January3,2017
Womeninthe115thCongress
KellyDittmar,Ph.D.
In2017,104(78D,26R)womenholdseatsintheU.S.Congress,comprising19.4%ofthe535members;21(16D,5R)
women(21%)serveintheU.S.Senateand83(62D,21R)women(19.1%)serveintheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives.
Thisisthesametotalnumberofwomenthatservedinmostofthe114thCongress,buttherewasanetlossofone
womanintheHouseandanetgainofonewomanintheSenate.AftertheNovember2016specialelectionof
RepresentativeColleenHanabusa(D-HI),105womenservedinthe114thCongress,onemorewomanthanservesin
2017.Inaddition,fivenon-votingwomendelegates(3D,2R)representAmericanSamoa,Guam,theDistrictofColumbia,
PuertoRico,andtheVirginIslandsthisyear;oneisanewcomertothe115thCongress.
PercentageofWomeninCongress,1971-2017
100%
80%
Women
19.4
19.6
19.4
18.5
18.5
16.8
16.6
16.8
16
13.8
13.6
12.2
11.8
10.7
10
6
5.8
4.7
4.7
4.5
4.3
3.2
3.7
3.6
0%
3
20%
2.8
40%
15.3
60%
Men
Source:CenterforAmericanWomenandPolitics,RutgersUniversity
Note:DatareflectsthepercentageofwomenattheendofeachCongress,whichincludeswomensworninimmediatelyaftertheNovember
election.
PercentageofWomeninHouseandSenate,1971-2017
25
20
15
10
5
0
Senate
House
Source:CenterforAmericanWomenandPolitics,RutgersUniversity
Note:DatareflectsthepercentageofwomenattheendofeachCongress,whichincludeswomensworninimmediatelyaftertheNovember
election.
NewWomenMembersofthe115thCongress
Therearefourteenwomenin62-memberfreshmanclassofthe115thCongress.Tennon-incumbentwomen(8D,2R),
includingformerRepresentativesColleenHanabusa(D-HI)andCarolShea-Porter(D-NH),wereelectedtotheHouse,and
fournon-incumbentwomen(4D),includingHousememberTammyDuckworth(D-IL),wereelectedtotheSenatein
November2016.ThisisthesecondhighestnumberofnewwomenelectedinanyoneCongress,matchingthenumbers
inthe111th,112th,and114thCongresses.Twenty-eightnewwomenservedinthe103rdCongress,whichledtothe
designationof1992–theyearoftheirelection–asthe“YearoftheWoman.”
Perhapsmostnotably,nineofthefourteennonincumbentwomenmembersofthe115thCongressare
womenofcolor.Sixnewwomenofcolorserveinthe
House:NannetteBarragán(D-CA),PramilaJayapal(DWA),ValDemings(D-FL),LisaBluntRochester(D-DE),
ColleenHanabusa(D-HI),andStephanieMurphy(D-FL).
ThreewomenofcolorjoinedSenatorMazieHirono(DHI),theonlywomanofcolortoserveintheSenatein
the114thCongress,intheSenate:TammyDuckworth
(D-IL),KamalaHarris(D-CA),andCatherineCortezMasto(D-NV).RepublicanLizCheney(R-WY)nowserves
intheseatonceheldbyherfather,formerVice
PresidentDickCheney.
Non-IncumbentWomenEnteringEachCongress,
byParty
12
115th(2017-2019)
2
7
114th(2015-2017)
7
113th(2013-2015)
20
4
112th(2011-2013)
11
111th(2009-2011)
110th(2007-2009)
3
10
5
109th(2005-2007)
108th(2003-2005)
2
3
2
6
107th(2001-2003)
7
3
6
106th(1999-2001)
1
9
105th(1997-1999)
104th(1995-1997)
4
8
25
3
4
2
100th(1987-1989)
99th(1985-1987)
3 2
2
98th(1983-1985)
3 2
97th(1981-1983)
5
96th(1979-1981)
2 2
95th(1977-1979)
2
94th(1975-1977)
4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Republicans
Non-IncumbentWomenEnteringthe115thSenate
SenatorCatherineCortez-Masto(D-NV)
SenatorTammyDuckworth(D-IL)
SenatorKamalaHarris(D-CA)
SenatorMaggieHassan(D-NH)
Non-IncumbentWomenEnteringthe115thHouse
RepresentativeNannetteBarragán(D-CA44)
RepresentativeLizCheney(R-WYAL)
RepresentativeValDemings(D-FL10)
RepresentativeColleenHanabusa(D-HI1)
RepresentativePramilaJayapal(D-WA7)
RepresentativeStephanieMurphy(D-FL7)
RepresentativeLisaBluntRochester(D-DEAL)
RepresentativeJackyRosen(D-NV3)
RepresentativeCarolShea-Porter(D-NH1)
RepresentativeClaudiaTenney(R-NY22)
ResidentCommissionerJennifferGonzález(R-PuertoRico)
2
Democrats
Womenare18%ofHousefreshmanand57%of
newcomerstotheSenatein2017.Morespecifically,
womenare30%ofHousefreshmanDemocrats,7%of
HousefreshmanRepublicans,andfouroffivenew
Democraticsenators.BothofthetwonewRepublican
senatorsaremen.
3
103rd(1993-1995)
102nd(1991-1993)
101st(1989-1991)
4
10
PartisanDifferencesinWomen’sCongressionalRepresentation
ProportionofWomeninEachPartyCaucusbyChamber,2017
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
Men
90.39
91.18
50%
Women
66.67
68.04
40%
30%
20%
10%
33.33
31.96
9.61
8.82
0%
HouseDemocrats HouseRepublicans SenateDemocrats SenateRepublicans
Womenarejustunderonethird(32.2%)ofall
Democratsinthe115th
Congress,whileRepublican
womenarejustninepercent
ofallRepublicansholding
congressionalseatsin2017.1
Thisisnotsignificantly
differentfromthewithinpartyrepresentationof
womeninthe114thCongress.
Source:CenterforAmericanWomenandPolitics,RutgersUniversity
ProportionofWomeninEachPartyinCongress,1981-2017
40
35
Percent
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Democrats
Republicans
Source:CenterforAmericanWomenandPolitics,RutgersUniversity
WomenofColorinthe115thCongress
Thirty-eightwomenofcolor(35D,3R)serveinthe115thCongress,asdofourwomenofcolor(2D,2R)who
serveasdelegates.SevenAsian/PacificIslanderwomenareHouseDemocratsandtwoAsian-PacificIslander
womenareDemocraticmembersoftheSenate.KamalaHarris,whoidentifiesasbothSouthAsianandBlack,
isaDemocraticSenator.ShejoinsRepresentativePramilaJayapal(D-WA)asthefirstSouthAsianwomento
serveinCongress.InadditiontoHarris,seventeenBlackDemocraticwomenandoneBlackRepublicanwoman
serveintheHouse.TheloneLatinaintheSenate,DemocratCatherineCortez-Masto,isthefirsteverelected
totheU.S.Senate.NinemoreLatinasserveintheHouse,includingsevenDemocratsandtwoRepublicans.
1
ThisincludestwoIndependentsenatorswhocaucuswiththeDemocrats.
Women’sCongressionalRepresentationbyState
NewRepresentativeLisaBluntRochester(D)isthefirstwoman,andwomanofcolor,toserveinDelaware’s
congressionaldelegation.DelawarewasoneofthreestatesthathadsentonlymentoCongressasof2016.In2017,
MississippiandVermontremaintheonlystatesthathaveneversentawomantotheU.S.Capitol.
SenatorCatherineCortez-Mastoisalsothefirstwoman,andfirstwomanofcolor,whomNevadahaselectedtotheU.S.
Senate.WhileCaliforniahaselectedmultiplewomentotheU.S.Senate,KamalaHarrisisthefirstwomanofcolorthe
statehassenttotheSenate.Likewise,RepresentativePramilaJayapalisthefirstwomanofcolorwhomWashingtonhas
senttoCongress.
StateswithWomeninCongress,2017
Thirteenstateshavenowomenrepresenting
theminthe115thCongress:AR,GA,ID,KY,LA,
MD,MS,MT,OK,PA,RI,SC,VT.
TheSenatehasthreeall-womendelegations
representingCalifornia,NewHampshire,and
Washington,thesamestatesthathadtwo
femaleSenatorsinthe114thCongress.Five
stateshaveonlywomenservingintheHouse:
Delaware(1Representative),Hawaii(2
Representatives),NewHampshire(2
Representatives),SouthDakota(1
Representative),andWyoming(1
Representative).NewHampshireistheonly
statewithanall-womancongressional
delegationin2017,andallofthemembersare
Democrats.
Source:CenterforAmericanWomenandPolitics,RutgersUniversity
ForMoreInformation
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