The 23 Percent

By e.Republic + Governing Magazine

News & Politics Society & Culture Government & Organizations

What's The 23 Percent about?

Women make up only 23 percent of roles in state and local government—and we’re talking to them. Join Governing Magazine's Mattie Quinn for candid conversations with the women shaping policy all over the county.

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The 23 Percent episodes:

12.04.2018
Lauren Matsumoto, Representative, Hawaii State House
For our season finale, we chatted to Lauren Matsumoto, a member of the Hawaii State House. Matsumoto was only 25 when she made her way to the State House, and she was almost immediately overwhelmed by the lack of resources...
11.20.2018
31 Debbie Walsh, Center for American Women and Politics
On this episode, we brought back Debbie Walsh, executive director of the Center for American Women and Politics, to break down the midterms. Walsh dissects the results of the midterms and what it means for female candidates—why it was a...
11.06.2018
30 Jennifer Carroll Foy, Representative, Virginia House of Delegates
This episode kicks off a series we’re working on in the aftermath of the midterm elections, examining different aspects of when women run and win. Today we’re chatting with Jennifer Carroll Foy, who was elected in last year’s wave of...
10.23.2018
029 Tishaura Jones, Treasurer of St. Louis, MO
On this episode, we’re chatting with Tishaura Jones, treasurer of St. Louis. It’s a nerdy position with a lot of power—parking tickets is one of the things under her jurisdiction—but Tishaura also wants to use her influence in the city...
10.09.2018
028 Jackie Biskupski, Mayor of Salt Lake City, UT
For our first new episode after our summer hiatus, we’re talking with Jackie Biskupski, mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah. She’s the first openly gay elected official in the notably red state, but she talks on the show today about...
09.25.2018
ENCORE: Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore Health Commissioner to Planned Parenthood President
Planned Parenthood Federation of America announced earlier this month that it had recruited Dr. Leana Wen, the outgoing Commissioner of Health for the City of Baltimore, as its new president. As the organization noted, a doctor will lead Planned Parenthood for...
07.10.2018
027 Emilia Sykes, Representative, State of Ohio
Emilia Sykes is a representative in the Ohio State House. She made waves recently when she started the hashtag #WeBelongHere for female women of color politicians to commiserate about instances of both implicit and unconscious prejudice while serving as elected...
06.21.2018
026 Kimberley Driscoll, Mayor, Salem, Massachusetts
Kim Driscoll is the mayor of Salem, Massachusetts. The city infamous for burning witches during colonial times is now a tourist hotspot, with over half a million visitors in October alone. Driscoll chats on the show today about presiding over...
05.22.2018
025 Rep. Faith Winters, Colorado General Assembly
This marks our first ever #MeToo episode on the 23 Percent. Mattie chats with Faith Winter, a state representative in Colorado, about her experience outing a serial harasser in the Colorado Statehouse. Faith also talks about how her experience highlights...
05.07.2018
024 Erin Vilardi, Founder of VoteRunLead
This episode marks a three-episode partnership with VoteRunLead, a non-partisan organization that trains women to run for office and win. In this episode we're chatting with Erin Vilardi, the founder of VoteRunLead. We discuss trends she's seen in the run-up...
04.24.2018
023 Rosalynn Bliss, Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Rosalynn Bliss is the mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first female mayor of Michigan’s second-largest city, Bliss was a social worker before taking the plunge into politics. On today’s episode, she talks about intertwined social work and politics are...
04.09.2018
022 - Jackie Lacey, District Attorney, County of Los Angeles
In our season three opener, Mattie chats with Jackie Lacey, the district attorney for Los Angeles County. She’s the first African-American woman to lead the office best known for prosecuting infamous serial killers like Charles Manson. She talks on the...
03.20.2018
Preview of Go Public podcast with The 23%'s Mattie Quinn
With The 23% on spring break, we wanted to give you a chance to preview of Governing's newest podcast, Go Public. This episode focuses on Mattie's reporting on using cash incentives to change their behaviors in the fight against TB. ...
02.26.2018
021 - After Parkland: Kristin Jacobs, Florida State Representatives
On our supersized season finale, we’re talking to Rep. Kristin Jacobs, who represents the district in Florida that includes Parkland. She discusses on the show the nightmarish hours after the mass shooting, and where she wants the state (and country)...
02.13.2018
020 Susana A. Mendoza, State of Illinois Comptroller
On this episode, Mattie talks with Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza about campaigning for office in her 20s, losing her first election by 55 votes and what exactly is going on with Illinois's budget problems (plus how she's trying to fix it.)
01.29.2018
019 Merceria Ludgood, Mobile County, Alabama Commissioner
On this episode, Mattie talks with Merceria Ludgood, Mobile County Commissioner. She talks on the show today about growing up with a sense a civic duty, how things have changed for women in politics in the 10 years since she...
01.16.2018
018 Glynda Carr, Co-Founder, Higher Heights
On the first episode of 2018, Mattie talks with with Glynda Carr, an advocate and political strategist who co-founded Higher Heights for America - an organization dedicated to expanding the civic participation of black women. She talks on the show...
01.09.2018
017 Year End Encore: Leana Wen, Public Official of the Year
Dr. Leana Wen, recognized in November 2017 as one of Governing's Public Officials of the Year (POY), says growing up in a low-income, heavily immigrant neighborhood taught her how crucial physical health is to the overall well-being of any community....
12.12.2017
016 Debbie Walsh, Director, Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University
To round out 2017, we chat with Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. On this episode, Debbie discusses everything from the wave of women elected to state and local office last month,...
11.21.2017
015 Libby Seguin and Lauren Stott and the ELGL Diversity Dashboard
On this Thanksgiving episode, we’re talking diversity in local government across the board—not just gender. On the show today we have Libby Seguin and Lauren Stott, two graduate students undertaking the Diversity Dashboard, a new project with the organization Engaging...
11.07.2017
014 Mayor Marian Orr of Cheyenne, WY
Marian Orr is the mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming—the first female mayor in a state that’s ranked last for gender equity in politics. She talks on the show today about using social media to create a name for herself, something she...
10.17.2017
013 Chris Gregoire, former Governor of Washington State
Mattie talks with Chris Gregoire, former Governor of Washington State from 2005-2013. Today on the show, she talks about how frustrating it is to see the women in public office get smaller since she’s been in office. She also reflects...
10.03.2017
012 Kanika Tomalin, Deputy Mayor, City of St. Petersburg, FLA
Kanika Tomalin is the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida. Her family has been in the city for five generations, and spans every socio-economic background. On this week’s episode, she discusses how that vantage point helps her address key issues...
09.19.2017
011 Attica Scott, Kentucky State Representative, House District 41
For our season two premiere, Mattie talks to Attica Scott, a Kentucky State Representative. She’s the first black woman to be elected to the state house in almost 20 years. On this episode, she talks about being unfairly labeled the...
07.24.2017
010 Jennifer Lawless, Director, Women and Politics Institute at American University
On our season finale, Mattie talks with Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women and Politics Institute at American University. She offers context to this current movement to get more women in public office, and also offers a rallying cry to get women...
07.10.2017
009 Blair Milo, Mayor, City of LaPorte, IN
On this episode, Mattie’s talking to Blair Milo, mayor of LaPorte, Ind. She was only 28 years old when elected in 2011, and despite her young age, she gained notoriety in her hometown in a pretty old-fashioned way: Writing editorials...
06.26.2017
008 Rachel Levine, Physician General, State of Pennsylvania
This week, Mattie talks with Rachel Levine, physician general for Pennsylvania. Responsible for the health and wellbeing of the state’s residents, she’s also one of just a few transgender public officials out there. She discusses that, along with the health...
06.19.2017
007 Ginger Spencer, Public Works Director, City of Phoenix
Ginger Spencer is the public works director for Phoenix. If you think that sounds boring, it’s not. She’s overseeing all of the city’s sustainability initiatives, and working to make Phoenix a ‘zero waste’ city by 2050. After 20 years in...
05.15.2017
006 Betty Yee, California State Controller
This week Mattie talks to Betty Yee, California State Controller. As the CFO for the sixth largest economy in the world, she talks about why even finance nerds have a place in elected office. Elected to the position in 2014,...
05.01.2017
005 Evelyn Sanguinetti, Illinois Lt. Governor
On this episode, Mattie talks with Evelyn Sanguinetti, Lt. Gov of Illinois. While she never dreamed she would run for politics, an injury on a city sidewalk made her rethink her plans and run for city council. She talks today...
04.17.2017
004 Michelle Wu, President, Boston City Council
This week, Mattie talks to Michelle Wu, president of the Boston City Council. She’s the first woman of color to hold the post, and helped spearhead the city’s nationally-recognized paid parental leave policy. She had an unlikely road to public...
04.03.2017
003 Toni Carter, Commissioner of Ramsey County, Minnesota
This week, Mattie talks to Toni Carter, commissioner of Ramsey County, Minnesota, home to St. Paul. While she's worked on almost every legislative issue possible in her decade as commissioner, she's taken an especially strong interest in young people of color,...
03.20.2017
002 Dr. Leana Wen, Health Commissioner, City of Baltimore, Maryland
For our second episode, Mattie Quinn chats with Leana Wen, Baltimore's health commissioner. An emergency room doctor with a passion for public health, Dr. Wen deployed a number of health initiatives during the Baltimore riots in 2015 that helped stabilize...
03.01.2017
001 Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor of Gary, Indiana
In the inaugural episode, Governing's Mattie Quinn talks with Gary Indiana Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson about the arts as a strategy for helping her city get her groove back. Freeman-Wilson previously served Indiana Attorney General and Director of the Indiana Civil Rights...

What's The 23 Percent about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The 23 Percent episodes:

Lauren Matsumoto, Representative, Hawaii State House

31 Debbie Walsh, Center for American Women and Politics

30 Jennifer Carroll Foy, Representative, Virginia House of Delegates

029 Tishaura Jones, Treasurer of St. Louis, MO

028 Jackie Biskupski, Mayor of Salt Lake City, UT

ENCORE: Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore Health Commissioner to Planned Parenthood President

027 Emilia Sykes, Representative, State of Ohio

026 Kimberley Driscoll, Mayor, Salem, Massachusetts

025 Rep. Faith Winters, Colorado General Assembly

024 Erin Vilardi, Founder of VoteRunLead

023 Rosalynn Bliss, Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan

022 - Jackie Lacey, District Attorney, County of Los Angeles

Preview of Go Public podcast with The 23%'s Mattie Quinn

021 - After Parkland: Kristin Jacobs, Florida State Representatives

020 Susana A. Mendoza, State of Illinois Comptroller

019 Merceria Ludgood, Mobile County, Alabama Commissioner

018 Glynda Carr, Co-Founder, Higher Heights

017 Year End Encore: Leana Wen, Public Official of the Year

016 Debbie Walsh, Director, Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University

015 Libby Seguin and Lauren Stott and the ELGL Diversity Dashboard

014 Mayor Marian Orr of Cheyenne, WY

013 Chris Gregoire, former Governor of Washington State

012 Kanika Tomalin, Deputy Mayor, City of St. Petersburg, FLA

011 Attica Scott, Kentucky State Representative, House District 41

010 Jennifer Lawless, Director, Women and Politics Institute at American University

009 Blair Milo, Mayor, City of LaPorte, IN

008 Rachel Levine, Physician General, State of Pennsylvania

007 Ginger Spencer, Public Works Director, City of Phoenix

006 Betty Yee, California State Controller

005 Evelyn Sanguinetti, Illinois Lt. Governor

004 Michelle Wu, President, Boston City Council

003 Toni Carter, Commissioner of Ramsey County, Minnesota

002 Dr. Leana Wen, Health Commissioner, City of Baltimore, Maryland

001 Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor of Gary, Indiana