Women in the U.S. House 2018
Women in the U.S. House 2018
87
women hold seats in the House of Representatives, comprising 20.0% of the 435 members in 2018. The women represent 34 states; 64 are Democrats and 23 are Republicans.
In addition to the 85 women currently serving, five (3D, 2R) women delegates also represent American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The congresswomen include 34 women of color: 18 African American women, 7 Asian Pacific Islanders, and 9 Latinas. The delegates include an Asian/Pacific Islander, a Latina, a Caribbean American and an African American. For more information on the number of women of color serving in the House click here. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who was the first woman Speaker of the House, is now House Minority Leader. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Chair of the Republican Conference, is the highest-ranking woman in Republican House leadership. For more information on women in leadership roles in Congress, click here.
Of the 87 women in the House:
70
women first entered by winning regular general elections.
69
women lawmakers held previous elective offices prior to entering Congress.
18
won special elections; Adams (NC), Bonamici (OR), Chu (CA), Clark (MA), Fudge (OH), Hanabusa (HI), Handel (GA), Jones (MI), Kelly (IL), Lee (CA), Lesko (AZ), Matsui (CA), Pelosi (CA), Ros-Lehtinen (FL), Scanlon(PA); Speier (CA), Tsongas (MA), and Wild (PA) succeeded others who died or resigned. The AS, DC, GU and VI Delegates won regular general elections.
30
held more than one previous elective post. The positions include: statewide elective (2); state senator (20); state representative (44); county elective (8); municipal elective (19); judge (2); school board member (5).
Women who serve in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018
| Congresswomen | Route to Office | Dates Served |
|---|---|---|
|
Alma Adams (D-NC) |
Won simultaneous special election to fill vacancy and regular election. State representative; Greensboro city council; Greensboro school board; professor. | 11/12/14 - present |
| Nanette Barragan (D-CA) | Hermosa Beach City councilwoman; attorney; community advocate; Clinton White House aide. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Karen Bass (D-CA) |
State assembly speaker; assemblywoman; Los Angeles school board member; community activist. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Joyce Beatty (D-OH) |
State representative and House Democratic leader; small business owner; management consultant. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Diane Black (R-TN) |
State senator; state representative. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) |
State senator, state representative, executive director of Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission, businesswoman. | 1/7/03 - present |
|
Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) |
Congressional case worker; Delaware secretary of labor, deputy secretary of health and social services, state personnel director. CEO of Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) |
State senator, state representative, legislative assistant, attorney. Won a special election to fill a vacancy. | 2/7/12 - present |
|
Susan Brooks (R-IN) |
Attorney; Indianapolis deputy mayor; community college administrator and workforce development leader; attorney. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Julia Brownley (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman; Santa Monica-Malibu school board member and president. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Cheri Bustos (D-IL) |
East Moline alderman; health care system communications official; journalist. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Kathy Castor (D-FL) |
Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners; assistant general counsel to the Florida Department of Community Affairs in Tallahassee. | 1/4/07 - present |
|
Liz Cheney (R-WY) |
Attorney, State Department official, Fox News contributor. Holds seat once held by her father. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Judy Chu (D-CA) |
California state board of equalization member; state assembly; Monterey Park mayor and councilwoman; board of education member; educator. Won a special election July 14, 2009 to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Congresswoman Hilda Solis to become Secretary of Labor. | 7/16/09 - present |
|
Katherine Clark (D-MA) |
State senator; state representative; attorney. Won a special election December 10, 2013 to fill a vacancy. | 12/12/13 - present |
|
Yvette Clarke (D-NY) |
Councilwoman; director of business development for Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation; director of Bronx portion of the New York City Empowerment Zone. | 1/4/07 - present |
|
Barbara Comstock (R-VA) |
State delegate; congressional aide; chief counsel on House committee; attorney. Elected to U.S. House in 2014. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Susan Davis (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman; president, San Diego city school board. | 1/3/01 - present |
|
Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) |
Congressional aide; executive director of EMILY's List; community organizer. | 1/3/91 - present |
|
Diana DeGette (D-CO) |
State representative; state house assistant leader; civil rights and employment lawyer. | 1/7/97 - present |
|
Suzan DelBene (D-WA) |
Technology entrepreneur; businesswoman; director, state Department of Revenue. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Val Demings (D-FL) |
Orlando police chief; police officer; social worker. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Debbie Dingell (D-MI) |
President of D2 Strategies; chair of Wayne State University Board of Governors; president of the GM Foundation; senior executive for public affairs. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Anna Eshoo (D-CA) |
San Mateo County supervisor and board president. Elected to U.S. House in 1992. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) |
State representative; Cheshire town councilwoman; attorney; educator. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Virginia Foxx (R-NC) |
State senator; county board of education; college instructor and administrator. | 1/4/05 - present |
|
Lois Frankel (D-FL) |
West Palm Beach mayor; state representative; attorney. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Marcia Fudge (D-OH) |
Mayor of Warrensville Heights; Congressional chief of staff; attorney; won special election to fill a vacancy. | 11/19/08 - present |
|
Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) |
State representative; Honolulu city council member; National Guard member; environmental activist; aide to Senator Daniel Akaka. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Kay Granger (R-TX) |
Mayor of Fort Worth; board of trustees of the US Conference of Mayors; educator; small business owner. | 1/7/97 - present |
|
Michele Lujan Grisham (D-NM) |
Bernalillo county commissioner; head, New Mexico Department of Health; secretary, New Mexico Department of Aging and Long Term Services; attorney; consultant. | 1/3/13 - present |
| Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) | State senator; state representative; won special election to fill a vacancy. | 5/7/18-present |
|
Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) |
Originally elected in 2010, left House to run for U.S. Senate in 2014, lost primary. Labor attorney, former Hawaii State Senate president. |
11/14/16- present, 1/5/11-1/3/15 |
| Karen Handel (R-GA) | Chairman, Fulton County Board of Commissioners; Georgia Secretary of State; executive at Susan G. Komen for the Cure; won special election to fill a vacancy caused by appointment of incumbent to Trump cabinet. | 6/26/17-present |
|
Vicky J. Hartzler (R-MO) |
Cass County Republican Central Committee; teacher; businesswoman. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) |
State representative; assistant minority floor leader; legislative assistant to congresswoman McMorris Rodgers. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) |
State senator, human rights activist. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Lynn M. Jenkins (R-KS) |
State treasurer; state senator; state representative; accountant; businesswoman. | 1/6/09 - present |
|
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) |
State senator; state representative; administrator in Department of Health, Education and Welfare; nurse; consultant. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Brenda Jones (D-MI) |
President of the Detroit City Council; won special election to fill a vacancy. | 11/29-18 - present |
|
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) |
Urban planner; White House domestic policy aide. | 1/3/83 - present |
|
Robin Kelly (D-IL) |
State representative; chief administrative officer, Cook County; community affairs director, Village of Matteson. | 4/11/13 - present |
|
Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) |
Attorney; consultant; lobbyist. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) |
Mayor and councilwoman in Southfield; president of National Association of Democratic Mayors; lieutenant governor nominee in 2010; board of education member and president; U.S. postal carrier. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Barbara Lee (D-CA) |
State senator; state assemblywoman; senior advisor and administrative assistant to member of Congress. Won a special election in 1998 to fill a vacancy caused by a resignation. | 4/21/98 - present |
|
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) |
Council member; municipal court associate judge; attorney; congressional committee counsel. | 1/4/95 - present |
|
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) |
Santa Clara County Supervisor; attorney; law teacher; executive director of low-income housing development group; congressional aide. | 1/4/95 - present |
|
Mia Love (R-UT) |
Mayor and councilwoman in Saratoga Springs; councilwoman; flight attendant. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Nita Lowey (D-NY) |
Assistant New York secretary of state. | 1/3/89 - present |
|
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) |
New York city council member; educator; administrator. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Doris Matsui (D-CA) |
Public policy advocate; deputy assistant to the President and deputy director of public liaison in the Clinton administration. Won special election in 2005 to fill a vacancy caused by the death of her husband. | 3/10/05 - present |
|
Betty McCollum (D-MN) |
State representative; North St. Paul City Councilwoman; educator; businesswoman. | 1/3/01 - present |
|
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) |
State representative and House Republican leader. | 1/4/05 - present |
|
Martha McSally (R-AZ) |
Retired United States Air Force colonel; Tucson women's commission; national security advisor for Senator Jon Kyl. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Grace Meng (D-NY) |
State assemblywoman; attorney. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Gwen Moore (D-WI) |
State senator; assemblywoman; city and state government administrator. | 1/4/05 - present |
|
Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) |
Businesswoman, college instructor. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Grace Napolitano (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman; mayor, Norwalk; city council member; businesswoman. | 1/6/99 - present |
|
Kristi Noem (R-SD) |
State representative; assistant majority leader; farmer/rancher; businesswoman. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) |
Chair of California Democratic party; Democratic National Committee member; party activist; public relations executive. Won special election in 1987 to fill a vacancy caused by death of Congresswoman Sala Burton. | 6/9/87 - present |
|
Chellie M. Pingree (D-ME) |
State senator; Senate majority leader; North Haven planning board member; North Haven tax assessor; school board chair; president, Common Cause; businesswoman. | 1/6/09 - present |
|
Kathleen Rice (D-NY) |
Elected district attorney of Nassau County; attorney. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Martha Roby (R-AL) |
Councilwoman; attorney. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Jacky Rosen (D-NV) |
Computer programmer, consultant | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) |
State senator; state representative; educator; businesswoman. Won special election in 1989 to fill a vacancy. | 9/6/89 - present |
|
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Linda Sanchez (D-CA) |
Executive secretary-treasurer for Orange County Central Labor Council, labor compliance officer, attorney. | 1/7/03 - present |
|
Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) |
Co-chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association, attorney for the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania and the Support Center for Child Advocates, won special election to fill a vacancy caused by resignation. | 11/13/18 - present |
|
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) |
State representative; director, Illinois Public Action; educator. | 1/6/99 - present |
|
Terri Sewell (D-AL) |
Staffer for Senator Heflin and Congressman Shelby; attorney. | 1/5/11 - present |
|
Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) |
Served in House 2007-11, 2013-15, defeated in bids for re-election. Community college instructor; campaign official. |
1/3/17 - present, 1/3/2013 - 1/6/2015, 1/4/2007 - 1/5/2011 |
|
Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) |
State senator; state representative; attorney; professor of social work. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Jackie Speier (D-CA) |
State senator; state assemblywoman; San Mateo county supervisor; legal counsel to congressmember; attorney. Won special election in 2008 to fill a vacancy caused by death. | 4/10/08 - present |
|
Elise Stefanik (R-NY) |
Small businesswoman; policy and communications strategist. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Claudia Tenney (R-NY) |
New York assemblywoman; attorney; businesswoman. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Dina Titus (D-NV) |
U.S. representative 2009-11; state senator and senate minority leader; professor of political science. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Norma Torres (D-CA) |
State senator; assemblywoman; mayor and councilwoman in Pomona; union representative; 9-1-1 dispatcher. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Niki Tsongas (D-MA) |
College dean of external affairs; attorney; social worker. Won special election to fill a vacancy. | 10/17/07 - present |
|
Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) |
New York city council member; director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs; educator. | 1/5/93 - present |
|
Ann Wagner (R-MO) |
U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg; Senate campaign chair, Roy Blunt; co-chair, Republican National Committee; Missouri Republican Party chair. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Jackie Walorski (R-IN) |
State representative; missionary; higher education administrator; journalist. | 1/3/13 - present |
|
Mimi Walters (R-CA) |
State senator; assemblywoman; Laguna mayor and councilwoman; investment banker. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) |
State senator; state representative. | 1/4/05 - present |
|
Maxine Waters (D-CA) |
State assemblywoman; educator. | 1/3/91 - present |
|
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) |
State assembly (majority leader); state Democratic party chair; director of Office of Civil Rights in State Department of Transportation. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Susan Wild (D-PA) |
Attorney; solicitor of Allentown, PA; wond special election to fill a vacancy. | 11/27/18 - present |
|
Frederica Wilson (D-FL) |
State senator; state representative; school board member. | 1/5/11 - present |
| Delegates | ||
|
Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU) |
Lieutenant governor; Guam senator; Guam's First Lady; community organizer. | 1/7/03 - present |
|
Jenniffer Gonzalez (R-PR) |
State representative; state GOP chairman; trained as an attorney. | 1/3/17 - present |
|
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) |
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission chair; New York City Commission on Human Rights chair; law professor. | 1/3/91 - present |
|
Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) |
Virgin Islands economic development group; counsel to House of Representatives ethics committee; attorney. | 1/6/15 - present |
|
Amata Radewagen (R-AS) |
Community activist; Republican National Committeewoman; appointee to White House Commission for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. | 1/6/15 - present |