The number of women in the U.S. Senate increased to an all-time high of 14 when former Senator and now Alaska Governor, Frank Murkowski (R-AK), appointed his daughter, Lisa Murkowski, to fill the remaining two years of his Senate term. Sen. Murkowski was sworn in on December 20, making her the first woman ever to hold a statewide federal office in Alaska.
Sen. Murkowski served in the Alaska State House of Representatives for four years, where, most recently, she was House Majority Leader and a member of the Rules and Judiciary Committees. As a state representative, she focused on tax issues and sponsored legislation to conduct a study of gender equity in the salaries of Alaska state employees.
