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From a cage fight on the White House South Lawn to the Defense Secretary’s call for testosterone testing of the military, a current of masculine energy has been coursing through the nation’s capital this year, including, it would appear, in some high-level personnel maneuvers within the administration.
As we compiled this Most Powerful Women list, we were struck by how much had changed since 2025. Four Cabinet secretaries—all women—as well as the White House press secretary, another woman, are gone from positions they held a year ago. Not one of them so far has been replaced by another woman.
The loss of women in the executive branch is striking, because in every other corner of Washington, an increasing number are at the helm—so many women CEOs and presidents, directors and senior leaders, that it’s a challenge to pare down all the names.
To assemble this list, we reached out to experts in every field, asking which women are making things happen—influencing a piece of the world, pulling levers, building things, bringing people together, effecting change.
Just as their ranks have grown, what we think of as a “powerful” woman has shifted through the years. At one time, it wasn’t unusual for a woman to be considered powerful, or at least important, by virtue of her husband’s position. Think an engaged wife of a senator or philanthropist. That version of power now seems quaint as women are occupying those Senate seats—as well as executive suites, mastheads, and judicial benches—themselves.
Many have also broken out of traditional, institutional ladder-climbing to become their own spheres of influence, creating their own businesses and brands. So our list includes the CEO of a Fortune 500 aerospace company, to be sure, but also a podcaster whose political connections give her access to the White House, as well as lawyers who broke off from Big Law to start a boutique firm.
As always, politics is a major factor—in some cases, the major factor—in any measure of power in Washington. The ever-changing political landscape means this list is constantly churning.
We realize some of the names are lightning rods—highly partisan women in highly partisan times. There are MAGA-aligned women as well as those who fight the Trump agenda every day. We don’t mean to lift up either side or pass judgment on anyone’s accomplishments. We’re simply shining a light on the women wielding power—in some cases, boldly and loudly; in other cases, quietly and with little notice—in the nation’s capital today.
Local Politics
Janeese Lewis George
The DC Council member vanquished a half dozen other contenders to win the Democratic nomination for mayor, all but ensuring that the third-generation Washingtonian will next lead the city. The Howard University–trained lawyer knows that one of her chief challenges will be a President who has threatened a federal takeover of DC should the Democratic Socialist become mayor. “As mayor, I’m willing to work with the federal government and, yes, this administration to improve the lives of DC residents,” she says. “I will also stand up to anyone who harms our communities or threatens local autonomy.”
Angela D. Alsobrooks
US Senator from Maryland
Aisha Braveboy
Prince George’s County Executive
April McClain Delaney
US Representative from Maryland
Ghazala Hashmi
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Tara Jackson
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney
Janeese Lewis George
Democratic Nominee for Mayor of DC
Aruna Miller
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Elissa Silverman
At-Large Member, DC Council
Abigail Spanberger
Governor of Virginia
Tammy Stidham
Associate Regional Director, Lands and Planning, National Park Service
Vivian Watts
Delegate, Fairfax County, Virginia House of Delegates
Power on the Hill
Emily Ackerman
Floor Director, Office of Majority Whip Tom Emmer
Stephanie Bice
US Representative from Oklahoma
Katie Britt
US Senator from Alabama
Shelley Moore Capito
US Senator from West Virginia; Chair, Senate Republican Policy Committee
Katherine Clark
US Representative from Massachusetts; House Minority Whip
Susan Collins
US Senator from Maine; Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee
Rosa DeLauro
US Representative from Connecticut; Ranking Member, House Appropriations Committee
Reema Dodin
Chief of Staff for US Senator Brian Schatz
Virginia Foxx
US Representative from North Carolina; Chair, House Rules Committee
Toni-Marie Higgins
Chief of Staff, Office of Senator John Boozman
Elizabeth MacDonough
US Senate Parliamentarian
Lisa McClain
US Representative from Michigan; Chair, House Republican Conference
Lisa Murkowski
US Senator from Alaska
Patty Murray
US Senator from Washington
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
US Representative from New York
Nancy Pelosi
US Representative from California; Speaker Emerita, US House of Representatives
Elissa Slotkin
US Senator from Michigan
Elizabeth Warren
US Senator from Massachusetts; Vice Chair, Senate Democratic Conference
National Politics
Natalie Harp
If one measure of power in Washington is proximity to the President, few rival Natalie Harp, the White House aide known for her Zelig-like presence by Trump’s side, including on his clandestine flight out of Turkey in July. At 35, she’s responsible for much of what Donald Trump reads—she supplies him with instant printouts of appealing news stories—and much of what he posts on social media. Her worldview is indistinguishable from her boss’s, whom she calls “the Most Consequential President in History,” punctuating the comment to Washingtonian with Trump-style capital letters.
Meghan Bauer
White House Cabinet Secretary
Michelle Bowman
Governor and Vice Chair for Supervision, Federal Reserve Board
Lisa D. Cook
Governor, Federal Reserve Board
Monica Crowley
US Chief of Protocol
Kirsten Davies
Chief Information Officer, Department of Defense
Natalie Harp
Special and Executive Assistant to the President
Kelly Loeffler
Administrator, Small Business Administration
Linda McMahon
Secretary of Education
Katie Miller
Host, “The Katie Miller Podcast” (unofficial White House–aligned podcast)
Jeanine Pirro
US Attorney for DC
Brooke Rollins
Secretary of Agriculture
Laura Swett
Chair, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Jennifer Thornton
General Counsel, US Trade Representative
Melania Trump
First Lady of the United States
Usha Vance
Second Lady of the United States
Susie Wiles
White House Chief of Staff
Legal Powers
Nan Aron
Founder and President Emeritus, Alliance for Justice
Lisa Banks and Debra Katz
Founding Partners, Katz Banks Kumin
Amy Coney Barrett
Associate Justice, US Supreme Court
Anna Blackburne-Rigsby
Chief Judge, DC Court of Appeals
Lisa Blatt
Partner and Chair, Supreme Court and Appellate Practice, Williams & Connolly
Cristina Carvalho
Partner, ArentFox Schiff
Harmeet Dhillon
Assistant US Attorney General, Civil Rights
Karen Dunn and Jeannie Rhee
Founding Partners, Dunn Isaacson Rhee
Jamie Gorelick
Senior Counsel, WilmerHale
Sarah Harris
Principal Deputy US Solicitor General
Ketanji Brown Jackson
Associate Justice, US Supreme Court
Amy Jeffress
Partner, Hecker Fink
Elena Kagan
Associate Justice, US Supreme Court
Skye Perryman
President and CEO, Democracy Forward
Elizabeth Prelogar
Partner and Chair of Supreme Court and Appellate Practice, Cooley
Neomi Rao
Judge, DC Circuit, US Court of Appeals
Nicole Saharsky
Partner, Mayer Brown
Diane Seltzer
President, DC Bar Association; Principal, The Seltzer Law Firm
Linda Singer
Partner and Chair, Public Client, Motley Rice
Sonia Sotomayor
Associate Justice, US Supreme Court
Beth Wilkinson
Partner, Wilkinson Stekloff
International Powers
Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah
Kuwaiti Ambassador to the US
Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud
Saudi Ambassador to the US
Kristalina Georgieva
Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
Dina Kawar
Jordanian Ambassador to the US
Jovita Neliupsiene
European Union Ambassador to the US
Education Powers
Irma Becerra
President, Marymount University
Aminta Breaux
President, Bowie State University
Roberta Cordano
President, Gallaudet University
Laura Fuchs
President, Washington Teachers’ Union
Ellen Granberg
President, George Washington University
Anne Kress
President, Northern Virginia Community College
Patricia McGuire
President, Trinity Washington University
Jennifer King Rice
Senior Vice President and Provost, University of Maryland
Vicky Wilkins
Provost and Chief Academic Officer, American University
Falecia D. Williams
President, Prince George’s Community College
Business Powers
Jodie McLean
The Chicago native joined Edens when she was 22, a new college graduate planning to stay at the commercial real-estate firm for two years. Thirty-six years later—“Yes, 36,” she says, “which sounds slightly crazy when I say it aloud”—McLean is CEO of the company, now one of the leading owners, operators, and developers of open-air retail and mixed-use spaces around the country, including Union Market. “There is something incredibly rewarding about staying long enough to actually build an institution—to see decisions you made 20 or 30 years ago compound through people, culture, communities, and performance.”
Gina Adams
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, FedEx
Jan Adams
Founder and CEO, JMA Solutions
Shaza Andersen
Founder and CEO, Trustar Bank
Kristine Martin Anderson
President and COO, Booz Allen
Mary Brady
President and CEO, Economic Club of DC
Valerie Camillo
Chair, Women’s Tennis Association
Teresa Carlson
Global Head, Public Sector, Anthropic
Debra Lerner Cohen
Majority Owner, Washington Nationals
Marlene Colucci
CEO, The Business Council
Karen Dahut
CEO, Google Public Sector
Monica Modi Dalwadi
Eastern Region Managing Principal, Baker Tilly
Ashley Davis
Partner, S-3 Group
Monica Dixon
President, External Affairs, and CAO, Monumental Sports Entertainment
Ann Fairchild
President and CEO, Siemens USA
Kathryn Falk
Vice President and Market Leader, Cox Communications Northern Virginia
Michelle Freeman
Owner and CEO, Carl M. Freeman Companies
Adena Friedman
Chair and CEO, Nasdaq
Nora Gardner
Senior Partner, DC Office, McKinsey & Company
Amy Gilliland
President, General Dynamics Information Technology
Morgan Gress
Communications Partner, Andreessen Horowitz
Leslie D. Hale
President and CEO, RLJ Lodging Trust
Diane Hoskins
Global Co-Chair, Gensler
Cathy Hughes
Founder and Chair, Urban One
Danita Johnson
President of Business Operations, DC United
Jeanelle Johnson
Managing Partner, PwC Washington Office
Sheila C. Johnson
Founder and CEO, Salamander Collection
Michele Kang
Owner, Washington Spirit
Michelle Korsmo
President and CEO, National Restaurant Association
Margery Kraus
Founder and Executive Chairman, APCO
Laura Lane
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Chevron
Stephanie Linnartz
Senior Adviser, Bain & Co.; Member, Board of Directors, Home Depot
Katherine Lugar
Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Hilton
Sharon Marcil
North America Vice Chair and Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG
Dina Powell McCormick
President and Vice Chair, Meta
Deryl McKissack
Founder, Chair, and CEO, McKissack & McKissack
Jodie McLean
CEO, Edens
Phebe Novakovic
Chair and CEO, General Dynamics
Linda Rabbitt
Founder and Executive Chair, Rand Construction
Deborah Ratner Salzberg
Partner, Uplands Real Estate Partners
Kyle Schoppmann
Mid-Atlantic President, CBRE
Carey Smith
Chair, President, and CEO, Parsons
Courtney Spaeth
CEO, Growth[Period]
Kim Stone
CEO, Washington Spirit
Julie Sweet
CEO and Chair, Accenture
Tamika Tremaglio
Managing Director, Global Sports Consulting, Secretariat
Susan Tynan
Founder and CEO, Framebridge
Kathy Warden
Chair, CEO, and President, Northrop Grumman
Pam Yee
Managing Partner, Bain & Co. Washington Office
Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Religion
Rosie Allen-Herring
Interim President and CEO, United Way Worldwide
Sheikha Rima al-Sabah
Goodwill Ambassador, UNHCR
Adrienne Arsht
Philanthropist
Katherine Bradley
Chair, KIPP Foundation
Mariann Edgar Budde
Episcopal Bishop of Washington
Jane Lipton Cafritz
President and CEO, Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
Marcia Myers Carlucci
Philanthropist
Jean Case
CEO, Case Foundation and Case Impact Network; Chair, National Geographic Society
Elisha Dunn-Georgiou
President and CEO, Global Health Council
Michele Jawando
CEO, Omidyar Network
Tamara Wilds Lawson
President and CEO, Washington Area Women’s Foundation
Marlene Malek
Vice Chair and Cofounder, Friends of Cancer Research
Jacqueline Mars
Philanthropist
Catherine Meloy
President and CEO, Goodwill of Greater Washington
Jennifer Morris
CEO, Nature Conservancy
Radha Muthiah
President and CEO, Capital Area Food Bank
Kerry Alys Robinson
President and CEO, Catholic Charities USA
Kathy Roth-Douquet
Cofounder and CEO, Blue Star Families
Jill Tiefenthaler
CEO, National Geographic Society
Miriam Vogel
President and CEO, EqualAI
Tonia Wellons
President and CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation
Tiffany Williams
President and CEO, Martha’s Table
Diane Yentel
President and CEO, National Council of Nonprofits
Medicine
Maria Ansari
CEO and Executive Director, Permanente Medical Group; President and CEO, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group; Co-CEO, Permanente Federation
Rina Bansal
President, Inova Alexandria Hospital; Senior Vice President, Inova
Monica Bertagnolli
President, National Academy of Medicine
Lisa Boyle
President, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital; Senior Vice President, MedStar Health
Susan Carroll
Chief of Clinical Enterprise Operations, Inova
Annice Cody
President and CEO, Primary Care Coalition
Kimberlee Daniels
CEO, Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health
M. Joy Drass
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, MedStar Health
Adaeze Enekwechi
CEO, Nadia Care
Erin O’Shea
President, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Michelle Riley-Brown
President and CEO, Children’s National
Martine Rothblatt
Founder, Chairperson, and CEO, United Therapeutics
Michelle Rozo
Vice Chair, National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology
Monica Schmude
President, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia
LeighAnn Sidone
President and Chief Operating Officer, Suburban Hospital
Debara Tucci
Director, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health
Nora D. Volkow
Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Lobbying, Advocacy, and Think Tanks
Myechia Minter-Jordan
A graduate of Brown University’s medical school, Minter-Jordan went to business school at Johns Hopkins after becoming a physician, to better understand the healthcare system and become a more effective advocate for patients. The dual track led her to AARP, where she’s been CEO since 2024. “This role gives me an incredible opportunity to represent more than 125 million Americans 50 and older and to help shape how we think about aging and its impact across every industry in our country.”
Jane Adams
Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs and Policy, and Head of Office, Johnson & Johnson
Ruth Berry
Senior Director and Head of Policy, Government Relations, Nvidia
Rachel Bovard
Vice President, Programs, Conservative Partnership Institute
Anne Bradbury
President and CEO, American Exploration & Production Council
Christine Burgeson
Executive Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, American Beverage
Kara Calvert
Vice President, US Policy, Coinbase
Jessica Carter
Head of Federal Government Affairs, Ford Motor Company
Kirsten Chadwick
Partner, Fierce Government Relations
Suzanne P. Clark
President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Victoria Coates
Vice President, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, Heritage Foundation
Danielle Coffey
President and CEO, News/Media Alliance
Nicole Collier
Vice President, North America Government Relations and Public Policy, Procter & Gamble
Courtney Connell
Principal, Washington Council, Ernst & Young
Kellyanne Conway
Founder, KAConsulting
Stephanie Cutter
Cofounder and Managing Partner, Precision Strategies
Amanda Eversole
President and CEO, Financial Services Forum
Kinsey Fabrizio
President and CEO, Consumer Technology Association
Theresa Fariello
Executive Vice President, Government Affairs and Global Public Policy, United Airlines
Yvette Fontenot
CEO, Impact Health Policy Partners
Kimberley Fritts
Founder and CEO, Cogent Strategies
Alexandra Reeve Givens
President and CEO, Center for Democracy and Technology
Juleanna Glover
Founder and CEO, Ridgely Walsh
Fatima Goss Graves
President and CEO, National Women’s Law Center
Brigitte Schmidt Gwyn
Senior Vice President, North America Public Policy and Government Affairs, PepsiCo
Tammy Haddad
Founder and CEO, Haddad Media; Founder, Washington AI Network
Avril Haines
President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Karen Harbert
President and CEO, American Gas Association
Susan B. Hirschmann
Chair and CEO, Williams & Jensen
Charlotte Ivancic
Partner, TDY @ FGS Global
Cheryl Jaeger
Principal, Crossroads Strategies
Kathryn D. Karol
Vice President, Global Government and Corporate Affairs, Caterpillar
Shahira Knight
Managing Principal, Policy and Government Relations, Deloitte
Lisa Kountoupes
Founder and President, KDCR Partners
Angela Kuefler
Partner, Research, Global Strategy Group
Courtney Lawrence
Senior Vice President and Head of Government Affairs and Global Public Policy, Cigna
Maya MacGuineas
President, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Corey Malmgren
Partner, Tiber Creek Group
Brittany Masalosalo
Chief Public Policy Officer, HP
Myechia Minter-Jordan
CEO, AARP
Virginia Boney Moore
Director, US Federal Affairs, Netflix
Maryam Mujica
President, General Catalyst Institute
Janet Murguía
President and CEO, UnidosUS
Molly Murphy
President, Impact Research
Lisa B. Nelson
CEO, American Legislative Exchange Council
Lindsay Owens
President and CEO, Groundwork Collaborative
Sharon Parrott
President, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Heather Podesta
Founder and CEO, Invariant
Cecilia Elena Rouse
President, Brookings Institution
Yesim Sayin
Executive Director, DC Policy Center
Melissa Schulman
Senior Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, CVS Health
Emily Seidel
CEO, Americans for Prosperity
Kelly Ann Shaw
Partner, Akin
Liz Shuler
President, AFL-CIO
Kristen Silverberg
President and COO, Business Roundtable
Margaret Spellings
President and CEO, Bipartisan Policy Center
Mary Streett
Senior Vice President, Americas Communications and External Affairs, BP
Alexandra Veitch
Senior Director and Lead, Public Policy, Americas, YouTube
April Verrett
President, SEIU
Alexa Verveer
Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy, Corporate and Government Affairs, Warner Bros. Discovery
Kemba Walden
President, Paladin Global Institute
Jamie Wall
Vice President, Head of Washington Office, ExxonMobil
Jennifer Walton
Senior Vice President, US Policy and Government Relations, Pfizer
Sarah Rosen Wartell
President, Urban Institute
Amy Best Weiss
Executive Vice President, Global Government Affairs, American Express
Heather Wingate
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Delta Air Lines
Candida Wolff
Executive Vice President/Managing Director and Head of Global Government Affairs, Citigroup
Media
Cesca Antonelli
Editor in Chief, Bloomberg Industry Group
Denise Rolark Barnes
Owner and Publisher, Washington Informer
Dana Bash
Anchor, “Inside Politics” and “State of the Union With Jake Tapper and Dana Bash,” and Chief Political Correspondent, CNN
Jackie Bradford
President and General Manager, NBC4 and Telemundo 44
Shannon Bream
Anchor, “Fox News Sunday”
Margaret Brennan
Moderator, “Face the Nation,” and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, CBS News
Dasha Burns
Coauthor, Politico Playbook; Host and Managing Editor, “The Conversation With Dasha Burns”; Global Anchor, Politico
Kaitlan Collins
Anchor, “The Source With Kaitlan Collins,” and Chief White House Correspondent, CNN
Susan Glasser
Staff Writer, The New Yorker
Matea Gold
Washington Editor, New York Times
Jennifer Griffin
Chief National Security Correspondent, Fox News
Jacqui Heinrich
Senior White House Correspondent and Co-Anchor, “The Sunday Briefing,” Fox News; President, White House Correspondents’ Association
Mollie Hemingway
Editor in Chief, The Federalist
Anna Johnson
Washington Bureau Chief, Associated Press
Eliana Johnson
Editor in Chief, Washington Free Beacon
Sara Just
Senior Executive Producer, PBS News Hour; Senior Vice President, WETA
Mary Louise Kelly
Cohost, “All Things Considered,” NPR
Paula Kerger
President and CEO, PBS
Rebecca Kutler
President, MS NOW
Adrienne LaFrance
Executive Editor, The Atlantic
Carol E. Lee
Washington Managing Editor, NBC News
Annie Linskey
White House reporter, Wall Street Journal
Sarah Longwell
Publisher, The Bulwark
Katherine Maher
President and CEO, NPR
Jane Mayer
Chief Washington Correspondent, The New Yorker
Virginia Moseley
Executive Editor, CNN
Hannah Natanson
National Reporter, Washington Post
Amna Nawaz
Co-Anchor and Co–Managing Editor, “PBS News Hour”
Kelly O’Donnell
Chief Justice and National Affairs Correspondent, NBC News
Norah O’Donnell
Correspondent, “60 Minutes,” and Cohost, “CBS Mornings”
Anna Palmer
Founder and CEO, Punchbowl News
Ashley Parker
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Sally Quinn
Columnist
Martha Raddatz
Coanchor, “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” and Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, ABC News
Swati Sharma
Editor in Chief and Publisher, Vox
Goli Sheikholeslami
CEO, Politico
Kara Swisher
Podcast Host, “On With Kara Swisher” and “Pivot With Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway”
Amy Walter
Publisher and Editor in Chief, The Cook Political Report With Amy Walter
Kristen Welker
Moderator, “Meet the Press,” NBC News
Arts and Culture
Melanie Adams
Interim Director, Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum
Katelynd Anderson
Interim Director, Anacostia Community Museum
Sara Bloomfield
Director, US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Maggie Boland
Managing Director, Signature Theatre
Shanita Brackett
Acting Director, National Museum of African American History & Culture
Beth Brummel
COO, Wolf Trap
Cynthia Chavez Lamar
Director, National Museum of the American Indian
Kaywin Feldman
Director, National Gallery of Art
Ann Friedman
Founder and CEO, Planet Word
Aileen Fuchs
President and Executive Director, National Building Museum
Anthea M. Hartig
Director, National Museum of American History
Lynda Roscoe Hartigan
Director, Smithsonian American Art Museum
Monica Jeffries Hazangeles
President and CEO, Strathmore
Julissa Marenco
Assistant Secretary for Communications and External Affairs and Chief Marketing Officer, Smithsonian
Emily Wei Rales
Cofounder and Director, Glenstone
Ellen Stofan
Undersecretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian
Francesca Zambello
Artistic Director, Washington National Opera
This article appears in the October 2026 issue of Washingtonian.
