New Record Number of Female U.S. Senators

By: Miriam Edelman

History was just made in the U.S. Senate. Since Senator Darline Graham (DG) (R-SC), took office on July 14, 2026, there is a record 27 female Senators, surpassing the 2020 record of 26 female Senators. DG replaced her late brother, long-time Senator Lindsey Graham (LG) (R-SC), who died on July 11, 2026. This piece discusses the current female Senators and follows up on DCNOW’s blog post, entitled “Senator Darline Graham Makes History.”

Current Female Senators

Female Senators currently represent 23 states: Alaska, Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Four states -- Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Washington State -- have two female Senators each.

The current female Senators are diverse in terms of political party and race/ethnicity. While 11 are Republicans, 16 are Democrats. The racial/ethnic division of female Senators is: African-American (two), Asian-American (two), Caucasian (22), and Latina (one).

Many female Senators served in government before joining the Senate. Eleven were U.S. Representatives while two (both from New Hampshire) were Governors. Female Senators also were Lt. Governor, served in their state legislatures, and had other government roles.

DG joins 13 female Senators who also were the first female Senators from their states: Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).

DG joins five other female Senators who initially became Senator by appointment: Murkowski, Ashley Moody (R-FL), Tina Smith (D-MN), Hyde-Smith, and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Four of them -- Murkowski, Smith, Hyde-Smith, and Gillibrand -- have all been subsequently elected to at least one full term.

Like DG, Murkowski was appointed to replace her close relative. In December 2002, Alaska’s new Governor Frank Murkowski appointed his daughter to replace him in the Senate, where he had served for 22 years. Frank Murkowski said, “Above all, I felt the person I appoint to the remaining two years of my term should be someone who shares my basic philosophy, my values.”

Final Thoughts

There will be some changes in terms of female Senators next year. The Senate will lose four retiring female Senators: Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Joni Ernst (R-IA). Some may be replaced by females. Other female Senators are up for re-election and could lose. In addition, according to Bloomberg, females Julia Letlow (R-LA) and Juliana Stratton (D-IL) are likely to replace men, Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) respectively next year. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) could win their gubernatorial elections and leave the Senate.

Will more history be made? Will the Senate ever be majority female?