Table of Contents Local Politics Power on the Hill National Politics Legal Powers International Powers Education Powers Business Powers Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Religion Medicine Lobbying, Advocacy, and Think Tanks Media Arts and Culture 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 Not one of them so far has been replaced by another woman.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. Photograph by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images. 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.The post Most Powerful Women in Washington 2026 first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less