Etc...

US Senate: an exclusive club, but not just for men

A record 14 women currently serve in the US Senate, a number that could grow after the Nov. 2 election, although some political analysts consider that improbable. Five female senators are up for reelection and women are running to fill vacant seats in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. The incumbent who may face the stiffest challenge is Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska, who was appointed to fill the unexpired Senate seat of her father, Frank Murkowski, who is now governor. The women senators, their party affiliations, states they represent, and year each took office:
*Barbara Mikulski (D) Maryland 1987
Dianne Feinstein (D) California 1993
*Barbara Boxer (D) California 1993
*Patty Murray (D) Washington 1993
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) Texas 1993
Olympia Snowe (R) Maine 1995
Mary Landrieu (D) Louisiana 1997
Susan Collins (R) Maine 1997
*Blanche Lincoln (D) Arkansas 1999
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) New York 2001
Deborah Stabenow (D) Michigan 2001
Maria Cantwell (D) Washington 2001
*Lisa Murkowski (R) Alaska 2002
Elizabeth Dole (R) North Carolina 2003
* incumbent seeking new term
- Associated Press