104 Women to Serve in Congress

By Kathy Groob, Founder ElectWomen- Often we tend to focus on disappointments rather than accomplishments, as there were many heartbreaking losses this year for women candidates.  It would have been wonderful to see Michelle Nunn, Alison Lundergan-Grimes and Natalie Tennant in the United States Senate. And we will miss the spirit of bi-partisan compromise that the two women who lost their seats, Kay Hagan and Mary Landrieu, often brought to the Senate.

But as we pop the cork on New Year’s Eve, let us all take a moment to celebrate the two new women who will join the Senate; Iowa’s first woman in Congress, Joni Ernst, and West Virginia’s Shelley Moore Capito, both Republicans. They will join the ranks of two great compromisers, Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), both winning re-election.  While the needle did not move forward, we did not fall backwards in terms of the numbers–twenty women will hold seats in the US Senate beginning in 2015.

According to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a total of 12 new women have been elected to the United States House of Representatives, bringing the 2015 class to 84. There were 79 women serving in the House in 2014. The new women in the U.S. House are: Martha McSally (R-AZ); Norma Torres (D-CA); Mimi Walters (R-CA); Gwen Graham (D-FL); Debbie Dingell (D-MI); Brenda Lawrence (D-MI); Alma Adams (D-NC); Bonnie Watson Coleman (DNJ); Kathleen Rice (D-NY); Elise Stefanik (R-NY); Mia Love (R-UT); Barbara Comstock (R-VA).

There will be a record number of 32 women of color in the House (29D, 3R), including 18 African American women (17D, 1R), 9 Latinas (7D, 2R), and 5 Asian/Pacific Islander Americans (5D).  Mia Love will be the first African American Republican woman elected to Congress.

Rhode Island elected its first woman governor, Democrat Gina Raimondo won her election by 4.5% points.  We enter the year with a disappointing five women governors and eleven lieutenant governors.

Last week I had the privilege of attending the swearing in ceremony for a woman who was elected to her first term as as judge in Kentucky.  My heart was full of pride and joy watching her raise her hand and swear an oath to serve the public with honor and respect.  It reminded me that we need to stop and celebrate our victories before moving on to the next election cycle.

While parity is a long way off, particularly in statewide executive office positions, positive gains were made in 2014.   So let’s celebrate and come January, get to work recruiting, training and electing more women to office. Happy New Year!

Data courtesy of The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP)

http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/press_room/news/documents/PressRelease_11-05-14-electionresults.pdf