Nevada will become the first state in the country to ever have a majority-female legislature.
On Tuesday, Clark County Commissioners appointed Rochelle Nguyen to replace former Assemblyman Chris Brooks, who was appointed to the state Senate last month, according to the Nevada Independent.
There was a second open seat that will be taken over by a woman, but it had already been held by a woman — Olivia Diaz, who resigned to run for Las Vegas City Council.
The two appointments move the legislature in favor of women. There will now be 23 women in the 42-seat state Assembly and nine women in the 21-seat state Senate, making the majority women, 32-31.
“The Assembly Democratic Caucus is proud to welcome Rochelle Nguyen and Beatrice Duran to the State Assembly and our Caucus,” Speaker Jason Frierson said in a statement. “In addition to a diversity of backgrounds and life experiences, both Rochelle and Beatrice bring passion, energy, and knowledge to the State Legislature that will better serve our state and our constituents.”
Nguyen and Duran, both Democrats, were appointed unanimously, and will serve until the 2020 election.
According to the most recent data for the National Conference of State Legislatures, women hold around 25 percent of state legislative seats in the U.S.
There was one instance between 2009-2010 where women in New Hampshire’s state Senate held a majority.
