Women, Latinos: Record numbers in Congress

By many measures, 2012 saw the most diverse electorate in history turn out to the polls. 2013, as a result, will see the most diverse U.S. Congress in history assume office.

Latino-Americans and women played a decisive role in yesterday's election, voting by wide margins to reelect President Obama (71 percent and 55 percent, respectively, according to exit polls.) And when the 113th Congress assumes office in January, both groups will be represented in record numbers on Capitol Hill, leaving them poised to play an equally decisive role in shaping the agenda of the years ahead.

America is changing. And from the demographics of the national electorate to the makeup of Congress, the evidence is everywhere.

The new Congress will include 20 female senators, up from 17 female senators today, and a staggering tenfold increase from the two female senators who held office 20 years ago. New female faces on Capitol Hill come January will include Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin, who will also be the first openly gay member of the Senate, Hawaii's Mazie Hirono, the first Asian-American woman to serve in the Senate, and Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran and triple amputee who ousted a bete-noire of liberals, Joe Walsh from Illinois' 8th Congressional district.

And had several of Tuesday's races produced a different outcome, women in Congress could have seen their ranks swell even further - Republican Senate candidates Linda McMahon in Connecticut and Heather Wilson in New Mexico were defeated by male opponents. And in the House, GOP candidate Mia Love, who would have been the first black female Republican in Congress, failed to oust Rep. Jim Matheson from his Utah house seat.

But despite the scattered losses, the net outcome is being greeted with elation by women's groups and at least one of the victorious female candidates.

Last night was "an amazing milestone," said EMILY's List, a group that works to elect pro-choice women. "The gains women have made this election are real, and they're here to stay...On critical issues like equal pay and access to health care, more women in Congress means an agenda that's better for American families."

Yesterday, on "CBS This Morning", Massachusetts Senator-elect Elizabeth Warren, who defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Scott Brown, offered an enthusiastic "Hubba-hubba!" when she was asked about the prospect of more women in Congress.

Play Video

Warren on winning Kennedy's former seat

Asked whether more women walking the halls of Congress is a good thing and whether their presence will make a difference, Warren minced no words: "Yes and yes...it's time. Come on - there was still, this year, a big debate over equal pay for equal work. No. It's time. It's time."

But she didn't promise to reinvent the wheel - when Warren was asked whether women simply know something about politics that men don't, she smiled, obviously enjoying the question - and then demurred: "Interesting question. I don't know."

And the record number of women in Congress is no accident - at a press conference the day after the election, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who helmed the Senate Democrats' campaign arm, explained, "We recruited and nominated the most Democratic women ever...I believe that is a great thing for our country."

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[pjann]

Women....of all colors, will never forget what the GOP party stands for when it comes to rights. Next election, the only thing we'll have to advertise are all the women's rights that have been restricted, eliminated or criminalized by GOP Governors. That will make for another huge win for the Democrats in 2014. We NEVER forget.

[mary-miami]

The most prosperous nations in the world are Social Democracies, mostly in Scandinavia; such as: Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden... To speak ill about socialist programs is stupid. Socialist Democracies are free nations, where the people have human rights, civil rights, free medical care, free education. They have free elections and vote for their leaders. Conservative GOP want only the rich to have rights and want the working class to become slave labor. With all that was said by Romney and Ryan during the campaign, it is clear that Conservativism destroys personal freedoms and creates a society where only the rich have opportunity for happiness. This Thanksgiving, thousands and thousands of working class folks can be thankful that President Obama won the election and the USA remains a free nation with equal opportunity for everyone.

[4democracyandequality]

With those numbers from female and hispanic support. The 2016 elections will be an easy nab for the Democrats again.

[4democracyandequality]

With those numbers from female and hispanic support. The 2016 elections will be an easy nab for the Democrats again.

[reasoniscalling]

Republicans thought young people were too disillusioned about Obama and were going to sit this one out. Big mistake. Score one for Occupy Wall Street.

[Sslpilot]

Welcome to the third world USA!

[4democracyandequality]

Why?

[dramapsychic]

LOL so wait a minute...the more diverse the US becomes the more 3rd world it is, according to your myopic world view? i thought america was all about the melting pot??? diversity and equality? well you must be a WWCCHM (White Wealthy Christian conservative heterosexual male) well move over on the pyramid. you're not the majority any more. HAHAHAHAHA gays, women, brown skinned, atheists are now in charge HAHAHAHAHAHA.

[Mom2012]

For women and Latinos, this wasn't an election about any women and Latino - it was about electing people who could understand our lives, what we go through, and our aspirations. What Tammy Duckworth went through to get where she is - what she has given to Veterans and to our country cannot be understated, much less denigrated. Elizabeth Warren has a vision for how to move our country forward for ALL of us. And, Tammy Baldwin - starting off with no real hope of winning only to take down one of the most recognized politicians in Wisconsin. Holy cow - there is hope, there is change! Go USA!!

[omnibus66]

And the Republicans still think they "won" something in this election. The bubble they live in is absolutely impervious to anything and everything that bears any resemblance to truth or fact. Crybaby Boehner is claiming that he has a "mandate" to continue his blockade of congressional action. He doesn't realize that that swishing noise in his head is his party going down the toilet.

[ManOfSteel-Velvet]

@oldman67 Do you know the Republican campaign slogan for 2008 was: "This is a White government, by White People, for White People. Vote Republican, Vote Mitt Romney!"

[ManOfSteel-Velvet]

Error Correction:

2012 Not 2008

[ManOfSteel-Velvet]

@oldman67 Using your kind of argument, Do you realize Conservative is a coded word for tricking innocent victims to serve republican agenda?

CON: Not a regular prefix. But means to lure, to deceive, to trick as in Con men.
SERV: (root) Service. To perform duties or services for (another person or an organization).
ATIVE: (suffix) relating to or serving to.

Thus conservative is a crook who lures, deceives, or tricks innocent people to promote, to support, or to work for GOP agenda.

[pjann]

Fits perfectly! Thanks for the English lesson. Clarity.