Women in the United States Senate facts for kids

There have been 50 women in the United States Senate since it began in 1789. The Senate is a very important part of the United States government.

Rebecca Felton was the first woman to be a Senator. She served for only one day in 1922. Later, Hattie Caraway became the first woman to be truly elected to the Senate in 1932.

Some women Senators were not elected by voters. Instead, they were appointed to their roles. This means they were chosen to fill a spot that became empty, often when a Senator left office suddenly.

In 2017, there were 21 women serving as Senators. This was the largest number of women in the Senate at the same time.

Women Senators Serving Today

This section lists some of the women who are currently serving in the United States Senate. They come from different states and political parties. Each Senator has a unique background and experience before joining the Senate.

All Women Who Have Served in the Senate

Here is a list of all the women who have served in the United States Senate. It shows when they started, how long they served, and how they became a Senator.

Image	Name (lifespan)	State	Term start	Term end	Length of service (days)	Entered by	Left for	Party
Sen. Felton	Felton, RebeccaRebecca Felton (1835–1930)	Georgia	November 21, 1922	November 22, 1922	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
Sen. Caraway	Caraway, HattieHattie Caraway (1878–1950)	Arkansas	December 9, 1931	January 3, 1945	&&&&&&&&&&&04774.&&&&&04,774	Appointment	Lost renomination	Democratic
Sen. Long	Long, RoseRose Long (1892–1970)	Louisiana	January 31, 1936	January 3, 1937	&&&&&&&&&&&&0337.&&&&&0337	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
Sen. Graves	Graves, DixieDixie Graves (1882–1965)	Alabama	August 20, 1937	January 10, 1938	&&&&&&&&&&&&0143.&&&&&0143	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
Sen. Pyle	Pyle, GladysGladys Pyle (1890–1989)	South Dakota	November 9, 1938	January 3, 1939	&&&&&&&&&&&&&055.&&&&&055	Special election	Retired	Republican
Sen. Bushfield	Bushfield, Vera C.Vera C. Bushfield (1889–1976)	South Dakota	October 6, 1948	December 26, 1948	&&&&&&&&&&&&&081.&&&&&081	Appointment	Appointment ended	Republican
Sen. Smith	Smith, Margaret C.Margaret C. Smith (1897–1995)	Maine	January 3, 1949	January 3, 1973	&&&&&&&&&&&08766.&&&&&08,766	Election	Lost reelection	Republican
Sen. Bowring	Bowring, EvaEva Bowring (1892–1985)	Nebraska	April 16, 1954	November 7, 1954	&&&&&&&&&&&&0205.&&&&&0205	Appointment	Appointment ended	Republican
Sen. Abel	Abel, HazelHazel Abel (1888–1966)	Nebraska	November 8, 1954	December 31, 1954	&&&&&&&&&&&&&053.&&&&&053	Special election	Retired and resigned early	Republican
Sen. Neuberger	Neuberger, MaurineMaurine Neuberger (1907–2000)	Oregon	November 9, 1960	January 3, 1967	&&&&&&&&&&&02246.&&&&&02,246	Special election	Retired	Democratic
Sen. Edwards	Edwards, ElaineElaine Edwards (born 1929)	Louisiana	August 1, 1972	November 13, 1972	&&&&&&&&&&&&0104.&&&&&0104	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
Sen. Humphrey	Humphrey, MurielMuriel Humphrey (1912–1998)	Minnesota	January 25, 1978	November 7, 1978	&&&&&&&&&&&&0286.&&&&&0286	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
Sen. Allen	Allen, MaryonMaryon Allen (born 1925)	Alabama	June 8, 1978	November 7, 1978	&&&&&&&&&&&&0152.&&&&&0152	Appointment	Lost nomination to finish term	Democratic
Sen. Kassebaum	Kassebaum, NancyNancy Kassebaum (born 1932)	Kansas	December 23, 1978	January 3, 1997	&&&&&&&&&&&06586.&&&&&06,586	Election	Retired	Republican
Sen. Hawkins	Hawkins, PaulaPaula Hawkins (1927–2009)	Florida	January 1, 1981	January 3, 1987	&&&&&&&&&&&02193.&&&&&02,193	Election	Lost reelection	Republican
Sen. Mikulski	Mikulski, BarbaraBarbara Mikulski (born 1936)	Maryland	January 3, 1987	January 3, 2017	&&&&&&&&&&010959.&&&&&010,959	Election	Retired	Democratic
Sen. Burdick	Burdick, JocelynJocelyn Burdick (born 1922)	North Dakota	September 16, 1992	December 14, 1992	&&&&&&&&&&&&&089.&&&&&089	Appointment	Appointment ended	Democratic
Sen. Feinstein	Feinstein, DianneDianne Feinstein (born 1933)	California	November 10, 1992	present	&&&&&&&&&&011908.&&&&&011,908	Special election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Boxer	Boxer, BarbaraBarbara Boxer (born 1940)	California	January 3, 1993	January 3, 2017	&&&&&&&&&&&08767.&&&&&08,767	Election	Retired	Democratic
Sen. Moseley Braun	Moseley-Braun, CarolCarol Moseley-Braun (born 1947)	Illinois	January 3, 1993	January 3, 1999	&&&&&&&&&&&02191.&&&&&02,191	Election	Lost reelection	Democratic
Sen. Murray	Murray, PattyPatty Murray (born 1950)	Washington	January 3, 1993	present	&&&&&&&&&&011854.&&&&&011,854	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Hutchison	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
Sen. Snowe	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
Sen. Frahm	Frahm, SheilaSheila Frahm (born 1945)	Kansas	June 11, 1996	November 6, 1996	&&&&&&&&&&&&0148.&&&&&0148	Appointment	Lost nomination to finish term	Republican
Sen. Collins	Collins, SusanSusan Collins (born 1952)	Maine	January 3, 1997	present	&&&&&&&&&&010393.&&&&&010,393	Election	Incumbent	Republican
Sen. Landrieu	Landrieu, MaryMary Landrieu (born 1955)	Louisiana	January 3, 1997	January 3, 2015	&&&&&&&&&&&06575.&&&&&06,575	Election	Lost reelection	Democratic
Sen. Lincoln	Lincoln, BlancheBlanche Lincoln (born 1960)	Arkansas	January 3, 1999	January 3, 2011	&&&&&&&&&&&04383.&&&&&04,383	Election	Lost reelection	Democratic
Sen. Cantwell	Cantwell, MariaMaria Cantwell (born 1958)	Washington	January 3, 2001	present	&&&&&&&&&&&08932.&&&&&08,932	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Carnahan	Carnahan, JeanJean Carnahan (born 1933)	Missouri	January 3, 2001	November 25, 2002	&&&&&&&&&&&&0691.&&&&&0691	Appointment	Lost election to finish term	Democratic
Sen. Clinton	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
Sen. Stabenow	Stabenow, DebbieDebbie Stabenow (born 1950)	Michigan	January 3, 2001	present	&&&&&&&&&&&08932.&&&&&08,932	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Murkowski	Murkowski, LisaLisa Murkowski (born 1957)	Alaska	December 20, 2002	present	&&&&&&&&&&&08216.&&&&&08,216	Appointment	Incumbent	Republican
Sen. Dole	Dole, ElizabethElizabeth Dole (born 1936)	North Carolina	January 3, 2003	January 3, 2009	&&&&&&&&&&&02192.&&&&&02,192	Election	Lost reelection	Republican
Sen. Klobuchar	Klobuchar, AmyAmy Klobuchar (born 1960)	Minnesota	January 3, 2007	present	&&&&&&&&&&&06741.&&&&&06,741	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. McCaskill	McCaskill, ClaireClaire McCaskill (born 1953)	Missouri	January 3, 2007	present	&&&&&&&&&&&06741.&&&&&06,741	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Shaheen	Shaheen, JeanneJeanne Shaheen (born 1947)	New Hampshire	January 3, 2009	present	&&&&&&&&&&&06010.&&&&&06,010	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Hagan	Hagan, KayKay Hagan (born 1953)	North Carolina	January 3, 2009	January 3, 2015	&&&&&&&&&&&02191.&&&&&02,191	Election	Lost reelection	Democratic
Sen. Gillibrand	Gillibrand, KirstenKirsten Gillibrand (born 1966)	New York	January 26, 2009	present	&&&&&&&&&&&05987.&&&&&05,987	Appointment	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Ayotte	Ayotte, KellyKelly Ayotte (born 1968)	New Hampshire	January 3, 2011	January 3, 2017	&&&&&&&&&&&02192.&&&&&02,192	Election	Lost reelection	Republican
Sen. Baldwin	Baldwin, TammyTammy Baldwin (born 1962)	Wisconsin	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04549.&&&&&04,549	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Fischer	Fischer, DebDeb Fischer (born 1951)	Nebraska	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04549.&&&&&04,549	Election	Incumbent	Republican
Sen. Heitkamp	Heitkamp, HeidiHeidi Heitkamp (born 1955)	North Dakota	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04549.&&&&&04,549	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Hirano	Hirono, MazieMazie Hirono (born 1947)	Hawaii	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04549.&&&&&04,549	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Warren	Warren, ElizabethElizabeth Warren (born 1949)	Massachusetts	January 3, 2013	present	&&&&&&&&&&&04549.&&&&&04,549	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Ernst	Ernst, JoniJoni Ernst (born 1970)	Iowa	January 3, 2015	present	&&&&&&&&&&&03819.&&&&&03,819	Election	Incumbent	Republican
Sen. Moore Capito	Moore Capito, ShelleyShelley Moore Capito (born 1953)	West Virginia	January 3, 2015	present	&&&&&&&&&&&03819.&&&&&03,819	Election	Incumbent	Republican
Sen. Cortez Masto	Cortez Masto, CatherineCatherine Cortez Masto (born 1964)	Nevada	January 3, 2017	present	&&&&&&&&&&&03088.&&&&&03,088	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Duckworth	Duckworth, TammyTammy Duckworth (born 1968)	Illinois	January 3, 2017	present	&&&&&&&&&&&03088.&&&&&03,088	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Harris	Harris, KamalaKamala Harris (born 1964)	California	January 3, 2017	present	&&&&&&&&&&&03088.&&&&&03,088	Election	Incumbent	Democratic
Sen. Hassan	Hassan, MaggieMaggie Hassan (born 1958)	New Hampshire	January 3, 2017	present	&&&&&&&&&&&03088.&&&&&03,088	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". From left to right: 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. This included 4 Republicans and 13 Democrats.

• 

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

See also

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