Press Releases

Today, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Members and Members-elect selected Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) as DWC’s Chair for the 119th Congress. Rep. Leger Fernández served as a DWC Vice Chair in the 118th Congress, and will now lead the largest ever DWC, which will include a record-breaking 96 Members in the 119th Congress.

Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-22), who will assume the role of Chair Emerita, helped form the Democratic Women’s Working Group in the 113th Congress, which she helped formalize into the Democratic Women’s Caucus in the 116th Congress. She served as DWC Vice Chair in the 116th and 117th Congress and as the inaugural Chair in the 118th Congress. Rep. Frankel (FL-22) issued the following statement:

“Serving as DWC Chair has been a great honor. Ensuring our women and girls have rights, freedoms, and opportunities is critical to the success of our country. I am proud of our work this Congress to restore reproductive freedom, keep women and girls safe in schools and online, and build an economy that works for women and families. As we enter the next Congress, it will be more important than ever for us to continue our fight, and Rep. Leger Fernández will be a terrific leader to steer DWC through this next chapter with tenacity, strength, and empathy. I look forward to seeing all she accomplishes.”

DWC Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) issued the following statement:

“My hermanas and sisters have honored me with their trust and votes to serve as the incoming Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus. In this critical moment, with a second Trump administration looming, we will seek bipartisan wins where possible but also hold the Republican House, Senate, and Administration accountable if they betray American women’s rights to economic prosperity, reproductive health care, and to be free from sexual harassment and attack.

Chair Emerita Frankel created a sisterhood of purpose and passion, and I am ready to build upon the expansive, loving, and lively leadership she modeled for our Caucus. The Caucus will amplify the expertise and voices of the historic 96 Democratic women in the House. Together, we will gather and tell the stories of how policies here in D.C. impact America’s women.”

Congresswoman Leger Fernández, a 17th-generation daughter of rural New Mexico, has devoted her life and career to improving the lives of women and families. She served on the American Bar Association Commission on Women and helped lead the Hispanic Women’s Council. As a public interest lawyer, she helped secure nearly a billion dollars for and then helped build Head Start and healthcare clinics in New Mexico. She also worked on jurisdictional issues that contributed to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis 

In Congress, she supports legislation to restore reproductive freedom and expand access to maternal health care. Economic issues are a top priority, including equal pay for Latinas and more affordable childcare and housing. As the Representative of the largest rural district held by a Democrat, she champions policies to improve the lives of women in rural America, such as her Women in Agriculture Act. 

Rep. Leger Fernández also leads efforts to expand access to affordable health care, invest in education, and promote homeownership—issues critical to women and families. She is dedicated to securing economic stability, freedom, and equality for all women in America.