Lorna E. Lockwood became Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court in 1965, making her the first woman to serve as a state chief justice in U.S. history.

Nancy Pelosi became the first woman Speaker of the House in 2007, placing her second in the presidential line of succession.

Laura Eisenhuth was elected North Dakota superintendent of public instruction in 1892, making her the first woman elected to any statewide executive office in the U.S.

Ella Grasso became governor of Connecticut in 1975 as the first woman elected without spousal succession or appointment.

Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed in 1969 to fill a vacancy created when State Senator Isabel Burgess left for a federal appointment. O'Connor was sworn in on October 30, 1969. She then won election and re‑election, serving until January 1975. She became Majority Leader in 1973, making her the first woman in the United States to lead a state senate majority caucus.