.

Contact: Dr. Barbara Palmer at cwpo@bw.edu
Media inquiries: University Relations at (440) 826-2322

About the Center

The CWPO was created in 2013 through a generous Summer Research Grant from Baldwin Wallace University.

Special Thanks

A big thank you to the BW students who contributed to this website: Ryan Horvath '17, was the digital media intern who created much of the visual content, and Camille Ross '21, provided invaluable assistance in creating the updates after the 2020 election.