Women in the United States Senate facts for kids

There have been 50 women in the United States Senate since it started in 1789.

Rebecca Felton was the first. She was in the Senate for one day in 1922. Hattie Caraway was the first woman elected to the Senate in 1932.

Fourteen of the women Senators were not elected. They were appointed. Seven of them were appointed to replace their dead husbands.

In 2017 there are 21 women senators out of 100. That is the largest number of women in the Senate at the same time.

Women in the Senate now

All women senators

Image	Name (lifespan)	State	Term start	Term end	Length of service (days)	Entered by	Left for	Party
	Felton, RebeccaRebecca Felton (1835–1930)	Georgia	November 21, 1922	November 22, 1922	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
	Caraway, HattieHattie Caraway (1878–1950)	Arkansas	December 9, 1931	January 3, 1945	&&&&&&&&&&&04774.&&&&&04,774	Appointment	Lost renomination	Democratic
	Long, RoseRose Long (1892–1970)	Louisiana	January 31, 1936	January 3, 1937	&&&&&&&&&&&&0337.&&&&&0337	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
	Graves, DixieDixie Graves (1882–1965)	Alabama	August 20, 1937	January 10, 1938	&&&&&&&&&&&&0143.&&&&&0143	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
	Pyle, GladysGladys Pyle (1890–1989)	South Dakota	November 9, 1938	January 3, 1939	&&&&&&&&&&&&&055.&&&&&055	Special election	Retired	Republican
	Bushfield, Vera C.Vera C. Bushfield (1889–1976)	South Dakota	October 6, 1948	December 26, 1948	&&&&&&&&&&&&&081.&&&&&081	Appointment	Appointment ended	Republican
	Smith, Margaret C.Margaret C. Smith (1897–1995)	Maine	January 3, 1949	January 3, 1973	&&&&&&&&&&&08766.&&&&&08,766	Election	Lost reelection	Republican
	Bowring, EvaEva Bowring (1892–1985)	Nebraska	April 16, 1954	November 7, 1954	&&&&&&&&&&&&0205.&&&&&0205	Appointment	Appointment ended	Republican
	Abel, HazelHazel Abel (1888–1966)	Nebraska	November 8, 1954	December 31, 1954	&&&&&&&&&&&&&053.&&&&&053	Special election	Retired and resigned early	Republican
	Neuberger, MaurineMaurine Neuberger (1907–2000)	Oregon	November 9, 1960	January 3, 1967	&&&&&&&&&&&02246.&&&&&02,246	Special election	Retired	Democratic
	Edwards, ElaineElaine Edwards (born 1929)	Louisiana	August 1, 1972	November 13, 1972	&&&&&&&&&&&&0104.&&&&&0104	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
	Humphrey, MurielMuriel Humphrey (1912–1998)	Minnesota	January 25, 1978	November 7, 1978	&&&&&&&&&&&&0286.&&&&&0286	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
	Allen, MaryonMaryon Allen (born 1925)	Alabama	June 8, 1978	November 7, 1978	&&&&&&&&&&&&0152.&&&&&0152	Appointment	Lost nomination to finish term	Democratic
	Kassebaum, NancyNancy Kassebaum (born 1932)	Kansas	December 23, 1978	January 3, 1997	&&&&&&&&&&&06586.&&&&&06,586	Election	Retired	Republican
	Hawkins, PaulaPaula Hawkins (1927–2009)	Florida	January 1, 1981	January 3, 1987	&&&&&&&&&&&02193.&&&&&02,193	Election	Lost reelection	Republican
	Mikulski, BarbaraBarbara Mikulski (born 1936)	Maryland	January 3, 1987	January 3, 2017	&&&&&&&&&&010959.&&&&&010,959	Election	Retired	Democratic
	Burdick, JocelynJocelyn Burdick (born 1922)	North Dakota	September 16, 1992	December 14, 1992	&&&&&&&&&&&&&089.&&&&&089	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
	Feinstein, DianneDianne Feinstein (born 1933)	California	November 10, 1992	present	&&&&&&&&&&011729.&&&&&011,729	Special election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Boxer, BarbaraBarbara Boxer (born 1940)	California	January 3, 1993	January 3, 2017	&&&&&&&&&&&08767.&&&&&08,767	Election	Retired	Democratic
	Moseley-Braun, CarolCarol Moseley-Braun (born 1947)	Illinois	January 3, 1993	January 3, 1999	&&&&&&&&&&&02191.&&&&&02,191	Election	Lost reelection	Democratic
	Murray, PattyPatty Murray (born 1950)	Washington	January 3, 1993	present	&&&&&&&&&&011675.&&&&&011,675	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Hutchison, KayKay Hutchison (born 1943)	Texas	June 14, 1993	January 3, 2013	0Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ","..Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ",".7,143	Special election	Retired	Republican
	Snowe, OlympiaOlympia Snowe (born 1947)	Maine	January 3, 1995	January 3, 2013	0Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ","..Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character ",".6,576	Election	Retired	Republican
	Frahm, SheilaSheila Frahm (born 1945)	Kansas	June 11, 1996	November 6, 1996	&&&&&&&&&&&&0148.&&&&&0148	Appointment	Lost nomination to finish term	Republican
	Collins, SusanSusan Collins (born 1952)	Maine	January 3, 1997	present	&&&&&&&&&&010214.&&&&&010,214	Election	Incumbent	Republican
	Landrieu, MaryMary Landrieu (born 1955)	Louisiana	January 3, 1997	January 3, 2015	&&&&&&&&&&&06575.&&&&&06,575	Election	Lost reelection	Democratic
	Lincoln, BlancheBlanche Lincoln (born 1960)	Arkansas	January 3, 1999	January 3, 2011	&&&&&&&&&&&04383.&&&&&04,383	Election	Lost reelection	Democratic
	Cantwell, MariaMaria Cantwell (born 1958)	Washington	January 3, 2001	present	&&&&&&&&&&&08753.&&&&&08,753	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Carnahan, JeanJean Carnahan (born 1933)	Missouri	January 3, 2001	November 25, 2002	&&&&&&&&&&&&0691.&&&&&0691	Appointment	Lost election to finish term	Democratic
	Clinton, HillaryHillary Clinton (born 1947)	New York	January 3, 2001	January 21, 2009	&&&&&&&&&&&02940.&&&&&02,940	Election	Resigned to become United States Secretary of State	Democratic
	Stabenow, DebbieDebbie Stabenow (born 1950)	Michigan	January 3, 2001	present	&&&&&&&&&&&08753.&&&&&08,753	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Murkowski, LisaLisa Murkowski (born 1957)	Alaska	December 20, 2002	present	&&&&&&&&&&&08037.&&&&&08,037	Appointment	Incumbent	Republican
	Dole, ElizabethElizabeth Dole (born 1936)	North Carolina	January 3, 2003	January 3, 2009	&&&&&&&&&&&02192.&&&&&02,192	Election	Lost reelection	Republican
	Klobuchar, AmyAmy Klobuchar (born 1960)	Minnesota	January 3, 2007	present	&&&&&&&&&&&06562.&&&&&06,562	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	McCaskill, ClaireClaire McCaskill (born 1953)	Missouri	January 3, 2007	present	&&&&&&&&&&&06562.&&&&&06,562	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Shaheen, JeanneJeanne Shaheen (born 1947)	New Hampshire	January 3, 2009	present	&&&&&&&&&&&05831.&&&&&05,831	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Hagan, KayKay Hagan (born 1953)	North Carolina	January 3, 2009	January 3, 2015	&&&&&&&&&&&02191.&&&&&02,191	Election	Lost reelection	Democratic
	Gillibrand, KirstenKirsten Gillibrand (born 1966)	New York	January 26, 2009	present	&&&&&&&&&&&05808.&&&&&05,808	Appointment	Incumbent	Democratic
	Ayotte, KellyKelly Ayotte (born 1968)	New Hampshire	January 3, 2011	January 3, 2017	&&&&&&&&&&&02192.&&&&&02,192	Election	Lost reelection	Republican
	Baldwin, TammyTammy Baldwin (born 1962)	Wisconsin	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04370.&&&&&04,370	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Fischer, DebDeb Fischer (born 1951)	Nebraska	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04370.&&&&&04,370	Election	Incumbent	Republican
	Heitkamp, HeidiHeidi Heitkamp (born 1955)	North Dakota	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04370.&&&&&04,370	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Hirono, MazieMazie Hirono (born 1947)	Hawaii	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04370.&&&&&04,370	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Warren, ElizabethElizabeth Warren (born 1949)	Massachusetts	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04370.&&&&&04,370	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Ernst, JoniJoni Ernst (born 1970)	Iowa	January 3, 2015	present	&&&&&&&&&&&03640.&&&&&03,640	Election	Incumbent	Republican
	Moore Capito, ShelleyShelley Moore Capito (born 1953)	West Virginia	January 3, 2015	present	&&&&&&&&&&&03640.&&&&&03,640	Election	Incumbent	Republican
	Cortez Masto, CatherineCatherine Cortez Masto (born 1964)	Nevada	January 3, 2017	present	&&&&&&&&&&&02909.&&&&&02,909	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Duckworth, TammyTammy Duckworth (born 1968)	Illinois	January 3, 2017	present	&&&&&&&&&&&02909.&&&&&02,909	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Harris, KamalaKamala Harris (born 1964)	California	January 3, 2017	present	&&&&&&&&&&&02909.&&&&&02,909	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
	Hassan, MaggieMaggie Hassan (born 1958)	New Hampshire	January 3, 2017	present	&&&&&&&&&&&02909.&&&&&02,909	Election	Incumbent	Democratic

Images for kids

• 

  One woman (Barbara Mikulski) was reelected and four women were elected to the Senate in 1992, the "Year of the Woman", L-R: Patty Murray, Carol Moseley-Braun, Mikulski, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer.

• 

  By the 111th United States Congress (2009–2011), the number of women senators had increased to 17, including 4 Republicans and 13 Democrats

• 

  Eight Democratic women senators appear at the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver. It has become a tradition at Democratic conventions for incumbent women senators to appear on opening night.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Mujeres en el Senado de Estados Unidos para niños