The Year of the Woman, In One Chart

How women changed Congress in 1992

Senator Barbara Mikulski standing with women senatorial candidates
Senator Barbara Mikulski standing with women senatorial candidates -- Library of Congress

In 1992, the largest number of women ever ran for nation office in the United States. It was dubbed "The Year of the Woman."

That year, long-standing and influential senators like Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. Women won 11 seats in the Senate and 108 in the House, and the jump in nominations represented more than three times greater than any previous increase.

Actual representation in Congress is difficult to change, but the 1992 elections were a watershed moment for equality in American political representation.

The Year of the Woman increased the number of women candidates in both parties, with varying success, especially when it came to successful campaigns.

The "Year of the Woman" was less of a boon for political equality than it seems

Women candidates for the House of Representatives, broken out by party and winner/losers

Over 100 women

ran for the House in 1992

Republican women only saw

substantive wins later

in the 90s

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

Over 100 women

ran for the House in 1992

Republican women only

saw substantive wins

later in the 90s

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

1975

Over 100 women

ran for the House

in 1992

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

Rep.women

saw wins

after 1992

2005

2010

The number of women running for the House heavily increased from the 1970's to 2010

In 1992, though, a historic amount of women ran. Various factors, including Anita Hill's testimony against Clarence Thomas, may have contributed

Broken out by party, Republicans contributed fewer women in 1992 than Democrats, but steadily grew the number of Republican women candidates through 2010

Not all these women won their general election though. Here, we see Democratic women winners and losers compared to Republican women losers and winners.

Republicans lost more than two thirds of the races in 1992, and only gained wins after

After more sustained lossed in the early 2000's, Republican women eventually began winning about as many races as they lost