SACRAMENTO, Calif., November 13, 2025 — After doubling the number of women serving in California’s state legislature in less than a decade, Close the Gap California is expanding its proven, research-backed model to county boards across California and to statehouses in Florida and Ohio.

“Close the Gap has cracked the code for reflective representation,” said Susannah Delano, Executive Director of Close the Gap California. “We’re scaling our strategy to build pipelines of values-driven women for state and local offices. As federal protections for reproductive health, public education, and economic opportunity erode, downballot leadership is our best and last line of defense.”

Close the Gap’s early, targeted recruitment strategy has already transformed California’s political landscape. In

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