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State Fact Sheet - California

U.S. Congress   (Total Seats: 2 U.S. Senators, 53 U.S. Representatives)
Barbara Boxer (D)* U.S. Senator 1993-present
Dianne Feinstein (D)*1 U.S. Senator 1992-present
 
Janice Hahn (D)2 U.S. Representative 2011-present
Karen Bass (D) U.S. Representative 2011-present
Judy Chu (D)3 U.S. Representative 2009-present
Jackie Speier (D)4 U.S. Representative 2008-present
Laura Richardson (D)5 U.S. Representative 2007-present
Doris Matsui (D)6 U.S. Representative 2005-present
Linda Sanchez (D) U.S. Representative 2003-present
Susan A. Davis (D) U.S. Representative 2001-present
Grace Napolitano (D) U.S. Representative 1999-present
Lois Capps (D)7 U.S. Representative 1998-present
Mary Bono Mack (R)8 U.S. Representative 1998-present
Barbara Lee (D)9 U.S. Representative 1998-present
Loretta Sanchez (D) U.S. Representative 1997-present
Zoe Lofgren (D) U.S. Representative 1995-present
Anna Eshoo (D) U.S. Representative 1993-present
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D)10 U.S. Representative 1993-present
Lynn C. Woolsey (D) U.S. Representative 1993-present
Maxine Waters (D) U.S. Representative 1991-present
Nancy Pelosi (D)11 U.S. Representative 1987-present
Jane Harman (D) U.S. Representative 2001-2011;
1993-1999
Diane E. Watson (D)12 U.S. Representative 2001-2011
Hilda Solis (D) U.S. Representative 2001-2009
Ellen Tauscher (D) U.S. Representative 1997-2009
Juanita Millender-McDonald (D)13 U.S. Representative 1996-2007
Andrea Seastrand (R) U.S. Representative 1995-1997
Lynn Schenk (D) U.S. Representative 1993-1995
Barbara Boxer (D) U.S. Representative 1983-1993
Sala Burton (D)14 U.S. Representative 1983-1987
Bobbi Fiedler (R) U.S. Representative 1981-1987
Shirley N. Pettis (R)15 U.S. Representative 1975-1979
Yvonne Brathwaite Burke (D) U.S. Representative 1973-1979
Helen Gahagan Douglas (D) U.S. Representative 1945-1951
Florence P. Kahn (R)16 U.S. Representative 1925-1937
Mae Ella Nolan (R)17 U.S. Representative 1922-1925
*When Senators Boxer and Feinstein were elected, California became the first state to be represented simultaneously by two women in the Senate; Kansas was the second (Kassebaum and Frahm), and Maine was the third (Collins and Snowe).
  1. Feinstein initially won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by a resignation; that seat had been filled temporarily by appointment. She was subsequently re-elected.
  2. Hahn won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by resignation.
  3. Chu won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by resignation.
  4. Speier won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by death.
  5. Richardson won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by death.
  6. Matsui won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by the death of her husband.
  7. Capps initially won a special election to fill vacancy caused by the death of her husband.
  8. Bono initially won a special election to fill vacancy caused by death of her husband.
  9. Lee initially won a special election to fill vacancy caused by resignation.
  10. Roybal-Allard was the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress.
  11. Pelosi, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House, is second in the line of presidential succession after the vice president. She initially won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by death.
  12. Watson initially won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by death.
  13. Millender-McDonald initially won a special election to fill a vacancy.
  14. Burton initially won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by the death of her husband. Burton died while serving in office in 1987.
  15. Pettis initially won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by the death of her husband.
  16. Kahn initially won a special election to fill a vacancy caused by the death of her husband.
  17. Nolan simultaneously won a special election to fill the unexpired term caused by the death of her husband and a regular election.

Kamala Harris (D) Attorney General 2011-present
Debra Bowen (D) Secretary of State 2007-present
Statewide Elective Executive (Total Positions: 8)
Mona Pasquil (D) Acting Lieutenant Governor 2009-2010
Kathleen Connell (D) State Controller 1995-2003
Delaine Eastin (NP) Superintendent of Public Instr. 1995-2003
Kathleen Brown (D) State Treasurer 1991-1995
Elizabeth Whitney (D)1 State Treasurer
 1987-1989
March Fong Eu (D)2 Secretary of State 1975-1993
Ivy Baker Priest (R) State Treasurer 1967-1974
  1. Appointed to fill a vacancy.
  2. Eu was the first Asian American woman in the country elected statewide to an executive post.
State Legislature
Year State
Rank		  

Senate
 Total
Women/
Total
Senate 		 

House
 Total
Women/
Total
House 		Total
Women/
Total
Legis.		  
%
Total
Women
D R I D R I
2011 12 9 3 - 12/ 40 16 6 - 22/ 80 34/ 120 28.3
2010 17 11 1 - 12/ 40 16 4 - 20/ 80 32/ 120 26.7
2009 16 12 1 - 13/ 40 16 4 - 20/ 80 33/ 120 27.5
2008 17 10 0 - 10/ 40 17 6 - 23/ 80 33/ 120 27.5
2007 16 10 0 - 10/ 40 17 6 - 23/ 80 33/ 120 27.5
2006 12 12 0 - 12/ 40 19 6 - 25/ 80 37/ 120 30.8
2005 10 12 0 - 12/ 40 19 6 - 25/ 80 37/ 120 30.8
2004 6 11 0 - 11/ 40 20 5 - 25/ 80 36/ 120 30.0
2003 6 11 0 - 11/ 40 20 5 - 25/ 80 36/ 120 30.0
2002 13 10 0 - 10/ 40 20 4 - 24/ 80 34/ 120 28.3
2001 13 10 0 - 10/ 40 20 4 - 24/ 80 34/ 120 28.3
2000 15 10 1 - 11/ 40 15 4 1 20/ 80 31/ 120 25.8
1999 15 9 1 - 10/ 40 16 4 1 21/ 80 31/ 120 25.8
1998 24 5 1 - 6/ 40 17 3 - 20/ 80 26/ 120 21.7
1997 24 6 1 - 7/ 40 17 3 - 20/ 80 27/ 120 22.5
1996 26 3 1 1 5/ 40 16 3 - 19/ 80 24/ 120 20.0
1995 26 3 1 1 5/ 40 16 4 - 20/ 80 25/ 120 20.8
1994 19 2 2 1 5/ 40 19 5 - 24/ 80 29/ 120 24.2
1993 20 2 2 1 5/ 40 18 4 - 22/ 80 27/ 120 22.5
1992 25 3 2 - 5/ 40 10 7 - 17/ 80 22/ 120 18.3
1991 25 3 2 - 5/ 40 9 7 - 16/ 80 21/ 120 17.5
1990 27 3 2 - 5/ 40 7 7 - 14/ 80 19/ 120 15.8
1989 27 2 2 - 4/ 40 8 7 - 15/ 80 19/ 120 15.8
1988 30 2 2 - 4/ 40 8 5 - 13/ 80 17/ 120 14.2
1987 30 2 2 - 4/ 40 8 5 - 13/ 80 17/ 120 14.2
1986 30 2 2 - 4/ 40 7 4 - 11/ 80 15/ 120 12.5
1985 30 2 2 - 4/ 40 7 4 - 11/ 80 15/ 120 12.5
1984 29 2 0 - 2/ 40 6 6 - 12/ 80 14/ 120 11.7
1983 30 2 0 - 2/ 40 6 6 - 12/ 80 14/ 120 11.7
1981 28 2 0 - 2/ 40 4 6 - 10/ 80 12/ 120 10.0
1979 23 - - - 2/ 40 - - - 9/ 80 11/ 120 9.2
1977 39 - - - 1/ 40 - - - 5/ 80 6/ 120 5.0
1975 46 - - - 0/ 40 - - - 3/ 80 3/ 120 2.5