In 1916, Jeannette Rankin made history when she became the first woman to hold federal office in the United States. Rankin was a suffragist and fought for women’s rights. Serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rankin paved the way for every woman who has served in Congress since then.
All the women on this list have had long careers as politicians and public servants. Many of them started out in education and went on to start political careers to make a difference in their local communities. These women range in age from their late 70s to late 80s and show women and girls everywhere that it’s never too late to go after what you want.
As of February 2023, this list is as accurate as possible and will be updated as needed.
10. Jan Schakowsky (May 26, 1944 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023): 78 years 8 months 27 days
Chamber: House of Representatives
State: Illinois’s 9th District
Political Party: Democratic
Assumed Office: January 3, 1999
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Jan Schakowsky has served as the Representative of Illinois’s 9th district since 1999. Schakowsky has been a politician since 1991 and previously served in the Illinois House of Representatives.
Before that, Schakowsky was Program Director of Illinois Public Action, Illinois’s largest public interest group, from 1976 to 1985. She then worked as the executive director of the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens.
Did You Know?
Jan Schakowsky is the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues.
9. Virginia Foxx (June 29, 1943 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023): 79 years, 7 months, 24 days
Chamber: House of Representatives
State: North Carolina’s 5th District
Political Party: Republican
Assumed Office: January 3, 2005
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Virginia Foxx has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 2005. Foxx entered politics in 1995 when she served in the North Carolina Senate; she held this position until she was voted to Congress.
Before becoming a politician, Foxx worked as an instructor and university administrator at a few different colleges. Between 1987 – 1994, Foxx was president of Maryland Community College.
Did You Know?
Virginia Foxx served as the Chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor between 2017 – 2019; she was reinstated to this role in 2023 after Republicans won the House majority.
8. Rosa DeLauro (March 2, 1943 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023): 79 years, 11 months, 20 days
Chamber: House of Representatives
State: Connecticut’s 3rd District
Political Party: Democratic
Assumed Office: January 3, 1991
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
DeLauro is part of the progressive wing of the House’s Democratic Party and is one of the founding members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Did You Know?
In 2020, Rosa DeLauro was selected as the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee for the 117th Congress, succeeding Nita Lowey and becoming the second woman to hold the position.
7. Kay Granger (January 18, 1943 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023): 80 years, 1 month, 4 days
Chamber: House of Representatives
State: Texas’s 12th District
Political Party: Republican
Assumed Office: January 3, 1997
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Kay Granger is a long-serving U.S. House of Representatives member from Texas’s 12th District. Granger was the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the House of Representatives and has since earned a reputation for her conservative politics.
Currently, Granger is the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference. Before entering politics, Granger was a teacher and the owner of a successful small business in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.
Did You Know?
In 1991, Kay Granger became the first female mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, and served two terms.
6. Anna Eshoo (December 13, 1942 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023): 80 years, 2 months, 9 days
Chamber: House of Representatives
State: California’s 18th District
Political Party: Democratic
Assumed Office: January 3, 1993
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Anna Eshoo is the U.S. House Representative for California’s Silicon Valley area, a position she has held since 1993. Eshoo’s political career started in 1978 when she became the Chair of the San Mateo Democratic Party. She then went on to become a member of the Democratic National Committee.
After this, Eshoo was chief of staff to Speaker pro tempore Leo McCarthy of the California State Assembly. Eshoo first made a bid for the House of Representatives in 1988 but ended up losing.
Did You Know?
Anna Eshoo — of Assyrian and Armenian descent — is the only Assyrian American in Congress and is also one of only two congresswomen of Armenian descent, with Jackie Speier being the other.
5. Frederica Wilson (November 5, 1942 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023): 80 years, 3 months, 17 days
Chamber: House of Representatives
State: Florida’s 24th District
Political Party: Democratic
Assumed Office: January 3, 2011
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Frederica Wilson has served Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011. Before becoming a Congresswoman, Wilson was a member of Florida’s Senate and the state’s House of Representatives. Wilson was also a teacher, principal, and a member of the Miami-Dade County School Board.
As a Congresswoman, Wilson has fought to improve the quality of life for her constituency by creating jobs with dignity, improving education, stopping home foreclosures, safeguarding Medicare and Social Security, and strengthening ties with Haiti and the Caribbean.
Did You Know?
While working as an educator, Frederica Wilson founded the 5000 Role Models program, which seeks to bring down dropout rates.
4. Nancy Pelosi (March 26, 1940 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023):82 years, 10 months, 27 days
Chamber: House of Representatives
State: California’s 12th District
Political Party: Democratic
Assumed Office: June 2, 1987
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Before becoming Speaker of the House, Pelosi served as House minority leader from 2003 – 2007 and again from 2011 – 2019. Pelosi was the first woman ever to lead a party in Congress.
Did You Know?
During her first time as Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi was instrumental in passing many landmark bills, including the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the 2010 Tax Relief Act.
3. Maxine Waters (August 15, 1938 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023): 84 years, 6 months, 7 days
Chamber: House of Representatives
State: California’s 43rd District
Political Party: Democratic
Assumed Office: January 3, 1991
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Beginning her political career in the 1970s, Waters has made a name for herself by being outspoken and critical of Republican presidents George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump. Additionally, Waters has always advocated for women, children, people of color, and the poor.
Did You Know?
In 2019, Maxine Waters became the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee.
2. Grace Napolitano (December 4, 1936 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023): 86 years, 2 months, 18 days
Chamber: House of Representatives
State: California’s 32nd District
Political Party: Democratic
Assumed Office: January 3, 1999
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Grace Napolitano is another woman in her 80s who has been in Congress since the 1990s. Although Napolitano’s district has been redrawn a few times since she first assumed office in 1999, she has been able to win each of her reelection campaigns. Napolitano began her political career in 1986 when she became a member of the Norwalk City Council.
Over the years, Napolitano has been a part of many committees, including the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands; Subcommittee on Water and Power; Subcommittee on Highways and Transit; and many more.
Did You Know?
Grace Napolitano had previously worked for the Ford Motor Company and worked her way up, holding various positions in the company, and retired in 1992.
1. Dianne Feinstein (June 22, 1933 – Present)
Current Age (as of February 2023): 89 years, 8 months
Chamber: Senate
State: California
Political Party: Democratic
Assumed Office: November 4, 1992
photo source: Wikimedia Commons
Before being elected to the Senate, Feinstein was Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 – 1988. She was the first woman ever to hold that position.
During the 1992 special election, Feinstein was on the same ballot as Barbara Boxer. Both women became California’s first female senators.
Feinstein recently announced that she would not run for reelection. She plans to finish her current term, which expires in 2025.
Did You Know?
Since 2017, Dianne Feinstein has been the longest-tenured female U.S. Senator currently serving in the Senate.
