Election Wins For Women

Democratic Women Senators

The U.S. Senate became even more Democratic with the election victories of two female candidates: Amy Klobuchar, who won an open seat in Minnesota, and Claire McCaskill, who defeated Republican incumbent Senator Jim Talent from Missouri.

Women in the U.S. Senate now total 16, with 11 Democrats and 5 Republicans. Here are all of our Democratic women Senators:

• Arkansas - Blanche Lincoln
• California - Barbara Boxer
• California - Dianne Feinstein
• Louisiana - Mary Landrieu
• Maryland - Barbara Mikulski
• Minnesota - Amy Klobuchar
• Michigan - Debbie Stabenow
• Missouri - Claire McCaskill
• New York - Hillary Clinton
• Washington - Patty Murray
• Washington - Maria Cantwell

We also extend our appreciation to two women Senate Democratic challengers, Jean Hay Bright from Maine and Barbara Ann Radnofsky from Texas, who, though unsuccessful in their elections, put forth strong efforts to advance justice in our nation.

Democratic Women in the House of Representatives

The U.S. House of Representatives gained a total of eight new women Democrats, bringing the total number of Democratic women Representatives to 53 (including the three non-voting members from the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands. Congratulations to all 53 of our women Representatives.

The eight new Democratic women of the House of Representatives are:

• Arizona - Gabrielle Giffords
• Florida - Kathy Castor
• Hawaii - Mazie Hirono
• Kansas - Nancy Boyda
• New Hampshire - Carol Shea-Porter
• New York - Yvette Clarke
• New York - Kirstin Gillibrand
• Ohio - Betty Sutton

The 8 new Democratic women listed above will join the following incumbent Democratic women House members:

• California - Doris Matsui
• California - Lynn Woolsey
• California - Nancy Pelosi
• California - Barbara Lee
• California - Ellen Tauscher
• California - Anna Eshoo
• California - Zoe Lofgren
• California - Lois Capps
• California - Hilda Solis
• California - Diane Watson
• California - Lucille Roybal-Allard
• California - Maxine Waters
• California - Jane Harman
• California - Juanita Millender-McDonald
• California - Grace Napolitano
• California - Linda Sanchez
• California - Loretta Sanchez
• California - Susan Davis
• Connecticut- Rosa Delauro
• Colorado - Diana Degette
• Florida - Corrine Brown
• Florida - Debbie Wasserman Schultz
• Illinois - Melissa Bean
• Illinois - Jan Schakowsky
• Indiana - Julia Carson
• Michigan - Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick
• Minnesota - Betty McCollum
• Nevada - Shelley Berkley
• New York - Carolyn McCarthy
• New York - Nydia Velazquez
• New York - Carolyn Maloney
• New York - Nita Lowey
• New York - Louise Slaughter
• Ohio - Marcy Kaptur
• Ohio - Stephanie Tubbs Jones
• Oregon - Darlene Hooley
• Pennsylvania - Allyson Schwartz
• South Dakota - Stephanie Herseth
• Texas - Sheila Jackson Lee
• Texas - Eddie Bernice Johnson
• Wisconsin - Tammy Baldwin
• Wisconsin - Gwen Moore

Plus our three non-voting members:

• D.C.- Eleanor Holmes Norton
• Guam - Madeleine Z. Bordallo
• Virgin Islands - Donna Christian-Christiansen

Also to be thanked for making a difference are the 43 women Democratic candidates who, despite losing their bids for the U.S. House, helped move this country forward by their courage and convictions.

Democratic Women Governors

In 2007, there will be a total of nine female Governors, six of whom are Democrats. Three incumbent Democratic women Governors who were up for re-election were successful in holding onto their seats. They are:

• Arizona - Janet Napolitano
• Kansas - Kathleen Sebelius
• Michigan - Jennifer Granholm

These newly re-elected Democratic women Governors join the ranks of the following incumbent Democratic women Governors not up for re-election in 2006:

• Delaware - Ruth Ann Minner
• Louisiana - Kathleen Blanco
• Washington - Christine Gregoire

We are grateful for the efforts of Lucy Baxley from Alabama and Dina Titus from Nevada, who courageously fought to become the next Governors from their respective states.

Other Statewide Offices

Many additional women were newly elected to statewide office. They include:

• Alabama - Sue Bell Cobb, Chief Justice
• Alabama - Susan Parker for Public Service Commission-02
• Arkansas - Martha Shoffner for Treasurer
• California - Debra Bowen for Secretary of State
• Colorado - Barbara O'Brien for Lt. Gov.
• Colorado - Cary Kennedy for Treasurer
• Florida - Alex Sink for Chief Financial Officer
• Iowa - Patty Judge for Lt. Gov.
• Massachusetts - Marth Coakley for Attorney General
• Minnesota - Lori Swanson for Attorney General
• Minnesota - Rebecca Otto for Auditor
• Missouri - Susan Montee for Auditor
• New Mexico - Mary Herrera for Secretary of State
• Nevada - Catherine Masto for Attorney General
• Nevada - Kate Marshall for Treasurer
• Nevada - Kim Wallin for Comptroller
• Ohio - Jennifer Brunner for Secretary of State
• Oklahoma - Jari Askins for Lt. Gov.
• Rhode Island - Elizabeth Roberts for Lt. Gov.
• Wisconsin - Dawn Marie Sass for Treasurer

Our incumbent Democratic women candidates retaining their statewide offices include:

• Alabama - Jan Cook, Public Service Commission - 01
• Connecticut - Susan Bysiewicz, Sec. of State
• Connecticut - Denise Nappier, Treasurer
• Connecticut - Nancy Wyman, Comptroller
• Illinois - Lisa Madigan, Attorney Gen.
• New Mexico - Diane Denish, Lt. Gov.
• Oklahoma - Kim Holland, Insurance Commissioner
• Oklahoma - Sandy Garrett, Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Pennsylvania - Catherine Knoll, Lt. Gov.
• Vermont - Deb Markowitz, Sec. of State
• Wisconsin - Barbara Lawton, Lt. Gov.

We know that a number of additional women ran unsuccessfully for statewide office and though we regret their losses, we congratulate them for spirited campaigns and for having the courage to campaign statewide. It is only by increasing the ranks of women candidates that we will ultimately increase the ranks of elected leaders. We appreciate the willingness to serve and hard work of all Democratic women who ran for office this year.

Ballot Initiative Results

Reproductive Rights

Three states had ballot initiatives concerning the right to choose. Most significant was the initiative in South Dakota that would have prohibited all abortions except in cases where the woman's life was in jeopardy. If the woman's health was at risk, or she was a victim of rape or incest, she would not be able to have an abortion.

Earlier this year, the legislature of South Dakota passed a law banning all abortions, except to save the mother's life, with the expectation of a court challenge. Anti-choice legislators hoped their law would wind its way up to the Supreme Court, where they believed recent Bush appointees would tip the scales in their favor, overruling or further restricting the Constitutional right to choose established under Roe v. Wade. However, instead of a court challenge, opponents of the law successfully put it to the voters, who overwhelmingly rejected the ban on a woman's right to choose. By a margin of 56 to 44 percent, the people of South Dakota rejected this draconian and harmful law.

Two other states had ballot initiatives that would have imposed a 48 hour parental notification requirement before a minor could obtain an abortion. By a margin of 54 to 46 percent in both California and Oregon, voters decisively rejected this initiative in their respective states.

Stem Cell Research

Missouri voters passed a ballot initiative that authorizes their state to perform any stem cell research that is authorized at the federal level. No state statute can be passed to prohibit stem cell research that is allowed pursuant to federal law.

Minimum Wage

Six states had ballot initiatives that raised the states' minimum wage above the current federal rate of $5.15 per hour, and all passed. Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nevada and Ohio all approved their respective measures.

Same-Sex Marriage

Voters in the states of Colorado, Idaho, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin voted to pass amendments to their states' Constitutions that limit the definition of marriage to a union between one man and one woman, thereby denying the right to marry to same-sex couples. Only Arizona voters rejected such an amendment to their state's Constitution thanks to women voters, with 53% of women voting against the amendment.