New Hampshire Magazine Celebrating Women’s History Month: Jeanne Shaheen, Kelly Ayotte and Marilla Ricker Learn about the work and impact of these Granite State women in the fields of public service and politics March 15, 2021 This series will run throughout the month of March, highlighting historical female Granite Staters each week. Jeanne Shaheen First female governor and first female United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen was the first woman ever elected governor of the state of New Hampshire in 1996. Additionally, she was the first woman ever elected to represent the state in the United States Senate in 2008. Today, she is joined by the state’s third-ever female senator, Maggie Hassan. Shaheen is the first woman in American history to be elected both governor and senator of a state. Hassan is the second.