Historical Data
Women Elected to Party Leadership Positions, 1949–Present
Twenty-four women in congressional history have been elected by their peers into the Democratic and Republican Party leadership—18 in the House and six in the Senate. The first was Connecticut Representative Chase Going Woodhouse, who served a single term as Secretary of the Democratic Caucus in the 81st Congress (1949–1951). Illinois Representative Lynn Martin became the first Republican woman elected to a House leadership position when she won the vice chair post in the Republican Conference in the 99th–100th Congresses (1985–1989). The first woman elected to a Senate leadership position was Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, who chaired the Senate Republican Conference in the 90th—92nd Congresses (1967–1973). California Representative Nancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking woman in congressional history—having served as House Democratic Whip and House Democratic Leader, prior to being elected Speaker of the House in 2007.
Congress | Member Name | Caucus/Conference | Position |
---|---|---|---|
81st | Chase Going Woodhouse | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
83rd | Edna Flannery Kelly | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
84th | Edna Flannery Kelly | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
86th | Leonor K. Sullivan | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
87th | Leonor K. Sullivan | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
88th | Edna Flannery Kelly 1 | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
88th | Leonor K. Sullivan | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
89th | Leonor K. Sullivan | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
90th | Margaret Chase Smith | Republican Conference | Chair |
90th | Leonor K. Sullivan | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
91st | Margaret Chase Smith | Republican Conference | Chair |
91st | Leonor K. Sullivan | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
92nd | Margaret Chase Smith | Republican Conference | Chair |
92nd | Leonor K. Sullivan | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
93rd | Leonor K. Sullivan | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
94th | Patsy T. Mink | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
95th | Shirley Anita Chisholm | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
96th | Shirley Anita Chisholm | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
97th | Geraldine Anne Ferraro | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
98th | Geraldine Anne Ferraro | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
99th | Lynn Martin | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
99th | Mary Rose Oakar | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
100th | Lynn Martin | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
100th | Mary Rose Oakar | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
104th | Barbara B. Kennelly | Democratic Caucus | Vice Chair |
104th | Barbara Ann Mikulski | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
104th | Susan Molinari | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
104th | Barbara F. Vucanovich | Republican Conference | Secretary |
105th | Jennifer Dunn | Republican Conference | Secretary |
105th | Jennifer Dunn | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
105th | Barbara B. Kennelly | Democratic Caucus | Vice Chair |
105th | Barbara Ann Mikulski | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
105th | Susan Molinari | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
105th | Olympia Jean Snowe | Republican Conference | Secretary |
106th | Tillie Kidd Fowler | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
106th | Barbara Ann Mikulski | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
106th | Deborah D. Pryce | Republican Conference | Secretary |
106th | Olympia Jean Snowe | Republican Conference | Secretary |
107th | Barbara L. Cubin | Republican Conference | Secretary |
107th | Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
107th | Barbara Ann Mikulski | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
107th | Nancy Pelosi | Democratic Caucus | Whip |
107th | Deborah D. Pryce | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
108th | Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
108th | Barbara Ann Mikulski | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
108th | Nancy Pelosi | Democratic Caucus | Leader |
108th | Deborah D. Pryce | Republican Conference | Chair |
109th | Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
109th | Nancy Pelosi | Democratic Caucus | Leader |
109th | Deborah D. Pryce | Republican Conference | Chair |
109th | Deborah A. Stabenow | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
110th | Kay Granger | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
110th | Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison | Republican Conference | Policy Committee Chairwoman |
110th | Patty Murray | Democratic Caucus | Secretary |
110th | Nancy Pelosi | U.S. House of Representatives | Speaker of the House |
111th | Cathy McMorris Rodgers | Republican Conference | Vice Chair |
111th | Nancy Pelosi | U.S. House of Representatives | Speaker of the House |
112th | Nancy Pelosi | Democratic Caucus | Leader |
Footnotes
- Kelly and Sullivan shared the Secretary post during the 88th Congress, with Kelly serving in the second session.