History of Women in the U.S. Congress

Please note: Data for Congresses prior to the current one reflect the number of women serving at the conclusion of that Congress, including women who may have been sworn in after the election for the following Congress.

History of Women in the U.S. Congress
Congress Dates Women in the Senate Women in the House Total Women
65th 1917-1919 0 (0D, 0R) 1 (0D, 1R) 1 (0D, 1R)
66th 1919-1921 0 (0D, 0R) 0 (0D, 0R) 0 (0D, 0R)
67th 1921-1923 1 (1D, 0R) 3 (0D, 3R) 4 (1D, 3R)
68th 1923-1925 0 (0D, 0R) 1 (0D, 1R) 1 (0D, 1R)
69th 1925-1927 0 (0D, 0R) 3 (1D, 2R) 3 (1D, 2R)
70th 1927-1929 0 (0D, 0R) 5 (2D, 3R) 5 (2D, 3R)
71st 1929-1931 0 (0D, 0R) 9 (5D, 4R) 9 (5D, 4R)
72nd 1931-1933 1 (1D, 0R) 7 (5D, 2R) 8 (6D, 2R)
73rd 1933-1935 1 (1D, 0R) 7 (4D, 3R) 8 (5D, 3R)
74th 1935-1937 2 (2D, 0R) 6 (4D, 2R) 8 (6D, 2R)
75th 1937-1939 2 (1D, 1R)1 6 (5D, 1R) 8 (6D, 2R)
76th 1939-1941 1 (1D, 0R) 8 (4D, 4R) 9 (5D, 4R)
77th 1941-1943 1 (1D, 0R) 9 (4D, 5R) 10 (5D, 5R)
78th 1943-1945 1 (1D, 0R) 8 (2D, 6R) 9 (3D, 6R)
79th 1945-1947 0 (0D, 0R) 11 (6D, 5R) 11 (6D, 5R)
80th 1947-1949 1 (0D, 1R) 7 (3D, 4R) 8 (3D, 5R)
81st 1949-1951 1 (0D, 1R) 9 (5D, 4R) 10 (5D, 5R)
82nd 1951-1953 1 (0D, 1R) 10 (4D, 6R) 11 (4D, 7R)
83rd 1953-1955 2 (0D, 2R) 11 (5D, 6R)2 13 (5D, 8R)2
84th 1955-1957 1 (0D, 1R) 16 (10D, 6R)2 17 (10D, 7R)2
85th 1957-1959 1 (0D, 1R) 15 (9D, 6R) 16 (9D, 7R)
86th 1959-1961 2 (1D, 1R) 17 (9D, 8R) 19 (10D, 9R)
87th 1961-1963 2 (1D, 1R) 18 (11D, 7R) 20 (12D, 8R)
88th 1963-1965 2 (1D, 1R) 12 (6D, 6R) 14 (7D, 7R)
89th 1965-1967 2 (1D, 1R) 11 (7D, 4R) 13 (8D, 5R)
90th 1967-1969 1 (0D, 1R) 11 (6D, 5R) 12 (6D, 6R)
91st 1969-1971 1 (0D, 1R) 10 (6D, 4R) 11 (6D, 5R)
92nd 1971-1973 2 (1D, 1R) 13 (10D, 3R) 15 (11D, 4R)
93rd 1973-1975 0 (0D, 0R) 16 (14D, 2R) 16 (14D, 2R)
94th 1975-1977 0 (0D, 0R) 19 (14D, 5R) 19 (14D, 5R)
95th 1977-1979 2 (2D, 0R) 18 (13D, 5R) 20 (15D, 5R)
96th 1979-1981 1 (0D, 1R) 16 (11D, 5R) 17 (11D, 6R)
97th 1981-1983 2 (0D, 2R) 21 (11D, 10R) 23 (11D, 12R)
98th 1983-1985 2 (0D, 2R) 22 (13D, 9R) 24 (13D, 11R)
99th 1985-1987 2 (0D, 2R) 23 (12D, 11R) 25 (12D, 13R)
100th 1987-1989 2 (1D, 1R) 23 (12D, 11R) 25 (13D, 12R)
101st 1989-1991 2 (1D, 1R) 29 (16D, 13R) 31 (17D, 14R)
102nd 1991-1993 4 (3D, 1R)3 28 (19D, 9R)4 32 (22D, 10R)4
103rd 1993-1995 7 (5D, 2R)5 47 (35D, 12R)4 54 (40D, 14R)4
104th 1995-1997 9 (5D, 4R)6 48 (31D, 17R)4 57 (36D, 21R)4
105th 1997-1999 9 (6D, 3R) 54 (37D, 17R)7 63 (43D, 20R)7
106th 1999-2001 9 (6D, 3R) 56 (39D, 17R)8 65 (45D, 20R)8
107th 2001-2003 13 (9D, 4R)9 59 (41D, 18R)9 72 (50D, 22R)9
108th 2003-2005 14 (9D, 5R) 60 (39D, 21R)10 74 (48D, 26R)10
109th 2005-2007 14 (9D, 5R) 68 (43D, 25R)11 82 (52D, 30R)11
110th 2007-2009 16 (11D, 5R) 72 (52D, 20R)12 88 (63D, 25R)12
111th 2009-2011 17 (13D, 4R)13 73 (56D, 17R)13 90 (69D, 21R)13
112th 2011-2013 17 (12D, 5R) 73 (49D, 24R)14 90 (61D, 29R)14
113th 2013-2015 20 (16D, 4R) 80 (61D, 19R)15 100 (77D, 23R)15
114th 2015-2017 20  (14D, 6R) 85 (63D, 22R) 105 (77D, 28R)18
115th 2017-2019 23 (17D, 6R) 87 (64D, 23R)16 110 (81D, 29R)16
116th 2019-2021 25 (17D, 8R)17 101 (88D, 13R)19 126 (105D, 21R)
117th 2021-2023 24 (16D, 8R)20 12220 (90D, 32R) 146 (106D, 40R)
118th 2023-2025 2521(15D, 9R, 1Ind) 12621 (92D, 34R) 151 (107D, 43R, 1Ind)

1A total of three (2D, 1R) women served in the Senate in the 75th Congress, but no more than two served together at any one time. Part of the time two Democrats served together, and part of the time one Democrat and one Republican served together.

2Does not include a Republican Delegate to the House from pre-statehood Hawaii.

3On election day in 1992, three women served in the Senate; two were elected and one was appointed. On November 3rd, Dianne Feinstein won a special election to complete two years of a term; she was sworn in on November 10, 1992. 4Does not include a Democratic Delegate to the House from Washington, DC.

4Does not include a Democratic Delegate to the House from Washington, DC. 5Includes Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), who won a special election on June 5, 1993 to serve out the remaining year and one half of a term.

5Includes Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), who won a special election on June 5, 1993 to serve out the remaining year and one half of a term.

6Includes Sheila Frahm (R-KS), who was appointed on June 11, 1996 to fill a vacancy caused by resignation. She was defeated in her primary race to complete the full term.

7Does not include two Democratic Delegates from the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC. Also does not include Susan Molinari (R-NY) who resigned 8/1/97. Includes 4 women (2 Democrats and 2 Republicans) who won special elections in March, April,  and June 1998.

8Does not include two Democratic Delegates from the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC.

9House figure does not include two Democratic Delegates from the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC; Patsy Takemoto Mink (D-HI), who died on September 19, 2002. Senate figure does not include Jean Carnahan (D-MO) who stepped down on November 23, 2002. Does include Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who was appointed to fill a Senate vacancy on December 20, 2002.

10Does not include three Democratic Delegates from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC. Does include Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), who won a special election June 1, 2004 to fill a vacancy.

11Does not include three Democratic Delegates from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC. Does include Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA), who died on April 22, 2007.

12Includes all current women House members; does not include three Democratic Delegates from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC. Does not include Stephanie Tubbs Jones who passed away, but does include Marcia Fudge who won a special election to replace her.

13Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) moved from the House to the Senate when she was appointed on January 26, 2009 to fill a vacancy. Does not include Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was sworn in but resigned 1/16/09; Hilda Solis, who was sworn in but resigned on 2/17/09; and Ellen Tauscher, who resigned 6/26/09. Does include Judy Chu, who won a special election 7/14/09. Does not include three Democratic Delegates from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC.

14Includes Kathy Hochul (D-NY) who won a special election. Does not include Jane Harman who resigned on 2/28/11; includes Janice Hahn (D-CA) who won a special election to replace her. Does not include Gabrielle Giffords who resigned on 1/24/12. Does include Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) who won a special election. Does not include three Democratic Delegates from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC.

15Does not include JoAnn Emerson (R-MO) who resigned on January 22, 2013. Includes Robin Kelly (D-IL) who won a special election. Includes Katherine Clark (D-MA) who won a special election 12/10/13 to fill a vacancy. Includes Alma Adams (D-NC) who won a special election 11/4/14.

16Includes Karen Handel (R-GA), who won a special election on June 20, 2017 to serve out the remaining year and one half of a term. Includes Tina Smith (D-MN) who was appointed to fill a vacancy on January 3, 2018. Includes Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) who was appointed to fill a vacancy on April 9, 2018. Includes Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), who won a special election on April 25, 2018. Includes Brenda Jones (D-MI), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), and Susan Wild (D-PA), who won a special elections on November 6, 2018. House numbers do not include Louise Slaughter (D-NY) who died on March 16, 2018. Does not include three Democratic Delegates from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC and two Republican Delegates from American Samoa and Puerto Rico.

17Includes Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) who was appointed to fill a vacancy on 1/6/2020. Does not include Martha McSally (R-AZ) who was appointed to fill a vacancy on January 3rd, 2019 and left office on December 2nd 2020.

18Includes Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) who won a special election to fill out an unexpired term in November 2016.

19Does not include Katie Hill (D-CA) who resigned on 11/1/2019.

20 Numbers do not include Kamala Harris (D-CA) who left office on 1/18/21 to become Vice President, Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) who left office on 1/20/21, Marcia Fudge who resigned on 3/10/21, Debra Haaland (D-NM) who left office on 3/16/21 to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Jackie Swihart Walorksi (R-IN) who died while in office on 8/3/22, or Karen Bass (CA) who resigned on 12/12/22 to become Mayor of Los Angeles. Includes Claudia Tenney (R-NY) who was certified as the winner of the general election but did not take office until 2/11/21 due to legal challenges; Julia Letlow (R-LA) who was sworn in on 4/14/21 after winning a special election to fill the vacancy left by the death of her husband who never officially took office; Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) who won a special election to succeed Debra Haaland, Shontel Brown (D-OH) who was sworn in on 11/4/21 after winning a special election, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) who was sworn in on 1/18/2022 after winning a special election, Connie Conway (R-CA) who was sworn in on 6/15/22 after winning a special election, Mayra Flores (R-TX) who was sworn in on 6/21/22 after winning a special election, and Mary Peltola (D-AK) who was sworn in on 9/13/22 after winning a special election.

21Numbers include Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) who was sworn in on 3/7/23 after winning a special election, Laphonza Butler (D-CA) who was sworn in on 10/3/23 after being appointed to fill a vacancy, and Celeste Maloy (R-UT) who was sworn in on 11/28/23 after winning a special election. Numbers do not include Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) who died while in office on 9/29/23.