Carolyn Patridge

From left to right: Former Gov. Madeleine Kunin, House Speaker Gaye Symington, Symington campaign manager Jill KrowinskiBesides being Democrats, what do Vermont’s House Speaker, House Majority Leader, chair of the state Senate Appropriations committee, former executive director of the Vermont Democratic Party, Vermont Democratic coordinated campaign director, VDP spokesperson, and vice chair of VDP all have in common?

They’re all women.

The vast majority of leadership roles in the Green Mountain State’s Democratic Party are currently filled by women: from elected officials to the state’s top party executives. And Vermont has an excellent record of looking past gender to determine the capabilities of a candidate: almost 38 percent of the legislature is composed of women—the highest percentage in the country. The national average of women serving in state legislatures is only 23 percent.