Close the Gap Catalyst
advancing women
County Boards of Supervisors Report
California’s 58 County Boards are among the most powerful and impactful political bodies in the state and nation. Yet they often operate under the radar of public attention, and remain deeply unrepresentative of California’s population.
Close the Gap Catalyst’s inaugural report “Representation & Impact on California’s County Boards of Supervisors” explores California’s County Boards of Supervisors’ operation, decision-making, and demographics through quantitative analyses and qualitative interviews with current and former supervisors and advocates.
Counties are among the state’s largest employers, and manage multi-billion-dollar budgets to oversee critical systems including public health, criminal justice, homelessness response, housing, transportation, and election administration.
County Boards of Supervisors have a profound impact on essential aspects of life – from whether families have access to food and housing, to how well our children are cared for.
We need leaders at the County level who are ready to co-govern with courage.
- 47.3% of California’s county supervisors are Republicans—nearly double the percentage of Republican voters across the state.
- Women of color make up less than 14% of all county supervisors, despite being upwards of 30% of California’s total population.
- Just 34% of county supervisors are women, significantly trailing gender representation in California’s municipal office (40%), school board (53%), and state legislative (49%) seats.
43% of our county boards have only one or zero women supervisors.
These imbalances limit the diversity of voices shaping key decisions in critical policy areas and restrict the leadership pipeline for higher office, undermining broader efforts to build representative democracy at the state and federal levels.
Boards’ decisions can either advance or obstruct equity, sustainability, and democratic participation for millions of district residents, making these seats essential targets for political engagement, representation, and accountability.
Thank you to the interviewees who share their expert insight in this report, including:
- Laura Capps, Santa Barbara County Supervisor
- Susan Ellenberg, Santa Clara County Supervisor
- Cassandra James, Solano County Supervisor
- Sheila Kuehl, former Los Angeles County Supervisor
- Holly J. Mitchell, Los Angeles County Supervisor
- Wendy Root Askew, Monterey County Supervisor
- Danielle Cendejas, The Strategy Group
- Pablo Rodriguez, Communities for a New California
- Melissa Vargas, Communities for a New California
- Astrid Zuniga, UDW
- Anonymous County Board Staff Members
- Anonymous Progressive Advocate
- Anonymous Regional Labor Union Leader
- Anonymous Statewide Advocacy Organization Leader
- Anonymous Statewide Labor Union Leaders
