Record 159 women projected to serve in next US Congress

A record 159 women are set to serve in the next US Congress, based on election projections and data from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The total is seven higher than the number currently serving across the House and Senate. Some races remain unresolved, so the projected count could change.

Women would make up about thirty per cent of the 120th Congress when it convenes in January, still roughly a hundred seats short of equal representation. The increase is concentrated among Democrats and in the House of Representatives. The number of women in the Senate is expected to fall.

The incoming group is expected to include several historic firsts, including Colorado's first Black woman in the House and Nebraska's first Hispanic representative. These milestones describe the projected incoming membership, rather than a completed swearing-in or certification of every race.

The gains also conceal a widening partisan gap. Republican women are expected to lose ground in both chambers despite the overall record. Researchers and political organisers point to candidate recruitment, early financial backing and the wider electoral environment as factors. The national total should therefore not be read as uniform progress across parties or every part of Congress.