# Women in the United States Senate

There have been 60 **women in the United States Senate** since it started in 1789.

Rebecca Felton was the first. She was in the Senate for one day in 1922. Hattie Caraway was the first woman elected to the Senate in 1932.

As of October 3, 2023, there are 25 women Senators out of 100. The largest number of women Senators at one time was 26, in 2020 and 2021.

## Women in the Senate now (as of 2023)

| Class | State | Name | Party | Prior experience | First took office | Born |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 | Alabama | Katie Britt | Republican | CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, chief of staff to predecessor Richard Shelby | 2023 | 1982 |
| 3 | Alaska | Lisa Murkowski | Republican | Alaska House of Representatives | 2002 | 1957 |
| 1 | Arizona | Kyrsten Sinema | Independent | Arizona House of Representatives, Arizona Senate, U.S. House of Representatives | 2019 | 1976 |
| 1 | California | Laphonza Butler | Democratic | Member of the Board of Regents of the University of California, President of EMILY's List | 2023 | 1979 |
| 1 | Hawaii | Mazie Hirono | Democratic | Hawaii House of Representatives, Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, gubernatorial nominee, U.S. House of Representatives | 2013 | 1947 |
| 3 | Illinois | Tammy Duckworth | Democratic | U.S. House of Representatives | 2017 | 1968 |
| 2 | Iowa | Joni Ernst | Republican | Montgomery County Auditor, Iowa Senate | 2015 | 1970 |
| 2 | Maine | Susan Collins | Republican | Massachusetts Deputy Treasurer, gubernatorial nominee | 1997 | 1952 |
| 1 | Massachusetts | Elizabeth Warren | Democratic | Special Advisor to the President for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | 2013 | 1949 |
| 1 | Michigan | Debbie Stabenow | Democratic | Michigan House of Representatives, Michigan Senate, U.S. House of Representatives | 2001 | 1950 |
| 1 | Minnesota | Amy Klobuchar | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | Hennepin County Attorney | 2007 | 1960 |
| 2 | Minnesota | Tina Smith | Democratic-Farmer-Labor | Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota | 2018 | 1958 |
| 2 | Mississippi | Cindy Hyde-Smith | Republican | Mississippi Senate, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce | 2018 | 1959 |
| 1 | Nebraska | Deb Fischer | Republican | Nebraska Legislature | 2013 | 1951 |
| 3 | Nevada | Catherine Cortez Masto | Democratic | Nevada Attorney General | 2017 | 1964 |
| 1 | Nevada | Jacky Rosen | Democratic | U.S. House of Representatives | 2019 | 1957 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | Jeanne Shaheen | Democratic | New Hampshire Senate, Governor of New Hampshire | 2009 | 1947 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | Maggie Hassan | Democratic | New Hampshire Senate, Governor of New Hampshire | 2017 | 1958 |
| 1 | New York | Kirsten Gillibrand | Democratic | U.S. House of Representatives | 2009 | 1966 |
| 1 | Tennessee | Marsha Blackburn | Republican | Tennessee Senate, U.S. House of Representatives | 2019 | 1952 |
| 3 | Washington | Patty Murray | Democratic | Washington Senate | 1993 | 1950 |
| 1 | Washington | Maria Cantwell | Democratic | Washington House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives | 2001 | 1958 |
| 2 | West Virginia | Shelley Moore Capito | Republican | West Virginia House of Delegates, U.S. House of Representatives | 2015 | 1953 |
| 1 | Wisconsin | Tammy Baldwin | Democratic | Wisconsin State Assembly, U.S. House of Representatives | 2013 | 1962 |
| 2 | Wyoming | Cynthia Lummis | Republican | Wyoming House of Representatives, Wyoming Senate, Wyoming Treasurer, U.S. House of Representatives | 2021 | 1954 |

## All women senators

| Image | Name (lifespan) | State | Term start | Term end | Length of service (days) | Entered by | Left for | Party |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Rebecca Felton (1835–1930) | Georgia | November 21, 1922 | November 22, 1922 | 1 | Appointment | Appointment ended | Democratic |
|  | Hattie Caraway (1878–1950) | Arkansas | December 9, 1931 | January 3, 1945 | 4,774 | Appointment | Lost renomination | Democratic |
|  | Rose Long (1892–1970) | Louisiana | January 31, 1936 | January 3, 1937 | 337 | Appointment | Appointment ended | Democratic |
|  | Dixie Graves (1882–1965) | Alabama | August 20, 1937 | January 10, 1938 | 143 | Appointment | Appointment ended | Democratic |
|  | Gladys Pyle (1890–1989) | South Dakota | November 9, 1938 | January 3, 1939 | 55 | Special election | Retired | Republican |
|  | Vera C. Bushfield (1889–1976) | South Dakota | October 6, 1948 | December 26, 1948 | 81 | Appointment | Appointment ended | Republican |
|  | Margaret C. Smith (1897–1995) | Maine | January 3, 1949 | January 3, 1973 | 8,766 | Election | Lost reelection | Republican |
|  | Eva Bowring (1892–1985) | Nebraska | April 16, 1954 | November 7, 1954 | 205 | Appointment | Appointment ended | Republican |
|  | Hazel Abel (1888–1966) | Nebraska | November 8, 1954 | December 31, 1954 | 53 | Special election | Retired and resigned early | Republican |
|  | Maurine Neuberger (1907–2000) | Oregon | November 9, 1960 | January 3, 1967 | 2,246 | Special election | Retired | Democratic |
|  | Elaine Edwards (1929–2018) | Louisiana | August 1, 1972 | November 13, 1972 | 104 | Appointment | Appointment ended | Democratic |
|  | Muriel Humphrey (1912–1998) | Minnesota | January 25, 1978 | November 7, 1978 | 286 | Appointment | Appointment ended | Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
|  | Maryon Allen (1925–2018) | Alabama | June 8, 1978 | November 7, 1978 | 152 | Appointment | Lost nomination to finish term | Democratic |
|  | Nancy Kassebaum (born 1932) | Kansas | December 23, 1978 | January 3, 1997 | 6,586 | Election | Retired | Republican |
|  | Paula Hawkins (1927–2009) | Florida | January 1, 1981 | January 3, 1987 | 2,193 | Election | Lost reelection | Republican |
|  | Barbara Mikulski (born 1936) | Maryland | January 3, 1987 | January 3, 2017 | 10,959 | Election | Retired | Democratic |
|  | Jocelyn Burdick (1922–2019) | North Dakota | September 16, 1992 | December 14, 1992 | 89 | Appointment | Appointment ended | Democratic |
|  | Dianne Feinstein (born 1933) | California | November 10, 1992 | September 29, 2023 | 11,285 | Special election | Died in office | Democratic |
|  | Barbara Boxer (born 1940) | California | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 2017 | 8,767 | Election | Retired | Democratic |
|  | Carol Moseley-Braun (born 1947) | Illinois | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 1999 | 2,191 | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic |
|  | Patty Murray (born 1950) | Washington | January 3, 1993 | present | 12,232 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Kay Hutchison (born 1943) | Texas | June 14, 1993 | January 3, 2013 | 7,143 | Special election | Retired | Republican |
|  | Olympia Snowe (born 1947) | Maine | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2013 | 6,576 | Election | Retired | Republican |
|  | Sheila Frahm (born 1945) | Kansas | June 11, 1996 | November 6, 1996 | 148 | Appointment | Lost nomination to finish term | Republican |
|  | Susan Collins (born 1952) | Maine | January 3, 1997 | present | 10,771 | Election | Incumbent | Republican |
|  | Mary Landrieu (born 1955) | Louisiana | January 3, 1997 | January 3, 2015 | 6,575 | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic |
|  | Blanche Lincoln (born 1960) | Arkansas | January 3, 1999 | January 3, 2011 | 4,383 | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic |
|  | Maria Cantwell (born 1958) | Washington | January 3, 2001 | present | 9,310 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Jean Carnahan (born 1933) | Missouri | January 3, 2001 | November 25, 2002 | 691 | Appointment | Lost election to finish term | Democratic |
|  | Hillary Clinton (born 1947) | New York | January 3, 2001 | January 21, 2009 | 2,940 | Election | Resigned to become United States Secretary of State | Democratic |
|  | Debbie Stabenow (born 1950) | Michigan | January 3, 2001 | present | 9,310 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Lisa Murkowski (born 1957) | Alaska | December 20, 2002 | present | 8,594 | Appointment | Incumbent | Republican |
|  | Elizabeth Dole (born 1936) | North Carolina | January 3, 2003 | January 3, 2009 | 2,192 | Election | Lost reelection | Republican |
|  | Amy Klobuchar (born 1960) | Minnesota | January 3, 2007 | present | 7,119 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
|  | Claire McCaskill (born 1953) | Missouri | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2019 | 4,383 | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic |
|  | Jeanne Shaheen (born 1947) | New Hampshire | January 3, 2009 | present | 6,388 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Kay Hagan (1953–2019) | North Carolina | January 3, 2009 | January 3, 2015 | 2,191 | Election | Lost reelection | Democratic |
|  | Kirsten Gillibrand (born 1966) | New York | January 26, 2009 | present | 6,365 | Appointment | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Kelly Ayotte (born 1968) | New Hampshire | January 3, 2011 | January 3, 2017 | 2,192 | Election | Lost reelection | Republican |
|  | Tammy Baldwin (born 1962) | Wisconsin | January 3, 2013 | present | 4,927 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Deb Fischer (born 1951) | Nebraska | January 3, 2013 | present | 4,927 | Election | Incumbent | Republican |
|  | Heidi Heitkamp (born 1955) | North Dakota | January 3, 2013 | January 9, 2013 | 2,191 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Mazie Hirono (born 1947) | Hawaii | January 3, 2013 | present | 4,927 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Elizabeth Warren (born 1949) | Massachusetts | January 3, 2013 | present | 4,927 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Joni Ernst (born 1970) | Iowa | January 3, 2015 | present | 4,197 | Election | Incumbent | Republican |
|  | Shelley Moore Capito (born 1953) | West Virginia | January 3, 2015 | present | 4,197 | Election | Incumbent | Republican |
|  | Catherine Cortez Masto (born 1964) | Nevada | January 3, 2017 | present | 3,466 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Tammy Duckworth (born 1968) | Illinois | January 3, 2017 | present | 3,466 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Kamala Harris (born 1964) | California | January 3, 2017 | January 18, 2021 | 2,395 | Election | Resigned to become Vice President of the United States | Democratic |
|  | Maggie Hassan (born 1958) | New Hampshire | January 3, 2017 | present | 3,466 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Tina Smith (born 1958) | Minnesota | January 3, 2018 | present | 3,101 | Appointment | Incumbent | Democratic-Farmer-Labor |
|  | Cindy Hyde-Smith (born 1959) | Mississippi | April 9, 2018 | present | 3,005 | Appointment | Incumbent | Republican |
|  | Marsha Blackburn (born 1952) | Tennessee | January 3, 2019 | present | 2,736 | Election | Incumbent | Republican |
|  | Kyrsten Sinema (born 1976) | Arizona | January 3, 2019 | present | 2,736 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic (2019–2022) |
| Independent (since 2022) |
|  | Martha McSally (born 1966) | Arizona | January 3, 2019 | December 2, 2020 | 699 | Appointment | Lost election to finish term | Republican |
|  | Jacky Rosen (born 1957) | Nevada | January 3, 2019 | present | 2,736 | Election | Incumbent | Democratic |
|  | Kelly Loeffler (born 1970) | Georgia | January 6, 2020 | January 20, 2021 | 380 | Appointment | Lost election to finish term | Republican |
|  | Cynthia Lummis (born 1954) | Wyoming | January 3, 2021 | present | 2,005 | Election | Incumbent | Republican |
|  | Katie Britt (born 1982) | Alabama | January 3, 2023 | present | 1,275 | Election | Incumbent | Republican |
|  | Laphonza Butler (born 1979) | California | October 3, 2023 | present | 1,002 | Appointment | Incumbent | Democratic |

## Other websites

* U.S. Senate History: Women in the Senate
* "Women in the U.S. Senate 1922–2010" Center for American Women and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
* Steinhauer, Jennifer (March 21, 2013). "Once Few, Women Hold More Power in Senate". The New York Times. Retrieved March 23, 2013.