Milestones in Women’s U.S. Political History

By: Miriam Edelman

Women’s History Month occurs every March. In honor of the nation’s upcoming 250^th birthday, DCNOW highlights women who have made political history in the U.S. while discussing other notable points of women’s political history in our nation. Several women were elected before women gained the right to vote, but much of the women’s political history has been made during the past 40 years.

This piece is not all-inclusive. It does not state all women who made history. Instead, it discusses some notable history-making milestones, including Nancy Pelosi’s becoming the first female Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Some of the firsts in this document have never happened again. For example, Pelosi is still the only woman to have been Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Top moments include:

-          In 1872, Victoria Woodhull was the first female Presidential candidate. She was the Presidential nominee of the Equal Rights Party.

-          In 1895, Clara Cressingham, Carrie Clyde Holly and Frances Klock became the U.S.’s first female state legislators. They were elected to the Colorado House of Representatives.

-          In 1916, Jeannette Rankin was the first woman in U.S. history to win a seat in the U.S. Congress.

-          In 1920, the 19th amendment granted women suffrage in 1920.

-          In 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton (D-GA) became the first female to serve in the U.S. Senate.

-          In 1923, Mae Ella Nolan (R-CA) was the first female elected to Congress to serve the rest of her husband’s term.

-          In 1924, Nellie Taylor was the first female to be elected Governor when she was elected Wyoming’s Governor.

-          In 1925, Representative Mae Ella Nolan (R-CA) became the first female Chair of a Congressional Committee. She was Chair of the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department.

-          In 1926 – Berta Landes became the first woman to lead a major U.S. city when she was elected as Mayor of Seattle.

-          In 1932, Hattie Ophelia Wyatt Caraway was the first female elected to the U.S. Senate. She was also the “first woman to preside over the Senate, the first to chair a Senate committee, and the first to preside over a Senate hearing.”

-          In 1933, Frances Perkins became the first female U.S. Cabinet member when she became U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt's Labor Secretary.

-          In 1934, Florence Allen became the first woman to be a federal appeals court judge. She was named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

-          In 1940, Matilda Lodge became the nation’s first female Lieutenant Governor when she became Michigan’s Lieutenant Governor.

-          In 1945, Frances Perkins because the first female to be Cabinet Member of two Presidents. She served in the Cabinets of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. Truman did not appoint Perkins, who was a holdover from Roosevelt.

-          In 1949, Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME) became the first female to be a Member of both Congressional chambers.

-          In 1949, Helen Eugenie Moore Anderson was the first female U.S. Ambassador. She was Ambassador to Denmark.

-          In 1949, Burnita Shelton became the first female to be a federal district court judge. President Harry Truman named her to the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia.

-          In 1965, Patsy Mink (D-HI) became the first female of color elected to Congress. She was the first Asian-American female Member of Congress. She was also the first Asian-American to run for President.

-          In 1965, Lorna E. Lockwood became the first female to serve as a chief justice of a state court. She became the Chief Justice of Arizona’s Supreme Court.

-          In 1965, Patricia Roberts Harris was the first African-American female Ambassador. She was U.S.’s Ambassador to Luxembourg until 1967.

-          In 1969, Representative Shirley Chishom (D-NY) became the first African-American woman Member of Congress.

-          In 1972, Shirley Chisholm was the first female and first African-American to run for the Presidential nomination of one of the two major political parties.

-          In 1972, Theodora Nathan was the first female to receive an electoral vote. She was the Vice Presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party.

-          In 1973, Representative Yvonne Brathwaite Burke (D-CA) became the first sitting Member of Congress to give birth.

-          In 1977, Mari-Luci Jaramillo became first female Hispanic Ambassador. She was President Jimmy Carter’s Ambassador to Honduras until 1980.

-          In 1977, Patricia Roberts Harris was the first African-American female to be appointed to a Presidential cabinet. She was the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for President Jimmy Carter.

-          In 1979, Shirley M. Hufstedler was the first Secretary of Education.

-          In 1979, Patricia Roberts Harris was the first female to have served as in two Presidential cabinet positions. She was Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and then Carter’s Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare/Health and Human Services.

-          In 1981, Jeane Kirkpatrick was the first female U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.  

-          In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

-          In 1983, Elizabeth Dole was the first female U.S. Secretary of Transportation. She served under President Ronald Reagan.

-          In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro became the first female to run on a major political party's Presidential ticket when she ran as Walter Mondale's (D) Vice President running mate.

-          In 1985, Margaret Heckler became the first female to have been a U.S. Representative, a cabinet secretary, and an ambassador.

-          In 1989, Carla Hills became the first woman to be United States Trade Representative.

-          In 1989, Elizabeth Dole was the first female to have been appointed to and serve in Presidential cabinets of two Presidents.

-          In 1989, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) was the first Hispanic female elected to the U.S. Congress. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

-          In 1989, Julia Chang Block was the first Asian-American Ambassador. She was President George H. W. Bush’s Ambassador to Nepal.

-          In 1991, Sharon Prett Kelly became the nation’s first African-American female of a large U.S. city when she became the Mayor of Washington, D.C.

-          In 1992, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) became the first Jewish female Senator. 

-          In 1993, Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL) became the first African-American woman to be a U.S. Senator.

-          In 1993, California became the first state to have two female U.S. Senators at the same time.

-          In 1993, Janet Reno became the first female Attorney General of the U.S.

-          In 1993, Carol Browner was the first female Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. She served under President Bill Clinton.

-          In 1993, Hazel O’Leary became the first female and first African-American to be Secretary of Energy. She served under Bill Clinton.

-          In 1993, Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Blanche Lambert (D-AR) were the first women to play in the Congressional Baseball Game.

-          In 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the first Jewish woman U.S. Supreme Court Justice. President Bill Clinton appointed her.

-          In 1994, Alice Rivlin became the first female Director of the Office of Management and Budget. She served under President Bill Clinton.

-          In 1997, Aída Álvarez was the first Latina member of a Presidential cabinet. She was the Administrator of the Small Business Administration under President Bill Clinton.

-          In 1997, Madeleine Albright became the first female Secretary of State, serving under President Bill Clinton.

-          In 1998, Tammy Baldwin became the first non-incumbent LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress and was the first “out” lesbian Representative.

-          In 2000, Hillary Clinton (D-NY) became the first First Lady to be elected to public office, winning a U.S. Senate seat from New York State.

-          In 2001, Elaine Chao was the first Asian-American female to be in a Presidential Cabinet. She was Secretary of Labor for President George W. Bush.

-          In 2001, Gale Norton was the first female Secretary of Interior. She served under President George W. Bush.

-          In 2002, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was elected to be the first female to lead a party in Congress when she was elected to be the first be Democratic Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.

-          In 2007, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) became the first woman to be Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

-          In 2008, Hillary Clinton was the first woman to be a candidate for President in every primary and caucus in all states.

-          In 2008, Hillary Clinton was the first female winner of a major party’s presidential primary when she won New Hampshire’s primary election.

-          In 2008, Karen Bass became the first African-American leader of a state legislative chamber in the U.S. when she was sworn in as Speaker of the California State Assembly.

-          In 2008, Sarah Palin (R-AK) became the first female on the Republicans' Presidential ticket when she ran as John McCain's Vice President running mate.

-          In 2008, Jean Shaheen (D-NH) made history by becoming the first female to be elected both Governor and U.S. Senator when she was elected to the U.S. Senate.

-          In 2009, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) was the first female to preside over a Presidential inauguration when she was the Master of Ceremonies during the first inauguration of Barack Obama.

-          In 2009, Hillary Clinton became the first First Lady to have been in a Presidential cabinet. She was Secretary of State for President Barack Obama. She was the first female Senator to later serve in a Presidential cabinet.

-          In 2009, Janet Napolitano became the first female to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She served under President Barack Obama

-          In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court Justice. President Barack Obama appointed her.

-          In 2010, Nikki Haley (R-SC) became the first woman of color Governor and the first female Asian Governor. She was Governor of South Carolina.

-          In 2011, Susana Martinez (R-NM) became the nation’s first elected Hispanic female Governor. She was Governor of New Mexico.

-          In 2012, when Mazie Hirono (D-HI) was elected to the U.S. Senate, she became the first woman of color to be elected to both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

-          In 2013, New Hampshire became the U.S.'s first state to have an all-female Congressional delegation and female Governor.

-          In 2013, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) became the U.S.'s first openly homosexual U.S. Senator and became the first LGBTQ+ person to be a member of both Congressional chambers.

-          In 2013, Mazie Hirono (D-HI) became the U.S.'s first Asian-American female U.S. Senator, the first Asian immigrant Senator, and the first Buddhist Senator.

-          In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) became the first Hindu in Congress.

-          In 2013, the Democratic caucus in the U.S. House was not majority Caucasian men for the first time ever.

-          In 2013, at 80 years old, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) became the first female to be the oldest U.S. Senator.

-          In 2013, Sally Jewell became the first female Secretary of the Interior. She served under President Barack Obama.

-          In 2013, Janet Yellen became the first female Chair of the Federal Reserve.

-          In 2013, Julia Pierson was the first female Director of the U.S. Secret Service.

-          In 2014, Mia Love (R-UT) became the first African-American Republican female elected to Congress.

-          In 2014, Joni Ernst (R-IA) was elected to be the first female combat veteran U.S. Senator.

-          In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first female Presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party.

-          In 2016, Kellyanne Conway was the first female to manage a winning Presidential campaign. She ran Donald Trump’s campaign.

-          In 2016, Hillary Clinton was the first woman to win the Presidential popular vote.

-          In 2016, Kamala Harris (D-CA) was elected to be the first biracial female U.S. Senator. She is African-American and Asian-American.

-          In 2016, Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) was elected to be the first Hispanic female U.S. Senator.

-          In 2017, Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) was the first female double amputee to be Senator.

-          In 2017, New Hampshire became the U.S.'s first state to have an all-female, all-Democratic Congressional delegation.

-          In 2017, Slovenian-native Melania Trump became the first non-native English speaker U.S. First Lady.

-          In 2017, Delaware was the first state to have an all-female of color U.S. House delegation (one Member).

-          In 2017, Elaine Chao was the first Asian female to have been appointed to and served in Presidential cabinets of two Presidents.

-          In 2018, Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) became the first sitting U.S. Senator to give birth and the first female to give birth as a member of both Congressional chambers.

-          In 2018, Gina Haspel became the first female Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

-          In 2018, at age 29 years old, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) became the youngest female elected to Congress. 

-          In 2018, Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Sharice Davids (D-KS) were the first two Native American women elected to the U.S. Congress. They both became Representatives.

-          In 2018, Nevada became the first state to have a female-majority legislature.

-          In 2019, a record number of women ran for President at the same time. They were Democrats Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tulsi Gabbard, and Marianne Williamson.

-          In 2020, New Mexico became the first state to have a multi-member U.S. House delegation of all women of color.

-          In 2020, Sarah McBride was elected to be the first openly transgender state senator in the history of the U.S.

-          In 2021, Kamala Harris became the first female, first African-American, and first Asian-American U.S. Vice President.

-          In 2021, Janet Yellen was the first female Secretary of the Treasury. She served under President Joe Biden. She became the first person to have led the White House Council of Economic Advisors, the Federal Reserve, and the Treasury Department. 

-          In 2021, Rachel Levine was the first openly transgender official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate confirmed her to be Assistant Secretary for Health. She served under President Joe Biden.

-          In 2021, Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi were the first two women to share the stage during a Presidential address to a joint session of Congress.

-          In 2021, Deb Haaland became the first Native American member of the U.S. Cabinet when she became U.S. Secretary of the Interior. She served under President Joe Biden.

-          In 2021, Rachel Levine was sworn in as the first female four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She served under President Joe Biden.

-          In 2021, Kamala Harris became the first female with Presidential power. She had Presidential power for 85 minutes when President Joe Biden was under anesthesia for a colonoscopy.

-          In 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first African-American female U.S. Supreme Court Justice. President Joe Biden appointed her.

-          In 2022, Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) were the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. They both became Representatives.

-          As a result of the 2022 elections, for the first time in U.S. history, women served at the same time as Governor and Lieutenant Governor. As Rutgers reported, in Arkansas, Republicans Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge were elected in separate elections. In Massachusetts, Democrats Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll were elected as a ticket.

-          As a result of the elections of 2022, Maura Healey (D-MA) and Tina Kotek (D-OR) became the first two openly lesbian Governors.

-          In 2022, D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser became “the first African American woman to ever be elected to three, four-year terms as mayor of an American city.”

-          In 2022, Mary Peltola (D-AK) became the first Alaska Native Member of Congress. She was a Representative.

-          In 2023, females were Chair and Ranking Members of both the Senate and House Appropriations Committee for the first time.

-          In 2023, Vermont became the last state to have a female Member of Congress, as Becca Balint (D-VT) was elected to be Vermont’s sole Representative.

-          In 2023, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) became the first female to be President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate.

-          In 2023, Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AK) became the first daughter of a Governor to be Governor. She is Governor of Arkansas.

-          In 2023, Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) was the first African-American female Democrat to play in the annual Congressional Baseball Game.

-          In 2024, St. Paul, Minnesota, reportedly became the first city with an all-female City Council. All seven members were younger than 40 years old, and six of the seven members are women of color.

-          In 2024, Kamala Harris (D) became the first African-American woman and first Asian-American major-party presidential nominee.

-          In 2025, Sarah McBride (D-DE) became the first openly transgender Member of Congress. She serves in the U.S. House of Representatives.

-          In 2025, Susie Wiles became the first female White House Chief of Staff when she became the Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump.

-          In 2025, Tulsi Gabbard became the first Hindu American to have a position in a Presidential cabinet. She is the Director of National Intelligence for President Donald Trump.

-          In 2025, Ghazala Hashmi (D) became the first Muslim woman to be elected statewide in the U.S. when she was elected Virginia’s Lt. Governor.

-          From the 2025 elections, Mikie Sherill (D-NJ) became the first female military veteran to be Governor.

All this history is not enough. More progress needs to be made. There still has never been a female U.S. President or a female leader of a political party in the Senate. In addition, females have been underrepresented in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and in the U.S.'s governors.