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For the first time ever, there are 100 women in Congress

By Sarah Kliff
Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) won a special election Tuesday night in North Carolina's 12th District
Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) won a special election Tuesday night in North Carolina's 12th District
Alex Wong/Getty Images

After last night's election, the 114th Congress appears to be the first to have 100 female members. 

women congress

Emily's List, a group that helps elect Democratic female candidates to Congress, pointed this out Tuesday night that female legislators hit triple-digits after Democrat Alma Adams won a special election in North Carolina's 12th district. It's possible the final number will change, however, as the results in close races come in.

While this is a historic high for women in Congress, it's also far from representative of America's demographics. Women now make up 19 percent of federal legislators — and 50.8 percent of the entire population. It's still true that women are better represented in Afghanistan's legislature than they are in the United States Congress.

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