Women are underrepresented in Texas city offices

Texas women are underrepresented in city offices compared to the rest of the country, new data show. Why it matters: Half of Texans are women, except women only hold 29% of municipal offices in the state, according to data collected by the Center for American Women and Politics. Women make up just 27% of the state legislature. Yes, but: Texas rose two ranks to 34th in the country this year. So there’s that.

The intrigue: Only one woman — Texas railroad commissioner Christi Craddick — holds a statewide office. Zoom in: Fort Worth is the third most populous U.S. city with a female mayor behind Chicago and Phoenix. Mattie Parker last year succeeded her former boss, Betsy Price, who was mayor for a decade. Zoom out: Non-continental U.S. states Hawaii and Alaska rank the highest in the percentage of women in municipal government — 50% and 48%, respectively. Colorado ranks third. Mississippi is the only state in which less than 20% of municipal offices are held by women.