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This article covers the history ofwomen in the United States Senate and various milestones achieved by female senators. It includes a list of all women who have served in the Senate, a list of current female senators, and a list of states represented by women in the Senate. The first female U.S. senator,Rebecca Latimer Felton, representedGeorgia for a single day in 1922, and the first woman elected to the Senate,Hattie Caraway, was elected fromArkansas in 1932. As of January 2025, 64 women have served in the upper house of theUnited States Congress, of which 26 (16 Democrats and 10 Republicans) are currently serving (out of 100 possible seats).
Nancy Kassebaum (born July 29, 1932) is the oldest living former female member of the Senate at the age of 93.
For its first 130 years in existence, the Senate's membership was entirely male. Until1920, few women ran for the Senate. Until the 1990s, very few were elected. This was due to many factors, including the lack ofwomen's suffrage in many states until the ratification of theNineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, women's limited access to higher education until the mid-1900s, public perceptions of gender roles, and barriers to women's advancement such assex discrimination.
The first time a woman was nominated for the Senate was in 1893 in Wyoming, where women have had the vote since 1869. The nomination happened through aparty caucus, since this was before 1913 when theSeventeenth Amendment established popular elections for Senators. Mary Jane Bartlett was nominated by the WyomingPopulists, receiving their unanimous nomination. However, the Wyoming legislature was deadlocked for weeks of voting on their senators: Republicans, Democrats, and Populists mostly voted for their own candidates. Bartlett received all six populist votes on a number of ballots in the legislature, but time ran out to choose the senator, and Wyoming ended up serving with only one senator, rather than two, that term.[1][2]
The first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate wasRebecca Latimer Felton; she representedGeorgia for one day as a symbolic gesture in 1922.[3] Ten years later,Hattie Caraway became the first woman to win election to the Senate, representingArkansas. She first filled the vacancy caused by her husband's death, and then was elected to two full terms.[4] In 1949,Margaret Chase Smith began her service in the Senate; she was the first woman to serve in both theHouse and Senate. Her1960 reelection bid resulted in Chase Smith winning the nation's first-ever United States Senate election with two female major party nominees. In 1972,Elaine Edwards was appointed as the first Catholic woman in the Senate by her husband, theGovernor of Louisiana, while she was Louisiana's First Lady; she retired after three months. In 1978,Muriel Humphrey became the firstSecond Lady to serve in the United States Senate, afterHubert Humphrey's death in office. Humphrey Brown was appointed by theGovernor of Minnesota to fill her recently deceased husband's Senate seat; she served for less than one year and declined to be elected to her husband's seat.
In 1978,Nancy Kassebaum became the first woman ever elected to a full term in the Senate, representingKansas, without her husband having previously served in Congress.[n 1] Since Kassebaum assumed office in December 1978, there has been at least one woman in the Senate. The first woman to be elected to the Senate without any family connections was Florida RepublicanPaula Hawkins, elected in1980. She was also the first and, to date, only female member ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints elected to the United States Senate. In 1990, there were still few women in the Senate as compared to the number of women in the House. The trend of few women in the Senate began to change in the wake of theClarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination hearings and the subsequent election of the103rd United States Congress in1992, which was dubbed the "Year of the Woman."[5]Barbara Mikulski was reelected and four new Democratic women were elected to the Senate. They werePatty Murray ofWashington,Carol Moseley Braun ofIllinois,Dianne Feinstein ofCalifornia, andBarbara Boxer of California.Carol Moseley Braun was the firstwoman of color to serve in the Senate and the first woman to defeat an incumbent senator after she won the 1992 Democratic primary election overAlan J. Dixon. Later in 1992, Feinstein was the first woman to defeat an incumbent senator from a different party when she defeatedJohn Seymour in a special election. Feinstein entered the Senate the same year as the first female Jewish senator.[6][7][8]
Bathroom facilities for women in the Senate on theSenate chamber level were first provided in 1992.[9] Women were not allowed to wear pants on the Senate floor until 1993.[10][11] In 1993, SenatorsBarbara Mikulski andCarol Moseley Braun wore pants onto the floor in defiance of the rule, and female support staff followed soon after, with the rule being amended later that year by Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Martha Pope to allow women to wear pants on the floor so long as they also wore a jacket.[10][11]
The first time two female senators from the same state served concurrently was in 1993;Dianne Feinstein andBarbara Boxer of California were both elected in 1992, with Feinstein taking office that same year (as the result of a special election) and Boxer taking office in 1993. Boxer served until 2016, when she retired, and Feinstein was then joined byKamala Harris. In June 1993,Kay Bailey Hutchison won a special election in Texas, and joined Kassebaum as a fellow femaleRepublican senator. These additions significantly diminished the popular perception of the Senate as an exclusive "boys' club". Since 1992, there has been at least one new woman elected to the Senate every two years, with the exception of2004 (Lisa Murkowski was elected for the first time in 2004, but had been appointed to the seat since 2002).
Olympia Snowe ofMaine assumed office in the Senate in 1995, having previously served in theUS House of Representatives and both houses of theMaine state legislature. She was the first woman (later joined byDebbie Stabenow ofMichigan,Kyrsten Sinema ofArizona, andCynthia Lummis ofWyoming) to have served in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of the federal legislature. In 2000, Stabenow andMaria Cantwell became the first women to defeat incumbent elected senators in a general election, defeating SenatorsSpencer Abraham andSlade Gorton respectively.[n 2]Hillary Clinton is the firstFirst Lady to run for or win a Senate seat. Clinton took office in the Senate in 2001, becoming the first female senator fromNew York, and served until 2009, when she resigned to become the 67thUnited States Secretary of State, underPresidentBarack Obama. She was replaced byKirsten Gillibrand, who has been elected three times and was herself a candidate for president in the2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.
In 2008, DemocratKay Hagan ofNorth Carolina became the first woman to defeat a female incumbent,Elizabeth Dole. Upon the opening of the112th United States Congress in 2011, New Hampshire DemocratJeanne Shaheen was joined by newly elected RepublicanKelly Ayotte, making up the first Senate delegation of two women belonging to different parties.
Patty Murray holds the record as the longest serving woman senator. As a serving senator, her record is continuously extended.
In 2012, a record five new female senators were elected. This beat the record of four new female senators from 1992 and set the record of five new women and eleven female senators in one Senate class. The five new women were DemocratsTammy Baldwin ofWisconsin,Heidi Heitkamp ofNorth Dakota,Mazie Hirono ofHawaii,Elizabeth Warren ofMassachusetts, and RepublicanDeb Fischer ofNebraska. Hirono was the first Asian-American woman and first Buddhist in the Senate, and Baldwin was the first openly gay person in the Senate.
In 2014,Joni Ernst was elected as the first female combat veteran to serve in the Senate. In 2016,Catherine Cortez Masto was elected as the first Latina senator, whileTammy Duckworth was elected as the first female double amputee in the Senate.[12] In a June 2016 primary election, as a result of California's recent establishment of thetop-two primary,Attorney General of CaliforniaKamala Harris and U.S. RepresentativeLoretta Sanchez became the first women of the same party to advance to a Senate general election. In November 2016, Harris became the first woman to defeat a woman of the same party in a Senate general election.
In2016, Hillary Clinton became the first former female senator to win a major party's nomination for President of the United States. Despite winning a plurality of the popular vote, she ultimately lost toDonald Trump.
Starting in 2017, United States SenatorsJeanne Shaheen andMaggie Hassan ofNew Hampshire, have held the distinction of being the first and second women elected as both the governor of a state and a United States senator from a state; both served asGovernor of New Hampshire before their time in the Senate. Additionally, in 2024, former U.S. SenatorKelly Ayotte was elected Governor of New Hampshire, becoming the third woman and first Republican woman to hold this distinction.
In 2018,Kyrsten Sinema defeatedMartha McSally, becomingArizona's first female senator, as well as the first openly bisexual senator from any state. Two weeks later, Arizona GovernorDoug Ducey announced that he would appoint McSally to Arizona's other Senate seat, which was becoming vacant with the resignation ofJon Kyl, who was appointed earlier in the year following the death ofJohn McCain. Sinema and McSally have been the only concurrently serving female senators to have previously faced off against each other in a Senate election. McSally's appointment from the Senate ended in December 2020 after losing that year's special election to DemocratMark Kelly.
Also in 2018,Jacky Rosen made political history as the first female one-term outgoing U.S. representative ever elected to the Senate.[13]
In 2023, Patty Murray became the first woman to serve aspresident pro tempore, a role traditionally given to the most senior member of the majority party in the United States Senate. Dianne Feinstein was the most senior Democratic senator but declined to serve. This made Murray the third personin line to become president, after thevice president and theSpeaker of the House.[14]
As of 2025, 64 women have served in the United States Senate since its establishment in 1789.[15] Cumulatively, 39 female U.S. senators have been Democrats, while 26 have been Republicans and one is an independent. As of 2023, no female U.S. senator has ever won election to the House after her Senate term, resigned from a state governorship for the purpose of a Senate appointment by her successor, also won election as an independent or to represent more than one state in non-consecutive elections, served both seats of a state at different times, or represented athird party in her career. In December 2022, Senator Kyrsten Sinema became the first female senator to switch her party affiliation while in office. In September 2023, Senator Dianne Feinstein became the first female senator to die in office.
Some female U.S. senators have later run for U.S. president or vice president (seelist of female United States presidential and vice presidential candidates). In 2020,Kamala Harris became the first female senator, current or former, to win hervice presidential election bid and become the first femalePresident of the United States Senate.
Women are much less likely than men to decide to run for election, despite generally having the same chances of winning elections as male counterparts. Research by Jennifer Lawless and Richard Fox shine light on a few possible reasons. Women report much less enthusiasm for the motions of campaigning (such as fundraising or attending rallies) than men. They are more likely than men to decide not to campaign based on lack of resources. They are also much more likely than men to view themselves as lacking credentials, and time (even women with full-time jobs report spending more time on household chores than men). Finally, they are more likely than men to view races as competitive.[16]
Before 2001, a plurality of women joined the U.S. Senate through appointment following the death or resignation of a husband or father who previously held the seat. An example isMuriel Humphrey (D-MN), the widow of former senator andVice PresidentHubert Humphrey; she was appointed to fill his seat until a special election was held (in which she did not run). However, with the election of three women in 2000, the balance shifted; more women have now entered service as a senator by winning elections than by being appointed.[citation needed]
Recent examples of selection includeJean Carnahan andLisa Murkowski. In2000,Jean Carnahan (D-MO) was appointed to fill the Senate seat won by her recently deceased husband,Mel Carnahan, who was killed in a plane crash a month before the election. Carnahan, even though dead, defeated the incumbent senator,John Ashcroft. Carnahan's widow was named to fill his seat byGovernor of MissouriRoger Wilson until a special election was held. However, she lost the subsequent2002 special election to fill out the rest of the six-year term. In 2002, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was appointed by her fatherGovernor of AlaskaFrank Murkowski, who had resigned from the Senate to become governor, to serve the remaining two years of his term. Lisa Murkowski defeated former governor Tony Knowles in her election bid in2004.
Two recent members of the Senate brought with them a combination of name recognition resulting from the political careers of their famous husbands and their own substantial experience in public affairs. The first, former senatorElizabeth Dole (R-NC), was married to formerSenate Majority Leader and 1996 Republican presidential candidateBob Dole (R-KS) and served asUnited States Secretary of Transportation under PresidentRonald Reagan andSecretary of Labor under PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush; she later ran a losing bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000. The other, former senatorHillary Clinton (D-NY), wife of former presidentBill Clinton, wasFirst Lady of the United States and First Lady of Arkansas before taking her seat in 2000. She too ran anunsuccessful campaign for her party's presidential nomination in 2008; she resigned in 2009 to become thesecretary of state for the eventual victor of that election,Barack Obama. In 2016, she ran asuccessful campaign for her party's presidential nomination, eventually losing in the general election to Republican nomineeDonald Trump.
The first female senator whose husband did not serve while she was serving or was unmarried wasNancy Kassebaum (R-KS), the daughter of former Kansas governor and one-time presidential candidateAlf Landon. After retiring from the Senate, she married former senatorHoward Baker (R-TN). Kassebaum has the distinction of being the first female elected senator who did not succeed her husband in Congress (Margaret Chase Smith was only elected to the Senate after succeeding her husband to his House seat).
Among the women elected or appointed in Senate history, by stature,Barbara Boxer (D-CA) andBarbara Mikulski (D-MD) are the shortest, at 4 feet 11 inches (1.50 m), whereasKelly Loeffler (R-GA) is the tallest, at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m).[17][18][19]
| Portrait | Name (lifespan) | State | Term | Entered by | Left for | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term start | Term end | Length of service (days) | ||||||
 | Rebecca Felton (1835–1930)[n 3] |  Georgia | November 21, 1922 | November 22, 1922 | 1 (1 day) | Appointment byThomas W. Hardwick | Appointment ended | Democratic |
_(cropped).jpg) | Hattie Caraway (1878–1950)[n 4] |  Arkansas | November 13, 1931 | January 3, 1945 | 4,800 (13 years, 51 days) | Appointment byHarvey Parnell | Lost renomination | Democratic |
 | Rose Long (1892–1970)[n 5] |  Louisiana | January 31, 1936 | January 3, 1937 | 338 (338 days) | Appointment byJames Noe | Retired | Democratic |
.jpg) | Dixie Graves (1882–1965) |  Alabama | August 20, 1937 | January 10, 1938 | 143 (143 days) | Appointment byBibb Graves | Appointment ended | Democratic |
 | Gladys Pyle (1890–1989) |  South Dakota | November 9, 1938 | January 3, 1939 | 55 (55 days) | Special election | Retired | Republican |
.jpg) | Vera C. Bushfield (1889–1976)[n 6] | October 6, 1948 | December 26, 1948 | 81 (81 days) | Appointment byGeorge Mickelson | Appointment ended | Republican | |
 | Margaret Chase Smith (1897–1995) |  Maine | January 3, 1949 | January 3, 1973 | 8,766 (24 years, 0 days) | Election | Lost reelection | Republican |
.jpg) | Eva Bowring (1892–1985) |  Nebraska | April 16, 1954 | November 7, 1954 | 205 (205 days) | Appointment byRobert B. Crosby | Appointment ended | Republican |
.jpg) | Hazel Abel (1888–1966) | November 8, 1954 | December 31, 1954 | 53 (53 days) | Special election | Retired and resigned early[n 7] | Republican | |
 | Maurine Neuberger (1907–2000)[n 8] |  Oregon | November 9, 1960 | January 3, 1967 | 2,246 (6 years, 55 days) | Special election | Retired | Democratic |
.jpg) | Elaine Edwards (1929–2018) | Louisiana | August 1, 1972 | November 13, 1972 | 104 (104 days) | Appointment byEdwin Edwards | Appointment ended | Democratic |
.jpg) | Muriel Humphrey (1912–1998)[n 9] |  Minnesota | January 25, 1978 | November 7, 1978 | 286 (286 days) | Appointment byRudy Perpich | Democratic | |
.jpg) | Maryon Allen (1925–2018)[n 10] | Alabama | June 8, 1978 | 152 (152 days) | Appointment byGeorge Wallace | Lost nomination to finish term | Democratic | |
 | Nancy Kassebaum (born 1932) |  Kansas | December 23, 1978 | January 3, 1997 | 6,586 (18 years, 11 days) | Election[n 11] | Retired | Republican |
 | Paula Hawkins (1927–2009) |  Florida | January 1, 1981 | January 3, 1987 | 2,193 (6 years, 2 days) | Election[n 11] | Lost reelection | Republican |
 | Barbara Mikulski (born 1936) |  Maryland | January 3, 1987 | January 3, 2017 | 10,959 (30 years, 0 days) | Election | Retired | Democratic |
 | Jocelyn Burdick (1922–2019)[n 12] |  North Dakota | September 12, 1992 | December 14, 1992 | 93 (93 days) | Appointment byGeorge Sinner | Appointment ended | Democratic–NPL |
 | Dianne Feinstein (1933–2023)[n 13] |  California | November 4, 1992 | September 29, 2023 | 11,286 (30 years, 329 days) | Special election | Died in office | Democratic |
 | Barbara Boxer (born 1940) | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 2017 | 8,767 (24 years, 0 days) | Election | Retired | Democratic | |
 | Carol Moseley-Braun (born 1947)[n 14] |  Illinois | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 1999 | 2,191 (6 years, 0 days) | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic |
 | Patty Murray (born 1950) |  Washington | January 3, 1993 | present | 12,014 (32 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
 | Kay Hutchison (born 1943) |  Texas | June 14, 1993 | January 3, 2013 | 7,143 (19 years, 203 days) | Special election | Retired | Republican |
 | Olympia Snowe (born 1947) | Maine | January 3, 1995 | 6,576 (18 years, 0 days) | Election | Republican | ||
.jpg) | Sheila Frahm (born 1945) | Kansas | June 11, 1996 | November 6, 1996 | 148 (148 days) | Appointment byBill Graves | Lost nomination to finish term | Republican |
.jpg) | Susan Collins (born 1952) | Maine | January 3, 1997 | present | 10,553 (28 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Republican |
 | Mary Landrieu (born 1955) |  Louisiana | January 3, 1997 | January 3, 2015 | 6,575 (18 years, 0 days) | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic |
 | Blanche Lincoln (born 1960)[n 15] | Arkansas | January 3, 1999 | January 3, 2011 | 4,383 (12 years, 0 days) | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic |
 | Maria Cantwell (born 1958) | Washington | January 3, 2001 | present | 9,092 (24 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
 | Jean Carnahan (1933–2024) |  Missouri | January 3, 2001 | November 23, 2002 | 689 (1 year, 324 days) | Appointment byRoger B. Wilson | Lost election to finish term | Democratic |
 | Hillary Clinton (born 1947) |  New York | January 21, 2009 | 2,940 (8 years, 18 days) | Election | Resigned to becomeUnited States Secretary of State | Democratic | |
 | Debbie Stabenow (born 1950) |  Michigan | January 3, 2025 | 8,766 (24 years, 0 days) | Election | Retired | Democratic | |
.jpg) | Lisa Murkowski (born 1957)[n 16] |  Alaska | December 20, 2002 | present | 8,376 (22 years, 340 days) | Appointment byFrank Murkowski | Incumbent | Republican |
 | Elizabeth Dole (born 1936)[n 17] |  North Carolina | January 3, 2003 | January 3, 2009 | 2,192 (6 years, 0 days) | Election | Lost reelection[n 18] | Republican |
.jpg) | Amy Klobuchar (born 1960) |  Minnesota | January 3, 2007 | present | 6,901 (18 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
 | Claire McCaskill (born 1953) | Missouri | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2019 | 4,383 (12 years, 0 days) | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic |
 | Jeanne Shaheen (born 1947) |  New Hampshire | January 3, 2009 | present | 6,170 (16 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
.jpg) | Kay Hagan (1953–2019) | North Carolina | January 3, 2009 | January 3, 2015 | 2,191 (6 years, 0 days) | Election[n 18] | Lost reelection | Democratic |
.jpg) | Kirsten Gillibrand (born 1966) | New York | January 26, 2009 | present | 6,147 (16 years, 303 days) | Appointment byDavid Paterson | Incumbent | Democratic |
.jpg) | Kelly Ayotte (born 1968) | New Hampshire | January 3, 2011 | January 3, 2017 | 2,192 (6 years, 0 days) | Election | Lost reelection | Republican |
.jpg) | Tammy Baldwin (born 1962)[n 19] |  Wisconsin | January 3, 2013 | present | 4,709 (12 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
%2c_official_portrait%2c_118th_United_States_Congress_(cropped).jpg) | Deb Fischer (born 1951) | Nebraska | 4,709 (12 years, 326 days) | Election | Republican | |||
.jpg) | Heidi Heitkamp (born 1955) | North Dakota | January 3, 2013 | January 3, 2019 | 2,191 (6 years, 0 days) | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic–NPL |
.jpg) | Mazie Hirono (born 1947)[n 20] |  Hawaii | January 3, 2013 | present | 4,709 (12 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
.jpg) | Elizabeth Warren (born 1949) |  Massachusetts | 4,709 (12 years, 326 days) | Election | Democratic | |||
.jpg) | Joni Ernst (born 1970) |  Iowa | January 3, 2015 | 3,979 (10 years, 326 days) | Election | Republican | ||
.jpg) | Shelley Moore Capito (born 1953) |  West Virginia | 3,979 (10 years, 326 days) | Election | Republican | |||
 | Catherine Cortez Masto (born 1964)[n 21] |  Nevada | January 3, 2017 | 3,248 (8 years, 326 days) | Election | Democratic | ||
.jpg) | Tammy Duckworth (born 1968)[n 22] | Illinois | 3,248 (8 years, 326 days) | Election | Democratic | |||
 | Kamala Harris (born 1964)[n 23] | California | January 3, 2017 | January 18, 2021 | 1,476 (4 years, 15 days) | Election | Resigned to becomeVice President of the United States | Democratic |
.jpg) | Maggie Hassan (born 1958) | New Hampshire | January 3, 2017 | present | 3,248 (8 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
.jpg) | Tina Smith (born 1958) | Minnesota | January 3, 2018 | 2,883 (7 years, 326 days) | Appointment byMark Dayton | Democratic | ||
.jpg) | Cindy Hyde-Smith (born 1959) |  Mississippi | April 2, 2018 | 2,794 (7 years, 237 days) | Appointment byPhil Bryant | Republican | ||
_official_headshot_-_116th_Congress_(Cropped).jpg) | Marsha Blackburn (born 1952)[n 24] |  Tennessee | January 3, 2019 | 2,518 (6 years, 326 days) | Election | Republican | ||
.jpg) | Kyrsten Sinema (born 1976) |  Arizona | January 3, 2019 | January 3, 2025 | 2,192 (6 years, 0 days) | Election | Retired | Democratic (2019–2022) |
| Independent (2022–2025)[n 25] | ||||||||
.jpg) | Martha McSally (born 1966) | December 2, 2020 | 699 (1 year, 334 days) | Appointment byDoug Ducey | Lost election to finish term | Republican | ||
 | Jacky Rosen (born 1957) | Nevada | January 3, 2019 | present | 2,518 (6 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
.jpg) | Kelly Loeffler (born 1970) |  Georgia | January 6, 2020 | January 20, 2021 | 380 (1 year, 14 days) | Appointment byBrian Kemp | Lost election to finish term | Republican |
.jpg) | Cynthia Lummis (born 1954) |  Wyoming | January 3, 2021 | present | 1,787 (4 years, 326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Republican |
.jpg) | Katie Britt (born 1982) | Alabama | January 3, 2023 | 1,057 (2 years, 326 days) | Election | Republican | ||
.jpg) | Laphonza Butler (born 1979)[n 26] | California | October 1, 2023 | December 8, 2024 | 434 (1 year, 68 days) | Appointment byGavin Newsom | Appointment ended | Democratic |
.jpg) | Angela Alsobrooks (born 1971) | Maryland | January 3, 2025 | present | 326 (326 days) | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
.jpg) | Lisa Blunt Rochester (born 1962) |  Delaware | 326 (326 days) | Election | Democratic | |||
.jpg) | Elissa Slotkin (born 1976) | Michigan | 326 (326 days) | Election | Democratic | |||
.jpg) | Ashley Moody (born 1975) | Florida | January 21, 2025 | 308 (308 days) | Appointment byRon DeSantis | Republican | ||
There are 26 women currently serving in the United States Senate. This is the highest number of women to have served concurrently in U.S. Senate history. Sixteen are Democrats and ten are Republicans.
The record was first achieved in January 2020 whenKelly Loeffler was appointed to the Senate from Georgia, increasing the number of women in the Senate from 25 to 26. The number fell back to 25 on December 2 of the same year whenMartha McSally's appointment ended after she lost an election to finishJohn McCain's unexpired term. The record of 26 was reached again on January 3, 2021, whenCynthia Lummis, the first female senator from Wyoming, began her term. The record was sustained for only 15 days, as the number of concurrently serving women dropped again to 25 whenKamala Harris resigned her Senate seat on January 18 in anticipation of the scheduled commencement of her term as vice president (and thus president of the Senate) on January 20.
The record of 26 concurrently serving women was reached a third time on January 21, 2025, whenAshley Moody was appointed to the Senate from Florida (seethe histograph of the number of female Senators).
As of January 2025, four states: (Minnesota,Nevada,New Hampshire, andWashington) are represented by two female U.S. senators (seeappropriate section).
11 of the women currently serving in the Senate have previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives: Senators Cantwell, Gillibrand, Baldwin, Hirono, Moore Capito, Duckworth, Rosen, Blackburn, Lummis, Blunt Rochester, and Slotkin.
34 states have been represented by female senators. As of January 21, 2025, 22 states are represented by female senators.
Note: In the graph below, entry dates refer to the date the senator was sworn in, not the date of the appointment, or election.
Democratic Party · Republican Party · Independent
| Starting | Total | Graph | Event | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 1789 | 0 |  Beginning of the1st United States Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 21, 1922 | 1 |  Rebecca Felton appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 22, 1922 | 0 |  End of Rebecca Felton's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 9, 1931 | 1 | Hattie Caraway appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 31, 1936 | 2 | Rose Long appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1937 | 1 | Rose Long retires | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 20, 1937 | 2 | Dixie Graves appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 10, 1938 | 1 | End of Dixie Graves's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 9, 1938 | 2 | Gladys Pyle begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1939 | 1 | Gladys Pyle retires | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1945 | 0 | Hattie Caraway ends service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 6, 1948 | 1 | Vera C. Bushfield appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 27, 1948 | 0 | End of Vera C. Bushfield's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1949 | 1 | Margaret Chase Smith begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| April 16, 1954 | 2 | Eva Bowring appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 7, 1954 | 1 | End of Eva Bowring's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 8, 1954 | 2 | Hazel Abel begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 31, 1954 | 1 | Hazel Abel retires | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 9, 1960 | 2 | Maurine Neuberger begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1967 | 1 | Maurine Neuberger retires | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 1, 1972 | 2 | Elaine Edwards appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 13, 1972 | 1 | End of Elaine Edwards's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1973 | 0 | Margaret Chase Smith ends service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 25, 1978 | 1 | Muriel Humphrey appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 8, 1978 | 2 | Maryon Allen appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 7, 1978 | 0 | End of Muriel Humphrey's and Maryon Allen's appointments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 23, 1978 | 1 | Nancy Kassebaum begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 1, 1981 | 2 | Paula Hawkins begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1987 | 2 | Barbara Mikulski begins service; Paula Hawkins ends service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 16, 1992 | 3 | Jocelyn Burdick appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 4, 1992 | 4 | Dianne Feinstein begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 14, 1992 | 3 | End of Jocelyn Burdick's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1993 | 6 | Barbara Boxer,Carol Moseley Braun, andPatty Murray begin service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 14, 1993 | 7 | Kay Hutchison begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1995 | 8 | Olympia Snowe begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| June 11, 1996 | 9 | Sheila Frahm appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 6, 1996 | 8 | End of Sheila Frahm's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 1997 | 9 | Susan Collins andMary Landrieu begin service; Nancy Kassebaum retires | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2001 | 13 | Maria Cantwell,Hillary Clinton, andDebbie Stabenow begin service;Jean Carnahan appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 23, 2002 | 12 | End of Jean Carnahan's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 20, 2002 | 13 | Lisa Murkowski appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2003 | 14 | Elizabeth Dole begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2007 | 16 | Amy Klobuchar andClaire McCaskill begin service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2009 | 17 | Jeanne Shaheen andKay Hagan begin service; Elizabeth Dole ends service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 21, 2009 | 16 | Hillary Clinton resigns | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 26, 2009 | 17 | Kirsten Gillibrand appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2011 | 17 | Kelly Ayotte begins service;Blanche Lincoln ends service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2013 | 20 | Tammy Baldwin,Deb Fischer,Heidi Heitkamp,Mazie Hirono, andElizabeth Warren begin service; Kay Hutchison and Olympia Snowe retire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2015 | 20 | Shelley Moore Capito andJoni Ernst begin service; Kay Hagan and Mary Landrieu end service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2017 | 21 | Catherine Cortez Masto,Tammy Duckworth,Kamala Harris, andMaggie Hassan begin service; Barbara Boxer and Barbara Mikulski retire; Kelly Ayotte ends service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2018 | 22 | Tina Smith appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| April 9, 2018 | 23 | Cindy Hyde Smith appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2019 | 25 | Marsha Blackburn,Kyrsten Sinema, andJacky Rosen begin service;Martha McSally appointed; Heidi Heitkamp and Claire McCaskill end service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 6, 2020 | 26 | Kelly Loeffler appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 2, 2020 | 25 | End of Martha McSally's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2021 | 26 | Cynthia Lummis begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 18, 2021 | 25 | Kamala Harris resigns | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 20, 2021 | 24 | End of Kelly Loeffler's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 9, 2022 | 24 | Kyrsten Sinema party change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2023 | 25 | Katie Britt begins service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| September 29, 2023 | 24 | Death of Dianne Feinstein | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 3, 2023 | 25 | Laphonza Butler appointed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 8, 2024 | 24 | End of Laphonza Butler's appointment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 3, 2025 | 25 | Angela Alsobrooks,Lisa Blunt Rochester, andElissa Slotkin begin service; Debbie Stabenow and Kyrsten Sinema retire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 21, 2025 | 26 | Ashley Moody appointed |
On January 3, 2019, Arizona's Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally became the first women from the same state to start serving in the Senate on the same date.
| State | Start date | End date | Duration | Senior senator | Junior senator | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | January 3, 1993 | January 18, 2021 | 10,242 days (28 years, 15 days) | Dianne Feinstein (D) | Barbara Boxer (D) (January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2017), 8,766 days (24 years, 0 days) | ||
| Kamala Harris (D) (January 3, 2017 – January 18, 2021), 1,476 days (4 years, 15 days) | |||||||
| Kansas | June 11, 1996 | November 6, 1996 | 148 days | Nancy Kassebaum (R) | Sheila Frahm (R) | ||
| Maine | January 3, 1997 | January 3, 2013 | 5,844 days (16 years, 0 days) | Olympia Snowe (R) | Susan Collins (R) | ||
| Washington | January 3, 2001 | Present | 9,092 days (24 years, 326 days) | Patty Murray (D) | Maria Cantwell (D) | ||
| New Hampshire | January 3, 2011 | Present | 5,440 days (14 years, 326 days) | Jeanne Shaheen (D) | Kelly Ayotte (R) (January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017), 2,192 days (6 years, 0 days) | ||
| Maggie Hassan (D) (January 3, 2017–present), 3,248 days (8 years, 326 days) | |||||||
| Minnesota | January 3, 2018 | Present | 2,883 days (7 years, 326 days) | Amy Klobuchar (DFL) | Tina Smith (DFL) | ||
| Nevada | January 3, 2019 | Present | 2,518 days (6 years, 326 days) | Catherine Cortez Masto (D) | Jacky Rosen (D) | ||
| Arizona | January 3, 2019 | December 2, 2020 | 699 days (1 year, 334 days) | Kyrsten Sinema (D) | Martha McSally (R) | ||
Incumbent senators (at the time of the election in question) are in bold.
On April 9, 2018,Tammy Duckworth, at age 50, gave birth to her daughter Maile Pearl, becoming the first sitting senator to give birth.[20] Shortly thereafter, the Senate's rules were changed to allow senators to bring with them to the Senate floor children under one year of age during votes, as well as explicitly allowbreastfeeding.[21] The day after those rules were changed, Maile became the first baby on the Senate floor when Duckworth brought her.[21][22]
A skinny 5-foot-11, her nickname on the court was NBC — 'Newborn Calf.'