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This is the list of women who have served as speakers and leaders of federal, state and territorial legislatures in the United States.
Name
Image
State
Legislative Body
Party
Mandate start
Mandate end
Term length
Minnie D. Craig
North Dakota
House of Representatives
Republican /NPL
January 3, 1933
January 8, 1935
2 years, 5 days
Consuelo N. Bailey
Vermont
House of Representatives
Republican
January 8, 1953
January 6, 1955
1 year, 363 days
Marion West Higgins
New Jersey
House of Representatives
Republican
January 12, 1965
January 11, 1966
364 days
Edness Kimball Wilkins
Wyoming
House of Representatives
Democratic
May 30, 1966
January 9, 1967
224 days
Verda James
Wyoming
House of Representatives
Republican
January 14, 1969
January 12, 1971
1 year, 363 days
Vera Katz
Oregon
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 14, 1985
November 10, 1990
5 years, 300 days
Debra R. Anderson
South Dakota
House of Representatives
Republican
January 13, 1987
January 12, 1988
364 days
Jane Dee Hull
Arizona
House of Representatives
Republican
January 2, 1989
July, 1992
3 years, 181 days
Dee Long
Minnesota
House of Representatives
Democratic–Farmer–Labor
January 6, 1992
September 15, 1993
1 year, 252 days
Ramona Barnes
Alaska
House of Representatives
Republican
January 11, 1993
January 16, 1995
2 years, 5 days
Gail Phillips
Alaska
House of Representatives
Republican
January 16, 1995
January 19, 1999
4 years, 3 days
Jo Ann Davidson
Ohio
House of Representatives
Republican
January 3, 1995
December 31, 2000
5 years, 363 days
Bev Clarno
Oregon
House of Representatives
Republican
January 9, 1995
January 13, 1997
2 years, 4 days
Doris Allen [ a]
California
State Assembly
Republican
June 5, 1995
September 14, 1995
70 days
Libby Mitchell
Maine
House of Representatives
Democratic
December 4, 1996
December 2, 1998
1 year, 363 days
Donna Sytek
New Hampshire
House of Representatives
Republican
December 4, 1996
December 6, 2000
4 years, 2 days
Moira K. Lyons
Connecticut
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 6, 1999
January 5, 2005
5 years, 365 days
Lynn Snodgrass
Oregon
House of Representatives
Republican
January 11, 1999
January 8, 2001
1 year, 363 days
Janet Wentz
North Dakota
House of Representatives
Republican
January 7, 2003
September 15, 2003
251 days
Catherine Hanaway
Missouri
House of Representatives
Republican
January 8, 2003
January 5, 2005
1 year, 363 days
Lola Spradley
Colorado
House of Representatives
Republican
January 8, 2003
January 12, 2005
2 years, 4 days
Karen Minnis
Oregon
House of Representatives
Republican
January 13, 2003
January 3, 2007
3 years, 355 days
Gaye Symington
Vermont
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 5, 2005
January 8, 2009
4 years, 3 days
Terie Norelli
New Hampshire
House of Representatives
Democratic
December 6, 2006
December 1, 2010
3 years, 360 days
December 5, 2012
December 3, 2014
1 year, 363 days
Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Minnesota
House of Representatives
Democratic–Farmer–Labor
January 3, 2007
January 4, 2011
4 years, 1 day
Barbara Buckley
Nevada
Assembly
Democratic
February 5, 2007
February 7, 2011
4 years, 2 days
Karen Bass [ b]
California
State Assembly
Democratic
May 13, 2008
March 1, 2010
1 year, 292 days
Hannah Pingree
Maine
House of Representatives
Democratic
December 3, 2008
December 6, 2010
2 years, 3 days
Sheila Oliver
New Jersey
General Assembly
Democratic
January 12, 2010
January 14, 2014
4 years, 2 days
Beth Harwell
Tennessee
House of Representatives
Republican
January 13, 2011
January 8, 2019
7 years, 360 days
Rebecca D. Lockhart
Utah
House of Representatives
Republican
January 24, 2011
January 17, 2015
3 years, 358 days
Tina Kotek [ c]
Oregon
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 14, 2013
January 16, 2022
9 years, 2 days
Marilyn Kirkpatrick
Nevada
Assembly
Democratic
February 4, 2013
February 2, 2015
1 year, 363 days
Toni Atkins
California
State Assembly
Democratic
May 12, 2014
March 7, 2016
1 year, 300 days
Dickey Lee Hullinghorst
Colorado
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 7, 2015
January 11, 2017
2 years, 4 days
Linda Upmeyer
Iowa
House of Representatives
Republican
January 14, 2016
January 13, 2020
3 years, 364 days
Sara Gideon
Maine
House of Representatives
Democratic
December 7, 2016
December 2, 2020
3 years, 361 days
Mitzi Johnson
Vermont
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 4, 2017
January 6, 2021
4 years, 2 days
Crisanta Duran [ d]
Colorado
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 11, 2017
January 4, 2019
1 year, 358 days
KC Becker
Colorado
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 4, 2019
January 13, 2021
2 years, 9 days
Melissa Hortman
Minnesota
House of Representatives
Democratic–Farmer–Labor
January 8, 2019
Incumbent
5 years, 282 days
Adrienne A. Jones
Maryland
House of Delegates
Democratic
April 7, 2019
Incumbent
5 years, 192 days
Eileen Filler-Corn
Virginia
House of Delegates
Democratic
January 8, 2020
January 11, 2022
2 years, 3 days
Laurie Jinkins
Washington
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 13, 2020
Incumbent
4 years, 277 days
Jill Krowinski
Vermont
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 6, 2021
Incumbent
3 years, 284 days
Louise Stutes
Alaska
House of Representatives
Republican (Bipartisan Coalition )
February 11, 2021
January 17, 2023
1 year, 340 days
Jan Jones
Georgia
House of Representatives
Republican
November 16, 2022
January 9, 2023
54 days
Rachel Talbot Ross
Maine
House of Representatives
Democratic
December 7, 2022
Incumbent
1 year, 314 days
Julie McCluskie
Colorado
House of Representatives
Democratic
January 9, 2023
Incumbent
1 year, 281 days
Cathy Tilton
Alaska
House of Representatives
Republican
January 18, 2023
Incumbent
1 year, 272 days
Joanna McClinton
Pennsylvania
House of Representatives
Democratic
February 28, 2023
Incumbent
1 year, 231 days
Valerie Longhurst
Delaware
House of Representatives
Democratic
June 30, 2023
Incumbent
1 year, 108 days
Julie Fahey
Oregon
House of Representatives
Democratic
March 7, 2024
Incumbent
223 days
Territorial and the District of Columbia [ edit ]
Name
Image
Territory
Legislative Body
Party
Mandate start
Mandate end
Term length
María Libertad Gómez Garriga
Puerto Rico
House of Representatives
Liberal
1945
1945
?
Ruby M. Rouss
United States Virgin Islands
Legislature
Democratic
January 12, 1981
January 11, 1982
364 days
January 12, 1987
March 9, 1987
56 days
Lorraine Berry
United States Virgin Islands
Legislature
Democratic
January 13, 1997
January 12, 1998
364 days
January 10, 2005
January 8, 2007
1 year, 363 days
Linda W. Cropp
District of Columbia
Council
Democratic
July 22, 1997
January 3, 2007
9 years, 165 days
Judith Won Pat
Guam
Legislature
Democratic
March 7, 2008
January 2, 2017
8 years, 301 days
Jenniffer González
Puerto Rico
House of Representatives
New Progressive
January 12, 2009
January 1, 2013
3 years, 355 days
Tina Rose Muña Barnes
Guam
Legislature
Democratic
January 7, 2019
January 4, 2021
1 year, 363 days
Therese M. Terlaje
Guam
Legislature
Democratic
January 4, 2021
Incumbent
3 years, 286 days
Donna Frett-Gregory
United States Virgin Islands
Legislature
Democratic
January 11, 2021
Incumbent
3 years, 279 days
^ First woman elected Speaker across party lines; she took a position with the support of Democrats, acting as a proxy to tip control away from the Republicans who held a one seat majority
^ First African-American woman elected Speaker of a state legislative body First woman of color elected Speaker of a state legislative body
^ First openly LGBT (lesbian) woman elected Speaker of a state legislative body
^ First Hispanic and Latina American woman elected Speaker of a state legislative body
Federal government
Executive branch Congress Judiciary
State and local government
Military
See also