Lillian Exum Clement was the first woman elected to the General Assembly of North Carolina and any legislature in the south (1920). Clement was elected before women could vote.

35 women in the North Carolina General Assembly -- 20.5% of total number.

North Carolina ranked 32nd in 2000 among the states in number of women in the legislature.

In 1995, Republican women, for the first time, outnumbered Democratic women in the legislature. In 1998, Lillian's List helped reverse this trend, electing three women: two senators and one representative. All three defeated incumbent Republican men.

In 2002, Lillian's List helped elect a record number of 7 women to bring the total number of women to a record high of 35.

Julia Boseman (S-9) defeated GOP incumbent Woody White in a heated race for former minority leader Sen. Patrick Ballentine's seat. A Wilmington attorney, she was Vice Chair of the New Hanover County Commissioners.

Linda Coleman (H-39) of Knightdale soundly defeated 7-term incumbent Rep. Sam Ellis with a 54% to 46% margin. Linda is a former two term Wake County Commissioner, retired state employee, mother and community leader.

Janet Cowell (S-16) garnered nearly 60% of the vote to claim the seat of former Sen. Eric Reeves. A Raleigh City Councilor since 2001, Janet is the Marketing Director for a community development venture capital firm that invests in companies that provide good entry-level jobs in North Carolina.

Susan Fisher (H-114) of Asheville, appointed to fill the unexpired term of a former legislator, easily won her first election to retain the seat first held by Lillian Exum Clement. Susan is a businesswoman who served four terms as Gov/ Hunt's appointee to the N.C. Council for Women and eight years on the Asheville City School Board.

Melanie Wade Goodwin (H-66) of Rockingham of Rockingham scored an impressive victory with a 98% victory margin. The mother of a young daughter and a self-employed attorney, Melanie was formerly with the N.C. Council for Women. She is very involved in her community with domestic violence prevention programs, church, the arts, mental health board and juvenile crime prevention programs.

Mary "Pricey" Harrison (H-57) of Greensboro defeated 8-term GOP incumbent Rep. Joannie Bowie with a strong 57% to 43% victory margin. A member of the Coastal Resources Commission, she is President of the Julian Price Family Foundation and formerly lobbied at the N.C. legislature for environmental and social justice issues.

Alice Graham Underhill (H-3) of New Bern reclaimed the seat she lost in 2002 by a mere 183 votes. A former law librarian, she is excited to be returning to Raleigh and public service.

Margaret Highsmith Dickson (H-41) of Fayetteville, winning slightly more than 50% of the vote, ran a well-organized focused campaign with bi-partisan support. She ousted the most right-wing, anti-choice woman in the North Carolina House. This legislator, rated one of the least effective members of the legislature, sponsored more anti-choice bills than any other legislator. Margaret will add a strong pro-choice voice to the legislature.

Jean Farmer Butterfield (H-24) of Wilson won the primary for this seat formerly held by Representative Toby Fitch with an incredibly strong grassroots campaign against three men, one of whom had been appointed to fill the seat, and another who had been on the city council. A long-time political activist, Jean has, in addition to teaching held positions with organizations providing services in the areas of developmental disabilities and mental health.

Alice Bordsen (H-63) of Mebane, who won a hard fought primary with 48% of the vote against two well entrenched conservative male Democratic politicians, went on to win by a very slim margin against a well-known Republican! Alice deserved to be elected to this newly created house seat. A recent law graduate, Alice is a former librarian and real estate broker, and has served on the Mebane City Council since 1998. Alice will become another much needed pro-choice Democratic voice.

Lucy Allen (H-49) of Louisburg won her election with 56% of the vote. A former teacher and homemaker, Lucy served eight years on the Franklin County School Board and four terms as Mayor of Louisburg. Lucy's deep involvement in public policy and governance issues give her a unique understanding of the issues. Lucy campaigned tirelessly and won her election against a young Republican woman in the general election.

Becky Carney (H-102) of Charlotte won a hard fought primary battle to fill the seat being vacated by the retiring, long-term legislator Ruth Easterling. She then went on to win the general election with 91% of the vote, defeating Libertarian candidate who was backed by the GOP. Becky will be another strong pro-choice advocate in the North Carolina House.

Katie Dorsett (S-28) of Greensboro , who is replacing Senator Bill Martin in the NC Senate, won her election with 64% of the vote against a Republican and a Libertarian. Recently retired, Katie has served on the Greensboro City Council, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, and as Governor Hunt's Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Administration.

Deborah Ross (H-38) of Raleigh, who scored an impressive victory in her primary against two men, won her electin with 90% of the vote. A non-profit leader, lawyer, and former Executive and Legal Director of the ACLU of North Carolina, Deborah is currently a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke Law School and a Consultant on Business Ethics at Duke's Kenan Ethics Institute. Uniquely qualified, Deborah will use her strong pro-choice experience in the conservative 2003 legislature.

Rep. Jennifer Weiss: First appointed to fill the unexpired term of a former legislator, facing serious Republican opposition, Weiss won her first full term in 2000. An attorney, Weiss obtained her law degree from UVA and practiced in Boston for three years. After returning to Raleigh, she took a break to raise her two children, while also serving as Director of Legal Services for the Women's Center of Raleigh.

Rep. Lorene Coates defeated a longtime incumbent Republican well known for her conservative anti-choice views. Retired from a long career with the US Department of Agriculture, Coates also broadcast a weekly radio show and wrote a newspaper column which ran in the Salisbury Post for twenty years.

Rep. Marian McLawhorn, who ran for the first time in 1998, defeated the infamous legislator who, in defending cuts to the state abortion fund, claimed that "women who are truly raped cannot get pregnant because the juices don't flow." Prior to serving in the legislature, McLawhorn served as Mayor of Grifton in Pitt County, where she was a School Media Coordinator. Committed to educational health care and economic issues, Rep. McLawhorn is now serving her second term.

Senator Kay Hagan, in her first run for office, defeated an incumbent Republican opponent known for his anti-choice views. An attorney, Hagan's top priorities are education and bringing her no-nonsense business approach to making sure that our tax dollars are spent wisely and efficiently.

Senator Linda Garrou, in her second try for this Senate seat, defeated a longtime Republican incumbent. A former teacher, Garrou has been a lifelong advocate for children and families. Prior to serving in the North Carolina Senate, Garrou served as a Regional Administrator for the Guardian ad Litem program, and was the founding chair of the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute.