Women in the U.S. House of Representatives 2020
101
women hold seats in the House of Representatives, comprising 23.2% of the 435 members in 2020. The women represent 34 states; 88 are Democrats and 13 are Republicans.
In addition to the 101 women currently serving, four (2D, 2R) women delegates also represent American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The congresswomen include 43 women of color: 22 African American women, 6 Asian Pacific Islanders, and 12 Latinas, 2 Native American women, and 1 Middle Eastern/North African woman. The delegates include an Asian/Pacific Islander, a Latina, a Caribbean American and an African American. For more information on the number of women of color serving in the House click here. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the first woman Speaker of the House, holds the highest position in the House and is second in line of presidential succession. For more information on women in leadership roles in Congress, click here.
Of the 101 women in the House:
88
women first entered by winning regular general elections.
58
women lawmakers held previous elective offices prior to entering Congress.
18
won special elections; Adams (NC), Bonamici (OR), Chu (CA), Clark (MA), Fudge (OH), Hanabusa (HI), Handel (GA), Jones (MI), Kelly (IL), Lee (CA), Lesko (AZ), Matsui (CA), Pelosi (CA), Ros-Lehtinen (FL), Scanlon(PA); Speier (CA), Tsongas (MA), and Wild (PA) succeeded others who died or resigned. The AS, DC, GU and VI Delegates won regular general elections.
23
held more than one previous elective post. The positions include: statewide elective (1); state senator (15); state representative (36); county elective (6); municipal elective (25); judge (1); school board member (7).
Women who serve in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2020
| Congresswomen | Route to Office | Dates Served |
|---|---|---|
|
Alma Adams (D-NC) |
Won simultaneous special election to fill vacancy and regular election. State representative; Greensboro city council; Greensboro school board; professor. | 11/12/14 - present |
|
Cindy Axne (D-IA) |
Small business owner, community activist, state agency strategist. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Nanette Barragan (D-CA) |
Hermosa Beach City councilwoman; attorney; community advocate; Clinton White House aide. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Karen Bass (D-CA) |
State assembly speaker; assemblywoman; Los Angeles school board member; community activist. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Joyce Beatty (D-OH) |
State representative and House Democratic leader; small business owner; management consultant. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) |
Congressional case worker; Delaware secretary of labor, deputy secretary of health and social services, state personnel director. CEO of Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) |
State senator, state representative, legislative assistant, attorney. Won a special election to fill a vacancy. | 2/7/12 - present |
|
Susan Brooks (R-IN) |
Attorney; Indianapolis deputy mayor; community college administrator and workforce development leader; attorney. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Julia Brownley (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman; Santa Monica-Malibu school board member and president. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Cheri Bustos (D-IL) |
East Moline alderman; health care system communications official; journalist. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Kathy Castor (D-FL) |
Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners; assistant general counsel to the Florida Department of Community Affairs in Tallahassee. | 1/4/07 - present |
|
Liz Cheney (R-WY) |
Attorney, State Department official, Fox News contributor. Holds seat once held by her father. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Judy Chu (D-CA) |
California state board of equalization member; state assembly; Monterey Park mayor and councilwoman; board of education member; educator. Won a special election July 14, 2009 to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Congresswoman Hilda Solis to become Secretary of Labor. | 7/16/09 - present |
|
Katherine Clark (D-MA) |
State senator; state representative; attorney. Won a special election December 10, 2013 to fill a vacancy. | 12/12/13 - present |
|
Yvette Clarke (D-NY) |
Councilwoman; director of business development for Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation; director of Bronx portion of the New York City Empowerment Zone. | 1/4/07 - present |
|
Angela Craig (D-MN) |
Journalist; medical device executive. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Sharice Davids (D--KS) |
Member of the Ho-Chunk nation; professional mixed martial arts fighter; attorney; small business owner; director of community and economic development for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Susan Davis (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman; president, San Diego city school board. | 1/3/01 - present |
|
Madeleine Dean (D-PA) |
State representative; attorney; executive director of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers; assistant professor of English. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) |
Congressional aide; executive director of EMILY's List; community organizer. | 1/3/91 - present |
|
Diana DeGette (D-CO) |
State representative; state house assistant leader; civil rights and employment lawyer. | 1/7/97 - present |
|
Suzan DelBene (D-WA) |
Technology entrepreneur; businesswoman; director, state Department of Revenue. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Val Demings (D-FL) |
Orlando police chief; police officer; social worker. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Debbie Dingell (D-MI) |
President of D2 Strategies; chair of Wayne State University Board of Governors; president of the GM Foundation; senior executive for public affairs. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Veronica Escobar (D-TX) |
County Commissioner; El Paso County Judge; non-profit executive. | 1/3/19-present |
|
Anna Eshoo (D-CA) |
San Mateo County supervisor and board president. Elected to U.S. House in 1992. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Abby Finkenauer (D-IA) |
State representative; Congressional page; state legislative aide. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Virginia Foxx (R-NC) |
State senator; county board of education; college instructor and administrator. | 1/4/05 - present |
|
Lois Frankel (D-FL) |
West Palm Beach mayor; state representative; attorney. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Marcia Fudge (D-OH) |
Mayor of Warrensville Heights; Congressional chief of staff; attorney; won special election to fill a vacancy. | 11/19/08 - present |
|
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) |
State representative; Honolulu city council member; National Guard member; environmental activist; aide to Senator Daniel Akaka. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) |
Houston, County Commissioner; Houston City Controller; director and presiding judge of the Houston Municipal system;social worker; legal aid lawyer. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Kay Granger (R-TX) |
Mayor of Fort Worth; board of trustees of the US Conference of Mayors; educator; small business owner. | 1/7/97 - present |
|
Debra Haaland (D-NM) |
Chair of state democratic party; member of the Laguna Pueblo people; tribal administrator for the San Felipe Pueblo. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Vicky J. Hartzler (R-MO) |
Cass County Republican Central Committee; teacher; businesswoman. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Jahana Hayes (D-CT) |
School teacher; chair of the Kennedy SOAR Review Board; winner of the John F. Kennedy Teacher of the Year award. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) |
State representative; assistant minority floor leader; legislative assistant to congresswoman McMorris Rodgers. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Kendra Horn (D-OK) |
Attorney; congressional press secretary; campaign manager; a founder of Women Lead Oklahoma. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) |
Engineer; former U.S. Air Force office; non-profit CEO. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) |
State senator, human rights activist. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) |
State senator; state representative; administrator in Department of Health, Education and Welfare; nurse; consultant. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) |
Urban planner; White House domestic policy aide. | 1/3/83 - present |
|
Robin Kelly (D-IL) |
State representative; chief administrative officer, Cook County; community affairs director, Village of Matteson. | 4/11/13 - present |
|
Ann L. Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) |
U.S representative 2009-2011 and 2013-2017; Arizona state representative; Sedona city attorney, educator. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) |
Attorney; consultant; lobbyist. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) |
Mayor and councilwoman in Southfield; president of National Association of Democratic Mayors; lieutenant governor nominee in 2010; board of education member and president; U.S. postal carrier. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Barbara Lee (D-CA) |
State senator; state assemblywoman; senior advisor and administrative assistant to member of Congress. Won a special election in 1998 to fill a vacancy caused by a resignation. | 4/21/98 - present |
|
Susie Lee (D-NV) |
Education advocate; founding director of After-School All-Stars. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) |
Council member; municipal court associate judge; attorney; congressional committee counsel. | 1/4/95 - present |
|
Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) |
State senator; state representative; won special election to fill a vacancy. | 5/7/18 - present |
|
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) |
Santa Clara County Supervisor; attorney; law teacher; executive director of low-income housing development group; congressional aide. | 1/4/95 - present |
|
Nita Lowey (D-NY) |
Assistant New York secretary of state. | 1/3/89 - present |
|
Elaine Luria (D-VA) |
United States Navy officer; engineer. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) |
New York city council member; educator; administrator. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Doris Matsui (D-CA) |
Public policy advocate; deputy assistant to the President and deputy director of public liaison in the Clinton administration. Won special election in 2005 to fill a vacancy caused by the death of her husband. | 3/10/05 - present |
|
Lucy McBath (D-GA) |
Gun control advocate; national spokeswoman for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America; flight attendant. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Betty McCollum (D-MN) |
State representative; North St. Paul City Councilwoman; educator; businesswoman. | 1/3/01 - present |
|
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) |
State representative and House Republican leader. | 1/4/05 - present |
|
Grace Meng (D-NY) |
State assemblywoman; attorney. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Carol Miller (R-WV) |
State delegate; real estate manager. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Gwen Moore (D-WI) |
State senator; assemblywoman; city and state government administrator. | 1/4/05 - present |
|
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL) |
College administrator; nonprofit executive. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) |
Businesswoman, college instructor. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Grace Napolitano (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman; mayor, Norwalk; city council member; businesswoman. | 1/6/99 - present |
|
Alexandria Ocassio-Cortez (D-NY) |
Educator at the National Hispanic Institute; founder of a children’s book publisher. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Ilhan Omar (D-MN) |
State representative; nutrition educator; campaign manager. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Elizabeth Pannill Fletcher (D-TX) |
Attorney; co-founder of Planned Parenthood Young Leaders. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) |
Chair of California Democratic party; Democratic National Committee member; party activist; public relations executive. Won special election in 1987 to fill a vacancy caused by death of Congresswoman Sala Burton. | 6/9/87 - present |
|
Chellie M. Pingree (D-ME) |
State senator; Senate majority leader; North Haven planning board member; North Haven tax assessor; school board chair; president, Common Cause; businesswoman. | 1/6/09 - present |
|
Katherine Porter (D-CA) |
Attorney; law school professor. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) |
Boston City Councilwoman; congressional staffer. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Kathleen Rice (D-NY) |
Elected district attorney of Nassau County; attorney. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Martha Roby (R-AL) |
Councilwoman; attorney. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Linda Sanchez (D-CA) |
Executive secretary-treasurer for Orange County Central Labor Council, labor compliance officer, attorney. | 1/7/03 - present |
|
Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) |
Co-chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association, attorney for the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania and the Support Center for Child Advocates, won special election to fill a vacancy caused by resignation. | 11/13/18 - present |
|
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) |
State representative; director, Illinois Public Action; educator. | 1/6/99 - present |
|
Kim Schrier (D-WA) |
Pediatrician; community activist. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Terri Sewell (D-AL) |
Staffer for Senator Heflin and Congressman Shelby; attorney. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Donna Shalala (D-FL) |
Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Clinton; college administrator; political science professor. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) |
Federal prosecutor; U.S. Navy helicopter pilot. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) |
CIA analyst; small business owner. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) |
CIA operations officer; federal law enforcement agent. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Jackie Speier (D-CA) |
State senator; state assemblywoman; San Mateo county supervisor; legal counsel to congressmember; attorney. Won special election in 2008 to fill a vacancy caused by death. | 4/10/08 - present |
|
Elise Stefanik (R-NY) |
Small businesswoman; policy and communications strategist. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Haley Stevens (D-MI) |
Chief of staff on the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry; campaign volunteer organizer. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Dina Titus (D-NV) |
U.S. representative 2009-11; state senator and senate minority leader; professor of political science. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) |
State Representative; attorney; state legislative staff member. | |
|
Norma Torres (D-CA) |
State senator; assemblywoman; mayor and councilwoman in Pomona; union representative; 9-1-1 dispatcher. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM) |
Attorney; federal law clerk. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Lori Trahan (D-MA) |
Congressional staffer; businesswoman. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Lauren Underwood (D-IL) |
Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; registered nurse. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) |
New York city council member; director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs; educator. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Ann Wagner (R-MO) |
U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg; Senate campaign chair, Roy Blunt; co-chair, Republican National Committee; Missouri Republican Party chair. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Jackie Walorski (R-IN) |
State representative; missionary; higher education administrator; journalist. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) |
State senator; state representative. | 1/4/05 - present |
|
Maxine Waters (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman; educator. | 1/3/91 - present |
|
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) |
State assembly (majority leader); state Democratic party chair; director of Office of Civil Rights in State Department of Transportation. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) |
State senator; attorney. | 1/3/19 - present |
|
Susan Wild (D-PA) |
Attorney; solicitor of Allentown, PA; won a special election to fill a vacancy. | 11/27/18 - present |
|
Frederica Wilson (D-FL) |
State senator; state representative; school board member. | 1/5/11 - present |
| Delegates | ||
|
Jenniffer Gonzalez (R-PR) |
State representative; state GOP chairman; trained as an attorney. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) |
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission chair; New York City Commission on Human Rights chair; law professor. | 1/3/91 - present |
|
Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) |
Virgin Islands economic development group; counsel to House of Representatives ethics committee; attorney. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Amata Radewagen (R-AS) |
Community activist; Republican National Committeewoman; appointee to White House Commission for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. | 1/6/15 - present |