White men no longer majority in the House Democratic caucus

by Carrie Healey |
Congressional freshmen of the 113th Congress pose for a class picture on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on November 15, 2012 in Washington DC. The freshmen have arrived on Capitol Hill for orientation this week. The 109th Congress will officially begin in January, next year. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Congressional freshmen of the 113th Congress pose for a class picture on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on November 15, 2012 in Washington DC. The freshmen have arrived on Capitol Hill for orientation this week. The 109th Congress will officially begin in January, next year. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

A diverse group of men and women will be sworn in as the 113th Congress today at noon.

Over 90 newcomers will join veteran lawmakers. Eight-four freshmen will be sworn in at the House and 12 in the Senate.

The 2013 class is unlike any to come before it.  For the first time in U.S. history, white males will no longer be the majority of House Democrats.

Four African-Americans, 10 Latinos, 5 Asian Americans, and 24 women will be sworn in.

The 113th Congress will contain the most women ever to serve at the same time.  In addition to the six seats occupied by women who were up for re-election this year, Democratic women picked up an additional four: Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, Mazie K. Hirono in Hawaii, Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin and Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Twenty percent of the Senate and 18 percent of the House will now be comprised of women.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, will be the first Hindu to serve in either the House or Senate, and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, will be the first Buddhist.  Hirono will also be the first Asian American woman elected to Senate.

Democrat Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin is the first openly-gay person elected to the upper chamber, reports The Hill.

“I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference,” Baldwin tweeted on Election Night.

NBC Connecticut reports that New Hampshire will be the first state to send women, and only women, to Washington for representation. It already had two female Senators, Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen, but the 2012 election put women in the state’s two House seats: Ann McLane Kuster and Carol Shea-Porter.

The number of Republican female senators dropped from five to four, and the number of House Republican Latinos shrank from seven to five.

Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals.