Did you know:​​

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• Women make up about 52% of total voters, yet California has never had a female governor

• Only 15 of 54 of CA’s Representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives are women.

• 66% of California’s population is comprised of people of color; 40% of whom are Latina. Yet, only 14 Latina women currently serve in the 80-member California Assembly.

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What does this lack of representation and participation mean for California’s 39.4 million residents?

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• California’s extremely high cost of living means many families live in poverty and rely on social services to be their safety net. According to the Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, California has a 15.4% poverty rate, well in excess of the 11% national supplemental rate. Nearly 4 in 10 households do not earn enough to afford basic necessities.

• Vast economic inequality exists along gender and racial divides in the state, particularly for Black and brown Californians with children. For example, Latinx households with two or more workers are more likely to struggle to afford their basic needs than a white household with one working adult.

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We know California can do better. That is why we are excited to add California to our list of target states in 2025.​​​