Gone are the days when women in boardrooms or at the helm of major institutions were a rarity. In assembling our biennial list of the Most Powerful Women in Washington, we had the opposite problem: We came across so many impressive, talented, and influential women that we could have filled many more pages.
We read, researched, and reached out to people in the know across the DC area, from business to media to politics, and asked for names of women in their particular field of expertise or beyond whom they considered powerful. Who is making things happen and having an impact? Who gets her calls (or texts or emails) returned immediately? Who is leading the way in her field? Who has senators on speed dial—and vice versa?
The list of nearly 250 women that follows includes a range of categories, with both those who are in the headlines—White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, for instance—as well as others pulling strings quietly behind the scenes. More than once, we heard from a source, “This is the most powerful woman you’ve never heard of.” Or “She won’t be on any other list but has real power.”
Some women in Washington have power by virtue of their position or their proximity or access to power. Some for their leadership. Some for their ability to mobilize vast networks and connections to make things happen. Some for the skill, expertise, or innovation they bring to their field.
Of course, politics tilts the scales here, especially in these acutely partisan times. That means the list right now includes many Republicans, especially Trump-aligned Republicans who are filling the majority of top government positions, as well as those from both parties who are pushing back against the MAGA agenda and making their voices heard. We know that some of the women on this list, especially those in the national spotlight, can be seen as controversial, polarizing figures. We don’t aim to pass judgment on the job they’re doing or whether they’re using their power to further the public good. We simply mean to present a snapshot of the women who, in the fall of 2025, are wielding—or in some cases challenging—the levers of power in the nation’s capital.
Education Powers
Irma Becerra
President, Marymount University
Since taking the helm of Marymount in 2018, Becerra, the university’s first Latina president, has implemented a new academic structure and achieved a designation as a research institution just this year.
