Barbara Mikulski

Barbara Ann Mikulski (born July 20, 1936) is the junior United States senator from Maryland. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She was a social worker before serving on the Baltimore, Maryland city council from 1971 to 1976. In 1974 she ran for the United States Senate for the first time, but was defeated by the Republican incumbent, Charles McCurdy Mathias, Jr.

She was, however, elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 and was reelected in 1978, 1980, 1982 and 1984. In 1986 she ran for the Senate again and won. She was reelected in 1992 and 1998.