After the Year 2000 elections Washington State again topped the nation in percentages of women in elective office, a two-year record. Our percentage is 39.5 compared to 22.5 percent nationwide. Our state Senate sports 23 women to 26 men and our House of Representative totals are 35 women out of 98 members. The Senate majority caucus numbers 17 women to eight men. Of those members, Rosa Franklin of Tacoma, president pro tempore, is the first black woman to ever hold the office.
Women are leaders in many of the prestige committees, such as budget and transportation.
Christine Gregoire, our Attorney General and Terry Bergeson, our Superintendent of Public Instruction. They continue the task. If you haven't heard Gregoire's name or if you have, she was instrumental in the largest tobacco settlement ever between the industry and state attorneys general. Two Washington State U.S. senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, now take our issues to the nation's capital. On Cantwell's win she bacame the 13th female senator, another record.