The 119th Congress, sworn in earlier this year, broke the record for the number of women serving in the legislature. As of March 2025, here are the numbers:
- 26 women senators (1 more than 118th Congress)
- 129 women representatives (4 more than the 118th Congress)
- 155 total
The 119th Congress includes 155 women serving in the House and Senate, reflecting a steady increase from 149 in the 118th Congress and 147 in the 117th Congress.
Below is a complete list of all female legislators, including four non-voting delegates.
Continue reading for a deeper look into the female members of Congress.
Women in Congress by Party
Of the 26 female senators, 16 are Democrats, ten are Republicans.
Of the 129 female members in the U.S. House of Representatives, 96 are Democrats and 33 are Republicans.
Newly Elected Women in Congress in 2025
Twenty-three new women were elected in 2024—19 Democrats and three Republicans. The Senate saw an increase in newly elected women, with three winning seats — Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) — compared to just one in 2022 (Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL).
Additionally, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) was appointed to the Senate on January 21, 2025, to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Marco Rubio’s confirmation as Secretary of State, bringing the total number of female freshman members of Congress to 24.
Female Leadership in the 119th Congress
The 119th Congress continues to see women in prominent leadership roles across both the House and Senate. Some familiar names remain influential, while new leaders have stepped up to shape the legislative agenda.
In the Senate, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee, retain key roles, and Patty Murray (D-WA) continues to make history as the first female President Pro Tempore Emerita. On the Republican side, Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) holds a leadership position as Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
Meanwhile, in the House, Katherine Clark (D-MA), Minority Whip, remains a powerful force. Notably, both freshman class representatives for their respective parties are women, highlighting the continued rise of female leadership in Congress.
Below is a complete list of all committee memberships and leadership positions held by female legislators.
States With No Female Representation
Despite the overall increase in female lawmakers, six states still have no women representing them in Washington. However, this marks an improvement from the 118th Congress, when nine states lacked female representation.
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Kentucky
- Montana
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
Notably, Maryland had no women in Congress from 2017 until this year, when three women were elected—Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), and Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-MD)—breaking the state’s years-long absence of female representation.
History of Women in Congress
Jeannette Rankin became the first woman to hold federal office when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916. She remains the only woman ever elected to Congress from Montana.
In 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton (D-GA) became the first woman appointed to the Senate but only served one day as it was largely a symbolic gesture.
Hattie Ophelia Wyatt Caraway (D-AR) became the first woman elected to serve a full term in the Senate. She was initially appointed after her husband died in 1931 and went on to win reelection in 1932.
Shirley Chisholm, a Democrat from New York, became the first Black woman to serve in Congress in 1968. She served until 1982.
Other female senators also filled the role of their husbands, but it wasn’t until 1978 that the U.S. elected a woman to a full term in the Senate without having a husband who previously served. Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R-KS) served from 1978 to 1997.
Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL) became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) set many firsts during her time in Congress, including becoming the first female Whip in 2002 and Speaker of the House in 2007. She is the first woman to lead a major political party in either chamber of Congress, leading the House Democrats from 2003 to 2023.
Notably, no woman has served as Senate Majority Leader.
