This is the list of women who have served as speakers and leaders of federal, state and territorial legislatures in the United States.
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More information Name, Image ...
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[lower-alpha 1] |
|
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[lower-alpha 2] |
|
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[lower-alpha 3] |
|
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[lower-alpha 4] |
|
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 |
Close
More information Name, Image ...
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 |
Close
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