Women ruled the election

Tuesday night capped off what will go down as a historic election for women. A record 20 women will occupy seats in the U.S. Senate next year and the congressional delegation from New Hampshire congressional delegation will be entirely female. In total 98 women will be on their way to our nation's capital next year.

The gain in Congress comes as President Barack Obama won reelection winning 55 percent of the female vote compared to Romney's 44 percent. Obama's win and the Congressional race victories come as a result of an election that was often about the so-called “war on women.”

Going into Tuesday's election, women held only 16.8 percent of the seats in Congress: 17 in the Senate and 73 in the House. The 2012 election had record numbers of women running with 18 running for Senate and 166 House positions.

Eleven of the 18 women running for Senate won their race - Feinstein (D-CA); Hirono (D-HI); Warren (D-MA); Stabenow (D-MI); Klobuchar (D-MN); McCaskill (D-MO); Fisher (R-NE); Gillibrand (D-NY); Cantwell (D-WA); Heitkamp (D-ND); and Baldwin (D-WI) - bringing the total of women in the Senate to 19.

After Tuesday's election, women will now make up 18 percent of the House of Representatives after winning 79 seats. Sixty-six women ran as incumbents, 74 ran as challengers, and 26 ran for open seats. Republicans will get one new woman in the Senate, while Democrats picked up three new female senators. The House of Representatives now has a total of 20 Republican and 59 Democratic women.

Is this a sign of things changing and more women obtaining higher political office? What does this mean for the future of female leadership and women in politics?