Freshman woman joins House GOP leadership team

House Republicans added another woman to their leadership team on Thursday with Rep.-elect Mimi Walters (R-Calif.) elected as the freshman representative.

Walters, 52, will serve as the representative of the 2014 freshman class to the House Republican leadership.

{mosads}Members-elect will also select a freshman liaison to the Steering Committee, which determines committee chairmanships and assignments, on Friday. 

The election of Walters, currently a California state senator, brings the total number of women on the House Republican leadership to five. Other female members of the leadership team include GOP Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Vice Chairwoman Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.), Conference Secretary Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and 2012 class representative Ann Wagner (R-Mo.). 

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) were all reelected to their positions Thursday afternoon. Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.) also won the race for House GOP policy chairman.

After the 2012 elections, House Republicans drew criticism after selecting a predominantly male leadership team and committee chairmen. McMorris Rodgers ultimately won the conference chairwoman post and Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.) was installed as chairwoman of the House Administration Committee. 

Walters is one of the five new female Republican lawmakers elected in 2014.