One of America's most male-dominated clubs is about tobecome a little less so, after historic election gains that will see thelargest number of women ever seated in the US Congress. As a result of thevote, women -- beginning with the new legislative session in January -- willhold 20 seats in the Senate, about one-fifth of the US legislative chamber. Inthe House, there will be a record high of 76 women -- 56 Democrats and 20Republicans -- according to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), whichmaps the progress of women in elected office.
In one of the most visible displays of women's increasingpolitical muscle, voters in the northeastern state of New Hampshire will sendan all-woman delegation to the next Congress. The state also elected a femalegovernor.
The women's vote was also decisive in Obama's victory,according to the CAWP, which said 55 percent of women had cast their ballotsfor the Democratic incumbent.
And while women made their biggest gains in the Senate,there were also major inroads in the House, including the defeat by Iraq Warveteran Tammy Duckworth, a Democratic party rising star, of Tea Party advocateJoe Walsh.
Despite a banner day, women also suffered defeats.Republican Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive who spent $42 million ofher own fortune on the race for the open Senate seat in Connecticut, lost toDemocratic Representative Christopher Murphy. And in Utah, Republicanup-and-comer Mia Love, an African-American Mormon, failed in her bid to oustincumbent Democratic Representative Jim Matheson.
