# List of most senior women in the United States Congress

Seniority in both houses of the United States Congress is valuable as it confers a number of benefits and is based on length of continuous service, with ties broken by a series of factors. The following lists the most senior women in either or both houses of Congress, sometimes called the "dean of women" in either chamber.

## Synopsis

In the House, Edith Nourse Rogers, who served 35 years from 1925 to 1960 as one of the first women elected to Congress (and the first woman elected from Massachusetts), was the longest-serving female Representative upon her death in office in 1960. Her record was surpassed in 2018 by Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, who has served in the House since 1983.
In the Senate, Republican Margaret Chase Smith, who served for 23 years from 1949 to 1973 as a senator from Maine, was the longest-serving female Senator upon her retirement. Her record was surpassed in 2011 by Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, who served for 30 years from 1987 to 2017.
Across both houses of Congress, Rogers' 35 years of service from 1925 to 1960 was the longest for a female member when she died in office in 1960. Her record was surpassed in 2012 by Mikulski, who served a total of 40 years in Congress from 1977 to 2017 (10 years in the House of Representatives and 30 years in the Senate).
* Maxine Waters and Eleanor Holmes Norton, both inaugurated in 1991, are the longest-serving African-American women (and women of color) in the House.
* Patsy Mink, who was the dean of women in the House from 1997 to 2002, was the longest-serving Asian-American woman in the House (and Congress).
* Carol Moseley Braun is the longest-serving (and first) African-American woman (and woman of color) in the Senate.
* Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the longest-serving Hispanic or Latina American woman in the House.
* Edith Nourse Rogers is the longest-serving Republican woman in the House.
* Catherine Cortez Masto is the longest-serving Hispanic or Latina American woman in the Senate.
* Tammy Baldwin is the longest-serving LGBT woman in both the House and Senate.
* Nita Lowey is the longest-serving Jewish-American woman in the House.
* Dianne Feinstein is the longest-serving (and first) Jewish-American woman in the Senate.
* Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both inaugurated in 2019, are the first and longest-serving Muslim women in the House (and in Congress).

## Women of the House of Representatives

| Image | Name (lifespan) | Party | District | Entered the House | Became most senior woman | Tenure ended | Total Tenure | Tenure as Dean | Notes |
| | Jeannette Rankin (1880–1973) | Republican | Montana at-large | March 4, 1917 | Upon taking office | March 4, 1919 | 2 years, 0 days | 2 years, 0 days | First woman elected to a national office Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate election in Montana, 1918 Later served another two-year term from January 3, 1941 –January 3, 1943 |
| House vacant of women (March 4, 1919-March 4, 1921) |||||||||
| | Alice Robertson (1854–1931) | Republican | Oklahoma's 2nd | March 4, 1921 | Upon taking office | March 4, 1923 | 2 years, 0 days | 2 years, 0 days | First woman to defeat an incumbent congressman Lost reelection |
| | Mae Nolan (1886–1973) | Republican | California's 5th | January 23, 1923 | March 4, 1923 | March 4, 1925 | 2 years, 40 days | 2 years, 0 days | Succeeded her husband Retired |
| | Florence Kahn (1866–1948) | Republican | California's 4th | March 4, 1925 | Upon taking office | January 3, 1937 | 11 years, 305 days | 11 years, 305 days | First woman to be reelected First Jewish woman elected Succeeded her husband Lost reelection |
| | Mary Norton (1875–1959) | Democratic | New Jersey's 12th & 13th | March 4, 1925 | January 3, 1937 | January 3, 1951 | 25 years, 305 days | 14 years, 0 days | First Democratic woman elected First woman to chair a standing committee (House District of Columbia Committee) Redistricted Retired |
| | Edith Rogers (1881–1960) | Republican | Massachusetts's 5th | June 30, 1925 | January 3, 1951 | September 10, 1960 | 35 years, 72 days | 9 years, 251 days | Succeeded her husband First Chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee Second-longest serving woman in the House Died in office |
| | Frances P. Bolton (1885–1977) | Republican | Ohio's 22nd | February 27, 1940 | September 10, 1960 | January 3, 1969 | 28 years, 311 days | 8 years, 115 days | Succeeded her husband Lost reelection |
| | Leonor Sullivan (1902–1988) | Democratic | Missouri's 3rd | January 3, 1953 | January 3, 1969 | January 3, 1977 | 24 years, 0 days | 8 years, 0 days | Succeeded her husband (though not immediately) First woman Chair of the House Merchant Marine Committee Retired |
| | Margaret Heckler (1931–2018) | Republican | Massachusetts's 10th | January 3, 1967 | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 1983 | 16 years, 0 days | 6 years, 0 days | Lost reelection Later became United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and United States Ambassador to Ireland |
| | Marjorie Holt (1920–2018) | Republican | Maryland's 4th | January 3, 1973 | January 3, 1983 | January 3, 1987 | 14 years, 0 days | 4 years, 0 days | Retired |
| | Patricia Schroeder (1940–2023) | Democratic | Colorado's 1st | January 3, 1973 | January 3, 1987 | January 3, 1997 | 24 years, 0 days | 10 years, 0 days | Retired |
| | Patsy Mink (1927–2002) | Democratic | Hawaii's at-large & 2nd | January 3, 1965 | January 3, 1997 | January 3, 1977 | 24 years, 249 days | 5 years, 268 days | First woman of color elected Redistricted Ran for President of the United States in the Democratic Party presidential primaries, 1972 (Oregon only) First Asian American woman to run for President Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate election in Hawaii, 1976 Later became Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs First dean of color of women in Congress Died in office |
| | Patsy Mink (1927–2002) | Democratic | Hawaii's 2nd | September 22, 1990 | January 3, 1997 | September 28, 2002 | 24 years, 249 days | 5 years, 268 days | First woman of color elected Redistricted Ran for President of the United States in the Democratic Party presidential primaries, 1972 (Oregon only) First Asian American woman to run for President Retired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate election in Hawaii, 1976 Later became Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs First dean of color of women in Congress Died in office |
| | Marge Roukema (1929–2014) | Republican | New Jersey's 7th & 5th | January 3, 1981 | September 28, 2002 | January 3, 2003 | 22 years, 0 days | 97 days | Redistricted Retired |
| | Nancy Johnson (born 1935) | Republican | Connecticut's 6th & 5th | January 3, 1983 | January 3, 2003 | January 3, 2007 | 24 years, 0 days | 4 years, 0 days | Redistricted Lost reelection |
| | Marcy Kaptur (born 1946) | Democratic | Ohio's 9th | January 3, 1983 | January 3, 2007 | present | 42 years, 8 days | 18 years, 8 days | Current dean of women in Congress Longest-serving woman in the House Most senior female representative ever (#4 on the seniority list) |

## Women of the Senate

| Image | Name (lifespan) | Party | State | Entered the Senate | Became most senior woman | Tenure ended | Total Tenure | Tenure as Dean | Notes |
| | Rebecca Felton (1835–1930) | Democratic | Georgia | November 21, 1922 | Upon taking office | November 22, 1922 | 1 day | 1 day | First woman to serve in the Senate Appointment ended |
| Senate vacant of women (November 22, 1922–December 9, 1931) ||||||||||
| | Hattie Caraway (1878–1950) | Democratic | Arkansas | December 9, 1931 | Upon taking office | January 3, 1945 | 13 years, 25 days | 13 years, 25 days | First woman to win reelection to the Senate Lost renomination |
| Senate vacant of women (January 3, 1945–October 6, 1948) ||||||||||
| | Vera C. Bushfield (1889–1976) | Republican | South Dakota | October 6, 1948 | Upon taking office | December 26, 1948 | 81 days | 81 days | First Republican woman to serve in the Senate Appointment ended |
| Senate vacant of women (December 26, 1948–January 3, 1949) ||||||||||
| | Margaret C. Smith (1897–1995) | Republican | Maine | January 3, 1949 | Upon taking office | January 3, 1973 | 24 years, 0 days | 24 years, 0 days | Lost reelection |
| Senate vacant of women (January 3, 1973–January 25, 1978) ||||||||||
| | Muriel Humphrey (1912–1998) | Democratic | Minnesota | January 25, 1978 | Upon taking office | November 7, 1978 | 286 days | 286 days | Appointment ended |
| Senate vacant of women (November 7, 1978–December 23, 1978) ||||||||||
| | Nancy Kassebaum (born 1932) | Republican | Kansas | December 23, 1978 | Upon taking office | January 3, 1997 | 18 years, 11 days | 18 years, 11 days | Retired |
| | Barbara Mikulski (born 1936) | Democratic | Maryland | January 3, 1987 | January 3, 1997 | January 3, 2017 | 30 years, 0 days | 20 years, 0 days | Retired |
| | Dianne Feinstein (1933–2023) | Democratic | California | November 10, 1992 | January 3, 2017 | September 28, 2023 | 30 years, 322 days | 6 years, 268 days | Died in office |
| | Patty Murray (born 1950) | Democratic | Washington | January 3, 1993 | September 28, 2023 | present | 32 years, 8 days | 1 year, 105 days | Longest-serving woman in the Senate Most senior female senator ever (#3 on the seniority list) First female president pro tempore |

## Most senior by party
### House
#### Republican

* Jeannette Rankin
* Alice Mary Robertson
* Mae Nolan
* Florence Kahn
* Edith Nourse Rogers
* Frances P. Bolton
* Florence P. Dwyer
* Margaret Heckler
* Marjorie Holt
* Virginia D. Smith
* Olympia Snowe
* Marge Roukema
* Nancy Johnson
* Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
* Kay Granger
* Virginia Foxx (incumbent)

#### Democratic

* Mary Teresa Norton
* Reva Beck Bosone
* Edna F. Kelly
* Leonor Sullivan
* Shirley Chisholm
* Patricia Schroeder
* Patsy Mink
* Marcy Kaptur (incumbent)

### Senate
#### Republican

* Gladys Pyle
* Vera C. Bushfield
* Margaret Chase Smith
* Nancy Kassebaum
* Kay Hutchison
* Susan Collins (incumbent)

#### Democratic

* Rebecca Latimer Felton
* Hattie Caraway
* Maurine Neuberger
* Elaine Edwards
* Muriel Humphrey Brown
* Barbara Mikulski
* Dianne Feinstein
* Patty Murray (incumbent)