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Women in the House of Delegates Through Time

The following is a comprehensive record of female House members who have represented districts or localities throughout Virginia *.

These important women represent a new era of diversity in representation of Virginia citizens.

1924 - 1933

In this era, 6 Women Delegates were represented.

Between 1924 and 1933, six women, all educators, served in the Virginia House of Delegates. In 1924, Sarah Lee Fain and Helen Timmons Henderson became the first women to take office in the Virginia General Assembly. Following the passage of the 19th amendment in 1920, giving women in the U.S. the right to vote, a record number of women around the country became politically engaged and ran for public office.

Between 1934 and 1953 during the height of the depression and through the end of WWII, no women served in the General Assembly.

1954 - 1969

In this era, 7 Women Delegates were represented.

In 1954, Kathryn H. Stone, a teacher, author, and lecturer from Arlington, became the first in a new era of women to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Since 1954, there has been at least one woman serving in the House in every session. 

1960 saw Dorothy McDiarmid become the first woman appointed to the Committee on Rules and the ranking member of the House Education Committee. From 1986 until her retirement, she became the first woman to preside over the committee that prepared the state's budget, the House Committee on Appropriations.

1970 - 1989

In this era, 22 Women Delegates were represented.

This era saw the largest increase in the number of women serving in the House to date.

Notable members at this time include the Honorable Yvonne B. Miller who became the first African American woman serving in the Virginia House of Delegates. She later became the first woman to serve in both Chambers of the Virginia General Assembly when she was elected to the Senate.

Leslie Byrne is among these great women, as she became the first woman of the House to be elected to the United States Congress.

This era also saw the first woman to serve in statewide elected office, Mary Sue Terry, who served as Attorney General from 1986-1993.

1990 - 2000

In this era, 17 Women Delegates were represented.

Women were fully engaged in all aspects of state government and made up an ever-increasing percentage of the House as a whole. During this time, women chaired Counties, Cities and Towns, and the Labor and Commerce committees for the first time in the history of the Virginia House.

The Information Age continued to develop, allowing diverse perspectives to be more accessible than ever. The demographics of women in the Virginia House continued to expand, preparing for a new , in the 21st century.

2001 - 2016

In this era, 27 Women Delegates were represented.

Even more women announced their candidacies and won their seats during this era. Twenty-seven women served in their first session during this era, the number would only increase in the coming years.

The first transgender woman, Danica Roem, began serving in the House in 2016 and went on to become the first transgender woman to serve in the Senate of Virginia in 2024.

2017 - 2026

In this era, 55 Women Delegates were represented.

Today, the Virginia House of Delegates has achieved a level of diversity unparalleled in its history, with more women serving and holding seats of power than ever before.

Virginians elected the first Asian American woman, Kathy Tran, to the House during this era.

2020 saw the first woman elected Speaker of the House, Eileen Filler-Corn, who previously served as House Minority Leader. That same year, the House elected the first woman, Suzette Denslow, to serve as Clerk of the House.

Currently, the number of women serving the Virginia House of Delegates is the largest in any one session to date.

*The information within this interactive and searchable application has been researched extensively by the House Clerk’s Office. As with any historical records of this age and breadth, there may be discrepancies and/or inconsistencies within records obtained from a variety of credible sources. Any feedback is encouraged at history@house.virginia.gov.

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