National Outcomes
Nationally, 2006 was an historic election year for women. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi will be the first female Speaker of the House, placing her second in the line of succession to the presidency – the closest a woman has ever come to the Oval Office. There were a record number of female candidates nationwide for state and congressional seats, and a record number of women won and will now serve in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures.[1]

Eight women - including two new women - won seats in the U.S. Senate, taking the number of female senators to its record high of sixteen (11D, 5R). In the U.S. House, women gained ten seats, bringing the total number of female representatives to a high of seventy-one (50D, 21R) with one race in Louisiana involving a female candidate to be determined in a December 9th runoff. Additionally, nine women will be serving as governors beginning in 2007 matching the previous high set in 2004.

Pennsylvania Outcomes
While women made record gains across the nation, the elections in Pennsylvania largely maintained the status quo. Although Catherine Baker Knoll was easily re-elected with Governor Ed Rendell to her position as Lieutenant Governor, it must be noted that Pennsylvania has never elected a woman to the Commonwealth’s highest executive position. Melissa Hart lost her re-election bid, bringing the total number of women representing the Commonwealth in the U.S. Congress to one. Pennsylvania has never elected a woman to the U.S. Senate.

With approximately one-fifth of the seats in the General Assembly turning over, the number of women remained virtually unchanged. The overall number of women in Pennsylvania’s lower house will increase by only two seats to twenty-seven. The record high for the Pennsylvania House was reached in 2004 when 28 of 203 seats were held by women. In the State Senate, women picked up a single seat, reaching a record high of 10 of 50 seats being held by women. Twenty-five seats were up this year and 5 women won [4 incumbents, 1 open seat].

The overall gain of three seats in the General Assembly indicates that Pennsylvania has passed Mississippi and will move up to 46th in the nation for the number of women elected to the state legislature.

Women Serving in the Pennsylvania General Assembly                                           Top
[Beginning January 2007]

Lisa Bennington (D-21) Karen Beyer (R-131) Louise Bishop (D-192) Karen Boback (R-117) Michele Brooks (R-17) Mauree Gingrich (R-101) Julie Harhart (R-183) Kate Harper (R-61) Susan Helm (R-104) Babette Josephs (D-182) Deberah Kula (D-52) Beverly Mackereth (R-196) Sandra Major (R-111) Kathy Manderino (D-194) Jennifer Mann (D-132) Phyllis Mundy (D-120) Cherelle Parker (D-200) Tina Pickett (R-110) Marguerite Quinn (R-143) Kathy Rapp (R-65) Carole Rubley (R-157) Rosemarie Swanger (R-102) Barbara McIlvaine Smith (D-156) Katie True (R-41) Chelsa Wagner (D-22) Katharine Watson (R-144) Rosita Youngblood (D-198)

Lisa Baker (R-20) Lisa Boscola (D-18) Jane Earll (R-49) Shirley Kitchen (D-3) Jane Orie (R-40) Christine Tartaglione (D-2) Patricia Vance (R-31) LeAnna Washington (D-4) Mary Jo White (R-21) Connie Williams (D-17)

*Italicized type indicates newly elected