See when each state first sent a woman to Congress, in one fascinating gif
The 114th Congress got underway this week and, as in years past, it is overwhelmingly male-dominated; roughly 80 percent of all lawmakers this session are men.
Though women have made significant strides over the past few decades to chip away at that edge, barely more than half of all states have ever had a female senator. Three states have never sent any women to Congress.
Below is a map showing when a woman first represented each state, with the blue shades denoting, from light to dark, states that have had a female representative, senator, or both. The map includes both elected lawmakers and those who went to Washington via appointment. -- Jon Terbush
The Week
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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