Nov 5, 2024 - Politics & Policy

North Dakota sends first woman to U.S. House, Mississippi still hasn't

April Rubin

Julie Fedorchak is a member of the North Dakota Public Service Commission. Photo: North Dakota State Government

Julie Fedorchak (R) will be the first woman to represent North Dakota in the House of Representatives after winning her race on Election Day, per AP.

Why it matters: North Dakota was one of two states that had never elected a woman to the House before Tuesday. Mississippi is now the only state that hasn't.

Driving the news: Fedorchak took nearly 73% of the votes with 23% of the votes reported, according to AP. She has been a public service commissioner in North Dakota for the past 12 years.

Her campaign focused on securing the border, curbing inflation and defending the Second Amendment.
Former President Trump and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum endorsed her.

In Mississippi, Dianne Dodson Black ran and lost as a Democrat to represent the state's 1st Congressional District.

Incumbent candidate Rep. Trent Kelly (R) took 68% of the votes with 57% of the votes reported, per AP.

Zoom out: Women have represented both states in the Senate.

In 2018, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R) became the first woman to represent Mississippi in the Senate.
Former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) served as U.S. senator from North Dakota from 2013 to 2019. Jocelyn Birch Burdick (D) served from September to December 1992, briefly filling a vacancy left by her husband's death.

By the numbers: Women currently fill 29% of House seats, according to Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics.

Of those, 92 are held by Democrats, and 34 are held by Republicans.
Historically, 3.6% of representatives have been women — or 377 of the 10,506 people to serve in the chamber.

Go deeper: North Dakota voters back setting age limit for Congress members

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North Dakota sends first woman to U.S. House, Mississippi still hasn't

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