U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., waves to supporters after making her a victory speech in Madison, Wisconsin. Baldwin defeated former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, to become the nation's first openly gay senator. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)
The 113th U.S. Congress — which convenes in January — will have a record number of female senators thanks to Tuesday’s elections. For the first time in history, women will hold 20 of the 100 seats in the Senate. Tammy Baldwin, the newly elected senator from Wisconsin, will also be the first openly gay senator. The gender shift was part of a larger shift which also saw African-American and Latino voters turn out in record numbers to support Democratic candidates. The infographic below, created by NerdWallet, profiles the new senators, but also shows the gap between the U.S. female population and female representation in Washington, D.C.
As Gail Collins quipped in The New York Times this week:
Cheer up, white men! You seem to be doing O.K. Next year women will have 20 percent of the seats in the U.S. Senate, and we’re celebrating.
