Why are there so few women running for political office in Tennessee?

Jim Balloch, in Sunday's KNS, has an article on women that paved the way for Madeline Rogero to be Mayor of Knoxville. Knoxville is now the largest city in Tennessee (third largest, 178,874) with a woman mayor after the election of Rogero.

I would like to add Kim McMillan as a "gender pioneer" that helped pave the way. She was not mentioned in the article. In 2010, McMillan was elected Mayor of Clarksville, the fifth largest city in Tennessee (132,929) and at the time the largest city in TN with a woman as mayor. McMillan also served in the Tennessee House of Representatives and was "the first woman in Tennessee history to be elected Majority Leader."

In May, 2001, Mike Gibson wrote an article for Metro Pulse regarding "Gender Politics".

"Seventy-six years after Knox County elected its first female legislator, women are still scarce in local public offices. In an age of changing roles, why are there so few women in the running?"

The MP article has details on the "first woman to hold elected office from Knox County", Anne Davis. Davis was elected in 1924. She was "the third woman elected to the Tennessee House." Balloch also fails to mention this pioneer.

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Knoxville's City Council has the same number of women as in 2001 (2 of 9, soon to be 1 of 9). Twenty-one percent of Knox County Commission were women in 2001 (4 of 19), whereas 11% are women now (1 of 9).

Tennessee ranks 41st in women in state legislature (24 of 132).

Why are there so few women running in Tennessee?

According to the 2011 KNS article quoting former state Sen. Jamie Woodson, "she thinks that today it is not necessarily harder for a woman than a man to get elected to executive positions. "I think that would be more of a reflection of the number of women running" for those offices."

According to the 2001 MP article, "One of several issues [former state Rep. Sandra] Clark and other women face in establishing a political identity is the hoary albatross of the double standard, the clash inherent in the duality of traditional feminine roles and the qualities of leadership."

According to the 2010 census, the State of Tennessee has more females (3,252,601) than males (3,093,504).

Why are there so few women in the running for public office? Is it that women just don't want to run? Or is it harder for women than men to get elected to public office in Tennessee?