The results of a highly-contentious election left the congressional landscape largely unchanged. The Republicans maintained control of the House of Representatives, holding a 234-201 advantage over their Democrat counterparts. Democrats maintained leadership in the Senate, holding onto 55 seats compared to the 45 seats held by Republicans in that chamber.
Of the 163 women who ran for seats in the House of Representatives this election cycle, 81 (including three delegates) will be sworn in as Members of the 113th Congress when it convenes in January. This record number represents a net increase of four seats held by women in the House. Seventy-seven women held a seat at the close of the 112th Congress.* Reps. Sue Myrick (R-NC) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) announced their retirement earlier in the year, while incumbent Reps. Sandy Adams (R-FL) and Jean Schmidt (R-OH) were defeated during the primary elections. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) vacated their seats in the House for successful Senate bids. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) was unsuccessful in her Senate race. Reps. Judy Biggert (R-IL), Ann Marie Buerkle (R-NY), Nan Hayworth (R-NY), Kathy Hochul (D-NY), Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), Laura Richardson (D-CA), and Betty Sutton (D-OH) lost their reelection bids. Of the women who will serve in the House, 20 are Republicans and 61 are Democrats.
A record 20 women also will serve in the Senate during the next Congress. This number represents a net increase of three seats held by women following the retirements of Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Of the women to serve in the Senate, 16 will be Democrats and four will be Republicans.
*Suzan DelBene (D-WA) was sworn in on November 13 to represent the 1st District of Washington for the remainder of the 112th Congress.
Sen.-elect Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) defeated former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI) for the seat vacated by Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI). First elected to political office when she was elected to the Dane County Board of Supervisors in 1986, the former representative served for seven terms in the House of Representatives. She is an advocate for universal health care, ending violence against women, pay equity, and renewable energy. She is the first openly gay woman elected to the Senate.
Sen.-elect Deb Fischer (R-NE) defeated former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D) for the seat vacated by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE). She served on the Nebraska Association of School Boards and Coordinating Commission for Post-Secondary Education. She was elected to the Nebraska Unicameral. Her priorities include education, transportation, tax reform, and economic improvement.
Sen.-elect Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) defeated Rep. Rick Berg (R-ND). The former North Dakota attorney general also served in the Office of the North Dakota State Tax Commissioner before being elected to the position herself. She also served as an attorney for the Environmental Protection Agency. Health care and agriculture are expected to be among her top priorities.
Sen.-elect Mazie Hirono (D-HI) defeated former Gov. Linda Lingle (R-HI) for the seat vacated by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI). She served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 1980-1994. She successfully ran for Lieutenant Governor in 1994. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms. She is an advocate for education, clean energy, infrastructure improvements, and small businesses. She is the first Asian American woman elected to the Senate.
Sen.-elect Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) defeated Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA). The former law professor taught at several universities and served on the National Bankruptcy Review Commission. She was a member of the FDIC Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion and a former vice president of the American Law Institute. She is an advocate for pay equity, health care, education, and financial reform.
Rep.-elect Joyce Beatty (D-OH) defeated Chris Long (R) to represent the newly created 3rd District. She served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1999-2009. Education, health care, and small business issues are likely to be top priorities for the former administrator at Ohio State University.
Rep.-elect Julia Brownley (D-CA) defeated Tony Strickland (R) for the seat vacated by Rep. David Dreier (R-CA), who is retiring. She served as president of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education before being elected to the California State Assembly. She is likely to be an advocate for health care and preventing domestic violence.
Rep.-elect Susan Brooks (R-IN) defeated Scott Reske (D) for the seat vacated by Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN). Health care, job creation, and education are likely to be among the top priorities for the former U.S. Attorney and college administrator from Ivy Tech Community College.
Rep.-elect Cheri Bustos (D-IL) defeated incumbent Rep. Bobby Schilling (R-IL). She served as alderman on the East Moline City Council and worked in corporate communications for several years. Economic development and women’s issues are likely to be among her top priorities.
Rep.-elect Suzan DelBene (D-WA) defeated John Koster (R) for the seat vacated by Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA). A former Microsoft employee, she is a management consultant for a global nonprofit organization. She is likely to be an advocate for women’s issues, renewable energy, and Social Security reform. She will be sworn in on November 13 to represent the 1st District’s for the remainder of the 112th Congress.
Rep.-elect Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) defeated incumbent Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL). A strong supporter of veterans’ rights, women’s issues, and clean energy, the former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs served in the Illinois Army National Guard and was wounded while serving in Iraq.
Rep.-elect Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) defeated Andrew Roraback (R) for the seat vacated by Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who ran for the Senate. An attorney, professor, and former Cheshire Town Councilmember, she is an advocate for women’s rights, veterans’ rights, and clean energy.
Rep.-elect Lois Frankel (D-FL) defeated Adam Hasner (R) for the newly created 22nd District of Florida. The mayor of West Palm Beach, she was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1986. Reproductive health, Social Security, and Medicare are likely to be among her top priorities in Congress.
Rep.-elect Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) defeated David Crowley (R) for the seat vacated by Rep. Mazie Hirono, who ran for the Senate. A member of the Honolulu City Council and the Hawaii National Guard, she is an advocate for small businesses, Medicare, and Social Security. She is the first Hindu American elected to Congress.
Rep.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) defeated Janice Arnold-Jones (R) for the seat vacated by Rep. Martin Heinrich (R-NM), who ran for the Senate. She served as the secretary of Aging and Long Term Services and head of the Department of Health. She is likely to focus on women’s issues, domestic violence, and renewable energy.
Rep.-elect Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) defeated Jonathan Paton (R) to reclaim the seat she lost to Rep. Paul Gosar (R) in 2010. First elected to the House in 2008, she was the first female Deputy Coconino County Attorney and served as the Sedona City Attorney. She is likely to focus on small business issues, education, and job training.
Rep.-elect Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) defeated Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH). An attorney and founder and former vice-chair of the Women’s Fund of New Hampshire, she also served on the board of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. She is likely to advocate on behalf of women’s issues, education, and small businesses while in Congress.
Rep.-elect Grace Meng (D-NY) defeated Dan Halloran (R) for the newly created 6th District of New York. The pro bono attorney served in the New York State Assembly since 2008 and is a board member of the American Red Cross. Domestic abuse, pay equity, Social Security, and Medicare are likely to be among her top priorities.
Rep.-elect Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-CA) defeated Rep. Joe Baca (R-CA). A member of the California State Assembly from 2002-2006 and the State Senate from 2006 to the present, she chaired the Public Employment and Retirement Committee and co-chaired the Joint Legislative Budget Conference Committee. She is an advocate for working families and job creation.
Rep.-elect Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) defeated Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH) to reclaim the seat she lost to Rep. Guinta in 2010. The former social worker directed senior centers in New Orleans and Maryland. She is expected to advocate for health care, education, and renewable energy.
Rep.-elect Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) defeated Vernon Parker (R). She worked as a social worker and criminal defense attorney before serving in the Arizona House of Representatives and later the Arizona State Senate. Education, health care, and Social Security are likely to be among her priorities.
Rep.-elect Dina Titus (D-NV) defeated Chris Edwards (R) for the seat vacated by Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV), who ran for the Senate. First elected to the House of Representatives in 2008, the former professor is an advocate for education and reproductive health.
Rep.-elect Ann Wagner (R-MO) defeated Glenn Koenen (D) for the seat vacated by Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO), who ran for the Senate. The former ambassador to Luxembourg and chair of the Missouri Republican party is likely to focus on job creation, health care, and energy policy.
Rep.-elect Jackie Walorski (R-IN) defeated Brendan Mullen (D) for the seat vacated by Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN). She is a former member of the Indiana House of Representatives and television reporter in South Bend, IN. Social Security and health care are likely to be among her top priorities.
