Seniority in both houses of the United States Congress is valuable as it confers a number of benefits and is based on length of continuous service, with ties broken by a series of factors. The following lists the most senior women in either or both houses of Congress, sometimes called the "dean of women" in either chamber.
Synopsis In the House, Edith Nourse Rogers, who served 35 years from 1925 to 1960 as one of the first women elected to Congress (and the first woman elected from Massachusetts), was the longest-serving female Representative upon her death in office in 1960. Her record was surpassed in 2018 by Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, who has served in the House since 1983.
In the Senate, Republican Margaret Chase Smith, who served for 23 years from 1949 to 1973 as a senator from Maine, was the longest-serving female Senator upon her retirement. Her record was surpassed in 2011 by Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, who served for 30 years from 1987 to 2017.
Across both houses of Congress, Rogers' 35 years of service from 1925 to 1960 was the longest for a female member when she died in office in 1960. Her record was surpassed in 2012 by Mikulski, who served a total of 40 years in Congress from 1977 to 2017 (10 years in the House of Representatives and 30 years in the Senate).
Maxine Waters and Eleanor Holmes Norton, both inaugurated in 1991, are the longest-serving African-American women (and women of color) in the House. Patsy Mink, who was the dean of women in the House from 1997 to 2002, was the longest-serving Asian-American woman in the House (and Congress). Carol Moseley Braun is the longest-serving (and first) African-American woman (and woman of color) in the Senate. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the longest-serving Hispanic or Latina American woman in the House. Edith Nourse Rogers is the longest-serving Republican woman in the House. Catherine Cortez Masto is the longest-serving Hispanic or Latina American woman in the Senate. Tammy Baldwin is the longest-serving LGBT woman in both the House and Senate. Nita Lowey is the longest-serving Jewish-American woman in the House. Dianne Feinstein is the longest-serving (and first) Jewish-American woman in the Senate. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, both inaugurated in 2019, are the first and longest-serving Muslim women in the House (and in Congress).
Women of the House of Representatives
ImageNamePartyDistrictEntered the HouseBecame most senior womanTenure endedTotal TenureTenure as DeanNotesRepublicanUpon taking officeMarch 4, 1919First woman elected to a national officeRetired to run unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate election in Montana, 1918Later served another two-year term from –January 3, 1943House vacant of women (March 4, 1919-March 4, 1921)RepublicanOklahoma's 2ndUpon taking officeMarch 4, 1923First woman to defeat an incumbent congressmanLost reelectionRepublicanCalifornia's 5thMarch 4, 1923March 4, 1925Succeeded her husbandRetiredRepublicanCalifornia's 4thUpon taking officeJanuary 3, 1937First woman to be reelectedFirst Jewish woman electedSucceeded her husbandLost reelectionDemocraticNew Jersey's 12th & 13thJanuary 3, 1937January 3, 1951First Democratic woman electedFirst woman to chair a standing committee (House District of Columbia Committee)RedistrictedRetiredRepublicanMassachusetts's 5th January 3, 1951September 10, 1960Succeeded her husbandFirst Chair of the House Veterans' Affairs CommitteeSecond-longest serving woman in the HouseDied in officeRepublicanOhio's 22ndSeptember 10, 1960January 3, 1969Succeeded her husbandLost reelectionDemocraticMissouri's 3rdJanuary 3, 1969January 3, 1977Succeeded her husband (though not immediately)First woman Chair of the House Merchant Marine CommitteeRetiredRepublicanMassachusetts's 10thJanuary 3, 1977January 3, 1983Lost reelectionLater became United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and United States Ambassador to IrelandRepublicanMaryland's 4thJanuary 3, 1983January 3, 1987RetiredDemocraticColorado's 1stJanuary 3, 1987January 3, 1997RetiredDemocraticHawaii's at-large & 2ndJanuary 3, 1997January 3, 197724 years, 249 daysFirst woman of color electedRedistrictedRan for President of the United States in the Democratic Party presidential primaries, 1972 (Oregon only)First Asian American woman to run for PresidentRetired to run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate election in Hawaii, 1976Later became Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific AffairsFirst dean of color of women in CongressDied in officeHawaii's 2ndSeptember 28, 2002RepublicanNew Jersey's 7th & 5thSeptember 28, 2002January 3, 2003RedistrictedRetiredRepublicanConnecticut's 6th & 5thJanuary 3, 2003January 3, 2007RedistrictedLost reelectionDemocraticOhio's 9th January 3, 2007presentCurrent dean of women in CongressLongest-serving woman in the HouseMost senior female representative ever (#4 on the seniority list)
Women of the Senate
ImageName(lifespan)PartyStateEntered the SenateBecame most senior womanTenure endedTotal TenureTenure as DeanNotesDemocraticGeorgiaUpon taking officeFirst woman to serve in the SenateAppointment endedSenate vacant of women (November 22, 1922–December 9, 1931)DemocraticArkansasUpon taking officeFirst woman to win reelection to the SenateLost renominationSenate vacant of women (January 3, 1945–October 6, 1948)RepublicanSouth DakotaUpon taking officeFirst Republican woman to serve in the SenateAppointment endedSenate vacant of women (December 26, 1948–January 3, 1949)RepublicanMaineUpon taking officeLost reelectionSenate vacant of women (January 3, 1973–January 25, 1978)DemocraticMinnesotaUpon taking officeAppointment endedSenate vacant of women (November 7, 1978–December 23, 1978)RepublicanKansasUpon taking officeRetiredDemocraticMarylandRetiredDemocraticCaliforniaDied in officeDemocraticWashingtonpresentLongest-serving woman in the SenateMost senior female senator ever (#3 on the seniority list) First female president pro tempore
Most senior by party Combined Total NameStateStartEndTotal Tenure(Congressional)Montana191719194 years, 0 days Vacant19191921Oklahoma19211923California19231925California19251937New JerseyNew Jersey19371951Massachusetts19511960Maine19601973Missouri19731977Massachusetts19771983Maryland19831987ColoradoColorado19871997Maryland19972017Ohio2017present
Democratic NameStateStartEndTotal Tenure(Congressional)Georgia19221922 Vacant19221925New Jersey19251951Utah19511953New York19531969Missouri19691977New York19771983Colorado19831997Maryland19972017Ohio2017present
Republican NameStateStartEndTotal Tenure(Congressional)Montana191719194 years, 0 days Vacant19191921Oklahoma19211923California19231925California19251937Massachusetts19371960Maine19601973Massachusetts19731983Maryland19831987Nebraska19871991Maine19912013Florida20132019Texas20192025MaineMaine2025present
House Democratic NameStateStartEndTotal Tenure(House)New Jersey19251951Utah19511953New York19531969Missouri19691977New York19771983Colorado19831997Hawaii1997200224 years, 249 daysOhio2002present
Republican NameStateStartEndTotal Tenure(House)Montana191719194 years, 0 days Vacant19191921Oklahoma19211923California19231925California19251937Massachusetts19371960Ohio19601969New Jersey19691973Massachusetts19731983Maryland19831987Nebraska19871991Maine19911995New Jersey19952003Connecticut20032007Florida20072019Texas20192025North Carolina2025present
Senate Democratic NameStateStartEndTotal Tenure(Senate)Georgia19221922 Vacant19221931Arkansas19311945 Vacant19451960Oregon19601967 Vacant19671972Louisiana19721972 Vacant19721978Minnesota19781978 Vacant19781987Maryland19872017California20172023Washington2023present
Republican NameStateStartEndTotal Tenure(Senate)South Dakota19381939 Vacant19391948South Dakota19481948 Vacant19481949Maine19491973 Vacant19731978Kansas19781997Texas19972013Maine2013present
See also Mother of the House Women in the United States Senate Women in the United States House of Representatives Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues Democratic Women's Caucus Republican Women's Caucus
Notes