On Oct. 3, 1922, Rebecca Felton became the first woman to serve in the Senate after filling a vacancy. Even though Felton’s appointment only lasted a day, it was a historic accomplishment. Ten years later, Hattie Caraway of Arkansas became the first woman to win election to the Senate. Since then, only 57 women have been senators. Let those numbers sink in for a moment.
With Sen. Kamala Harris now the vice president-elect, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has the opportunity to appoint another woman to the Senate. Many have speculated that Newsom will pick Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill Harris’ seat. But this would be a major setback for women’s elected representation. There are only 25 women currently serving in the Senate, and only four of them are women of color. Only Harris is Black, and she is only the second Black woman senator.