West Virginia 18^th state to have woman as U.S. Senator

Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, former West Virginia Gov. Arch Moore’s daughter, will be the first female U.S. Senator representing the Mountain State, and the first Republican since 1940 to be elected to a full, six-year term.

The race was for retiring U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.'s, spot in Washington.

Shelley Moore Capito

Capito beat another woman who had a historic first, as the first female Mountaineer mascot at West Virginia University -- Secretary of State Natalie Tennant. So a first woman Senator from West Virginia was guaranteed, no matter who won.

Capito will be the 45^th woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, which has 20 other female Senators awaiting her arrival to the clubhouse. Seven were appointed to succeed their deceased husbands. 

17 states have had female U.S. Senators. West Virginia becomes the 18^th.

Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia was the first woman in the U.S. Senate, in 1922. But that was a symbolic appointment. She served for 24 hours. 

Arkansas’ Hattie Wyatt Caraway was the first woman elected, in 1931.

Then came Louisiana’s Rose McConnell Long, in 1936, but she had the advantage of being Huey “Kingfish” Long’s widow.

After that, Alabama’s Dixie Bibb Graves, in 1937; South Dakota’s Gladius Pyle, in 1938; Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith, in 1949; Nebraska’s Eva Kelley Bowring, in 1954; Oregon’s Maurine Brown Neuberger, in 1960; Minnesota’s Muriel Humphrey, in 1978 (again, because she was Hubert Humphrey’s widow); Kansas’ Nancy Landon Kassembaum (Alf Landon’s daughter and Howard Baker’s widow), in 1978; Florida’s Paula Hawkins, in 1981; Maryland’s Barbara Mikulski, in 1987; North Dakota’s Joselyn Burdick, in 1992; California’s Dianne Feinstein, in 1992; Illinois’ Carol Moseley Braun, in 1993; Texas’ Kay Bailey Hutchinson, in 1993; New York’s Hillary Rodham Clinton (President Bill Clinton’s wife), in 2001; Michigan’s Deborah Stabenow, in 2001; Washington’s Maria Cantwell, in 2001; Missouri’s Jean Carnahan, in 2001; Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, in 2002; North Carolina’s Elizabeth Dole (Bob Dole’s wife), in 2003; New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen, in 2009; Hawaii’s Mazio Hirono, in 2013; Massachussetts’ Elizabeth Warren, in 2013; and Wisconsin’s Tammy Baldwin, in 2013