Congratulations to our own Scripps College alumna Hannah-Beth Jackson ’71, who won her race to represent the 19th State Senate District in California (Santa Barbara County and parts of Ventura County). Her election is part of a historic day for women, who now comprise 53% of the voting public and are increasingly making their voices heard, from the local to the state to the national level. As a result of this election, there will be 20 female senators in the 113^th Congress, the most ever in U.S. history, up from the current 17. Also, a record number of women ran for political office, with 141 women candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives.

We should all welcome the news that women—whatever their political persuasion—are an increasing part of the national dialogue. That’s an excellent result of the 2012 elections and cause for celebration.