Women won the right to vote in 1920, when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution went into effect. Until recent decades, men were the majority of voters in national elections and greatly outnumbered women as elected officials. In every national election since 1964, however, the majority of voters have been women; and, since 1980, the number of women in federal and state elective office has virtually doubled. A total of 200 women have served in Congress, 129 Democrats and 71 Republicans. Of these women, 173 have served only in the House; 22 have served only in the Senate; and five have served in both houses. The figures include one Delegate each from Hawaii, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands. This book identifies the committee assignments, dates of service, and (for Representatives) districts of the 200 female members of Congress.

Author Biography

Janet V Lewis