Wikipedia

List of female speakers of legislatures in the United States

This is a list of women who have served as speakers and leaders of federal, state, and territorial legislatures in the United States.

Congress

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  Denotes incumbent speaker
Name Image Country Legislative Body Party Mandate start Mandate end Term length
Nancy Pelosi United States House of Representatives Democratic January 4, 2007[1][2] January 3, 2011[2] 3 years, 364 days
January 3, 2019[3] January 3, 2023[4] 4 years, 0 days

State

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  Denotes incumbent speaker
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 General Assembly 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 January 14, 2025 6 years, 6 days
Adrienne A. Jones Maryland House of Delegates Democratic April 7, 2019 December 4, 2025 6 years, 241 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 6 years, 177 days
Jill Krowinski Vermont House of Representatives Democratic January 6, 2021 Incumbent 5 years, 184 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 December 4, 2024 1 year, 363 days
Julie McCluskie Colorado House of Representatives Democratic January 9, 2023 Incumbent 3 years, 181 days
Cathy Tilton Alaska House of Representatives Republican January 18, 2023 January 21, 2025 2 years, 3 days
Joanna McClinton Pennsylvania House of Representatives Democratic February 28, 2023 Incumbent 3 years, 131 days
Valerie Longhurst Delaware House of Representatives Democratic June 30, 2023 November 5, 2024 1 year, 128 days
Julie Fahey Oregon House of Representatives Democratic March 7, 2024[5] Incumbent 2 years, 124 days
Nadine Nakamura Hawaii House of Representatives Democratic November 6, 2024 Incumbent 1 year, 245 days
Melissa Minor-Brown Delaware House of Representatives Democratic January 14, 2025[6] Incumbent 1 year, 176 days
Lisa Demuth Minnesota House of Representatives Republican February 6, 2025[7] Incumbent 1 year, 153 days
Joseline Peña-Melnyk Maryland House of Delegates Democratic December 16, 2025[8] Incumbent 205 days

Territorial and the District of Columbia

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  Denotes incumbent speaker
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/ Republican 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 January 6, 2025 4 years, 2 days
Donna Frett-Gregory United States Virgin Islands Legislature Democratic January 11, 2021 January 13, 2023 2 years, 2 days

Notes

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  1. ↑ 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
  2. ↑ First African-American woman elected Speaker of a state legislative body
    First woman of color elected Speaker of a state legislative body
  3. ↑ First openly LGBT (lesbian) woman elected Speaker of a state legislative body
  4. ↑ First Hispanic and Latina American woman elected Speaker of a state legislative body

References

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  1. ↑ Benenson, Bob (January 4, 2007). "Pelosi Officially Elected Speaker of the U.S. House". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "The hand-off: How Speakers Ryan to O'Neill came to power". CNN. October 29, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  3. ↑ Foran, Clare; Killough, Ashley (January 3, 2019). "Nancy Pelosi elected House speaker, reclaims gavel to lead Democrats' new majority". CNN. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  4. ↑ Hulse, Carl (January 3, 2023). "The Pelosi Era Comes to a Close". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  5. ↑ Shumway, Julia (March 7, 2024). "In a departure from last year, Oregon Legislature wraps up session in high spirits". Oregon Capital Chronicle. Retrieved June 30, 2025. In a final act, the House elected Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, as its next speaker,...
  6. ↑ Petree, Rob (January 14, 2025). "Delaware lawmakers return to Dover for the start of the 153rd General Assembly". WMDT. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  7. ↑ Walker, Tim (February 6, 2025). "Full House convenes for first time in 2025, elects Demuth speaker". Minnesota House of Representatives. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  8. ↑ Sears, Bryan P. (December 17, 2025). "Peña-Melnyk elected unanimously as House speaker, making history in the process". Maryland Matters. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
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