Women have served in the United States House of Representatives since the 1917 entrance of Jeannette Rankin from Montana, a member of the Republican Party. 345 women have since served as U.S. Representatives and seven more women as non-voting delegates. As of January 3, 2021, there are 122 women in the U.S. House of Representatives (counting four female non-voting members), making women 27.2% of the total of U.S. Representatives. [1] Of the 352 women who have served in the House, 231 have been Democrats (including four from U.S. territories or the District of Columbia), and 121 have been Republicans (counting three from U.S. territories, including pre-statehood Hawaii). One woman has served in the highest office of the House, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi from California, a member of the Democratic Party.
Women have been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from 46 of the 50 states. The states that have not elected a woman to the U.S. House of Representatives are Alaska, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Vermont—though Alaska, Mississippi, and North Dakota have elected women to the United States Senate. Women have also been sent to Congress from 5 of the 6 territories of the United States; the only territory that has not sent a woman to the U.S. House of Representatives is the Northern Mariana Islands. California has elected more women to Congress than any other state, with 44 U.S. Representatives elected since 1923. To date, no woman who has served in the House has ever previously been a senator, been elected to represent more than one state in non-consecutive elections, switched parties, or served as a third party member in her career, though one was reelected as an Independent.
| State | Current Reps. | Previous Reps. | Total | US House Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| Alaska | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Arizona | 2 | 5 | 7 | 9 |
| Arkansas | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| California | 19 | 25 | 44 | 53 |
| Colorado | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| Delaware | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Florida | 7 | 13 | 20 | 27 |
| Georgia | 4 | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| Hawaii | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| Idaho | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Illinois | 5 | 13 | 18 | 18 |
| Indiana | 2 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Iowa | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Kansas | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Kentucky | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Louisiana | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Maine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Maryland | 0 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| Michigan | 6 | 7 | 13 | 14 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Mississippi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Missouri | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Montana | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Nebraska | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Nevada | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| New Jersey | 2 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| New York | 8 | 21 | 29 | 27 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 4 | 8 | 13 |
| North Dakota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ohio | 2 | 8 | 10 | 16 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Oregon | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | 6 | 10 | 18 |
| Rhode Island | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| South Dakota | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| Texas | 7 | 3 | 10 | 36 |
| Utah | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Vermont | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Virginia | 3 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| Washington | 6 | 5 | 11 | 10 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Number of women in both houses of the United States Congress (1917–2023): [2] [3]
| Congress | Years | in Congress | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65th | 1917–1919 | 1 | 0.2% |
| 66th | 1919–1921 | 0 | 0% |
| 67th | 1921–1923 | 4 | 0.7% |
| 68th | 1923–1925 | 1 | 0.2% |
| 69th | 1925–1927 | 3 | 0.6% |
| 70th | 1927–1929 | 5 | 0.9% |
| 71st | 1929–1931 | 9 | 1.7% |
| 72nd | 1931–1933 | 8 | 1.5% |
| 73rd | 1933–1935 | 8 | 1.5% |
| 74th | 1935–1937 | 8 | 1.5% |
| 75th | 1937–1939 | 9 | 1.7% |
| 76th | 1939–1941 | 9 | 1.7% |
| 77th | 1941–1943 | 10 | 1.9% |
| 78th | 1943–1945 | 9 | 1.7% |
| 79th | 1945–1947 | 11 | 2.1% |
| 80th | 1947–1949 | 8 | 1.5% |
| 81st | 1949–1951 | 10 | 1.9% |
| 82nd | 1951–1953 | 11 | 2.1% |
| 83rd | 1953–1955 | 15 | 2.8% |
| 84th | 1955–1957 | 18 | 3.4% |
| 85th | 1957–1959 | 16 | 3.0% |
| 86th | 1959–1961 | 19 | 3.5% |
| 87th | 1961–1963 | 20 | 3.7% |
| 88th | 1963–1965 | 14 | 2.6% |
| 89th | 1965–1967 | 13 | 2.4% |
| 90th | 1967–1969 | 12 | 2.2% |
| 91st | 1969–1971 | 11 | 2.1% |
| 92nd | 1971–1973 | 15 | 2.8% |
| 93rd | 1973–1975 | 16 | 3.0% |
| 94th | 1975–1977 | 19 | 3.6% |
| 95th | 1977–1979 | 20 | 3.7% |
| 96th | 1979–1981 | 17 | 3.2% |
| 97th | 1981–1983 | 23 | 4.3% |
| 98th | 1983–1985 | 24 | 4.5% |
| 99th | 1985–1987 | 25 | 4.7% |
| 100th | 1987–1989 | 26 | 4.9% |
| 101st | 1989–1991 | 31 | 5.8% |
| 102nd | 1991–1993 | 33 | 6.2% |
| 103rd | 1993–1995 | 55 | 10.3% |
| 104th | 1995–1997 | 59 | 11.0% |
| 105th | 1997–1999 | 66 | 12.3% |
| 106th | 1999–2001 | 67 | 12.5% |
| 107th | 2001–2003 | 75 | 14.0% |
| 108th | 2003–2005 | 77 | 14.4% |
| 109th | 2005–2007 | 85 | 15.9% |
| 110th | 2007–2009 | 94 | 17.6% |
| 111th | 2009–2011 | 96 | 17.9% |
| 112th | 2011–2013 | 96 | 17.9% |
| 113th | 2013–2015 | 101 [4] | 19.1% |
| 114th | 2015–2017 | 104 | 19.4% |
| 115th | 2017–2019 | 104 | 19.4% |
| 116th | 2019–2021 | 127 | 23.7% |
| 117th | 2021–2023 | 144 | 26.7% |
Notes: "% of party" is taken from voting members at the beginning of the Congress, while numbers and "% of women" include all female House members of the given Congress
| Congress | Years | Women total | Republican | % of women | % of party | Democratic | % of women | % of party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65th | 1917–1919 | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 66th | 1919–1921 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 67th | 1921–1923 | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 68th | 1923–1925 | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 69th | 1925–1927 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% | 0.4% | 1 | 33.3% | 0.5% |
| 70th | 1927–1929 | 5 | 3 | 60.0% | 1.3% | 2 | 40.0% | 0.5% |
| 71st | 1929–1931 | 9 | 5 | 55.6% | 1.9% | 4 | 44.4% | 1.8% |
| 72nd | 1931–1933 | 7 | 3 | 42.9% | 1.4% | 4 | 57.1% | 1.4% |
| 73rd | 1933–1935 | 7 | 3 | 42.9% | 1.7% | 4 | 57.1% | 1.0% |
| 74th | 1935–1937 | 6 | 2 | 33.3% | 1.9% | 4 | 66.7% | 1.2% |
| 75th | 1937–1939 | 6 | 1 | 16.7% | 1.1% | 5 | 83.3% | 1.2% |
| 76th | 1939–1941 | 8 | 4 | 50.0% | 1.2% | 4 | 50.0% | 0.8% |
| 77th | 1941–1943 | 9 | 5 | 55.6% | 3.1% | 4 | 44.4% | 0.7% |
| 78th | 1943–1945 | 8 | 6 | 75.0% | 2.9% | 2 | 25.0% | 0.5% |
| 79th | 1945–1947 | 11 | 5 | 45.5% | 2.6% | 6 | 54.5% | 1.7% |
| 80th | 1947–1949 | 7 | 5 | 71.4% | 2.0% | 2 | 28.6% | 1.1% |
| 81st | 1949–1951 | 9 | 4 | 44.4% | 2.3% | 5 | 55.6% | 1.5% |
| 82nd | 1951–1953 | 10 | 6 | 60.0% | 3.0% | 4 | 40.0% | 0.9% |
| 83rd | 1953–1955 | 12 | 7 | 58.3% | 2.7% | 5 | 41.7% | 2.3% |
| 84th | 1955–1957 | 17 | 7 | 41.2% | 3.0% | 10 | 58.8% | 3.4% |
| 85th | 1957–1959 | 15 | 6 | 40.0% | 3.0% | 9 | 60.0% | 3.8% |
| 86th | 1959–1961 | 17 | 8 | 47.1% | 5.2% | 9 | 52.9% | 2.8% |
| 87th | 1961–1963 | 18 | 7 | 38.9% | 3.5% | 11 | 61.1% | 3.4% |
| 88th | 1963–1965 | 12 | 6 | 50.0% | 2.8% | 6 | 50.0% | 2.3% |
| 89th | 1965–1967 | 11 | 4 | 36.4% | 2.9% | 7 | 63.6% | 2.0% |
| 90th | 1967–1969 | 11 | 5 | 45.5% | 2.7% | 6 | 54.5% | 2.4% |
| 91st | 1969–1971 | 10 | 4 | 40.0% | 2.1% | 6 | 60.0% | 2.5% |
| 92nd | 1971–1973 | 13 | 3 | 23.1% | 1.1% | 10 | 76.9% | 3.5% |
| 93rd | 1973–1975 | 16 | 2 | 12.5% | 1.0% | 14 | 87.5% | 5.0% |
| 94th | 1975–1977 | 19 | 5 | 26.3% | 2.8% | 14 | 73.7% | 4.8% |
| 95th | 1977–1979 | 18 | 5 | 27.8% | 3.5% | 13 | 72.2% | 4.5% |
| 96th | 1979–1981 | 16 | 5 | 31.3% | 3.2% | 11 | 68.8% | 4.0% |
| 97th | 1981–1983 | 21 | 10 | 47.6% | 4.7% | 11 | 52.4% | 3.7% |
| 98th | 1983–1985 | 22 | 9 | 40.9% | 5.5% | 13 | 59.1% | 4.4% |
| 99th | 1985–1987 | 23 | 11 | 47.8% | 6.0% | 12 | 52.2% | 4.3% |
| 100th | 1987–1989 | 23 | 11 | 47.8% | 6.0% | 12 | 52.2% | 4.3% |
| 101st | 1989–1991 | 29 | 13 | 44.8% | 6.0% | 16 | 55.2% | 5.6% |
| 102nd | 1991–1993 | 30 | 9 | 30.0% | 5.5% | 21 | 70.0% | 7.0% |
| 103rd | 1993–1995 | 48 | 12 | 25.0% | 6.8% | 36 | 75.0% | 13.6% |
| 104th | 1995–1997 | 50 | 18 | 36.0% | 7.4% | 32 | 64.0% | 14.7% |
| 105th | 1997–1999 | 56 | 17 | 30.4% | 7.5% | 39 | 69.6% | 18.8% |
| 106th | 1999–2001 | 58 | 17 | 29.3% | 7.6% | 41 | 70.7% | 18.5% |
| 107th | 2001–2003 | 62 | 18 | 29.0% | 8.1% | 44 | 71.0% | 19.0% |
| 108th | 2003–2005 | 63 | 21 | 33.3% | 9.2% | 42 | 66.7% | 18.5% |
| 109th | 2005–2007 | 71 | 25 | 35.2% | 9.9% | 46 | 64.8% | 20.9% |
| 110th | 2007–2009 | 78 | 21 | 26.9% | 9.9% | 57 | 73.1% | 20.2% |
| 111th | 2009–2011 | 79 | 17 | 21.5% | 9.6% | 62 | 78.5% | 21.5% |
| 112th | 2011–2013 | 79 | 24 | 30.4% | 9.9% | 55 | 69.6% | 23.8% |
| 113th | 2013–2015 | 82 | 20 | 24.4% | 8.2% | 62 | 75.6% | 29.0% |
| 114th | 2015–2017 | 88 | 23 | 26.2% | 8.9% | 65 | 73.8% | 33.0% |
| 115th | 2017–2019 | 89 | 25 | 25.3% | 8.7% | 64 | 74.7% | 32.0% |
| 116th | 2019–2021 | 102 | 13 | 12.7% | 6.5% | 89 | 87.3% | 37.9% |
| 117th | 2021–2023 | 122 | 30 | 24.6% | 13.3% | 92 | 75.4% | 40.5% |
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