Women in the United States House of Representatives

[6] Florence Prag Kahn entered the House of Representatives in 1925 as the first Jewish and thus non-Christian woman in either chamber of Congress.

[8] Patsy Mink, an Asian American, entered the House of Representatives in 1965 as the first woman of color in either chamber of Congress.

[17] Jo Ann Emerson entered the House of Representatives in 1997 as the first and, so far, only woman (re)elected as neither a Democrat nor a Republican from any state to either chamber of Congress.

Emerson received the Republican nomination for the unexpired term; however, the party slot for the regular election was already filled by another contender.

According to Missouri law, she was ineligible to run as a GOP candidate, so she sought reelection and won her first full term as an independent.

Tammy Baldwin, a lesbian, entered the House of Representatives in 1999 as the first openly LGBT woman in either chamber of Congress.

[27] Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War combat veteran, entered the House of Representatives in 2013 as the first woman with a disability in either chamber of Congress.

[29] Kyrsten Sinema also entered the House that same year as the first openly bisexual person in either chamber of Congress.

[41] Additionally, Republicans Michelle Steel and Young Kim, and Democrat Marilyn Strickland were the first Korean-American women elected.

[43] Mary Peltola entered the House of Representatives on September 13, 2022, after winning a special election on August 16, as the first Alaska Native person in either chamber of Congress.

[45] Representative Marcy Kaptur, who has served in the House since January 3, 1983, has the longest-serving tenure of any female member in the chamber's history.

[47] She went on to surpass the record previously held by Barbara Mikulski, who served in the House and Senate for a combined 40 years, thus making her the longest-serving woman in congressional history.

[51] Mae Nolan of California becomes the first woman elected to Congress to fill the vacant seat caused by the death of her husband in 1922, which is sometimes known as the widow's succession.

After entering the House of Representatives in 1925 to replace her late husband, she established herself as an effective legislator in her own right and would go on to win reelection five more times.

[b] One of the most prominent examples was Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, who served a total of 32 years in both the House and the Senate and been the first woman to do so.

[49][55] In 1965, Elizabeth Kee of West Virginia became the first woman who directly preceded her own child in any chamber of Congress; event occurred after she stepped down from the House and her son was elected to a vacant seat.

[56] Congresswomen Loretta and Linda Sánchez, both of California, served along each other from 2003 to 2017; making them the first pair of sisters elected to either chamber.

Great Seal of the United States House of Representatives
Great Seal of the United States House of Representatives
Sometimes called the "Lady of the House", Jeannette Rankin entered the House of Representatives in 1917 as the first woman in Congress.
Alice Mary Robertson became the first woman to preside over the House or either chamber of Congress in 1921. In addition, she was the first woman elected from the American South (Oklahoma) and the first woman to defeat an incumbent representative.
Nancy Pelosi , 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (2007–2011, 2019–2023), the only woman to hold the position.
Representative Marcy Kaptur , the longest serving woman in the chamber's history, has represented Ohio's 9th congressional district since 1983
Women U.S. representatives of the 113th Congress
Gender of the members of the House of Representatives.
Gender of the members of the House of Representatives.
The number of women who sought and won election to Congress in each election cycle from 1974 to 2018. [ 58 ] [ 59 ]
Showing the data tabulated above (as of the 117th Congress) as a graph.