Office of Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers at a Tuesday press conference discussing her election as vice chair of the House Republican caucus.

Washington's most senior elected Republican woman, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, has joined her caucus' leadership team in the U.S. House of Representatives. And U.S. Sen. Patty Murray was re-elected to top leadership among Senate Democrats.

With U.S. Sen. Patty Murray's re-election as Democratic conference secretary , she retains the fourth most powerful position among Senate Democrats. And McMorris Rodgers, who represents Eastern Washington's 5th Congressional District, was elected vice chair of the House Republican conference. She joins joins Republican Leader John Boehner, Minority Whip Eric Cantor, Conference Chair Mike Pence, Conference Secretary John Carter, NRCC Chair Pete Sessions and Republican Policy Committee Chair Thaddeus McCotter as members of the House GOP leadership team.

McMorris Rodgers' relative youth -- she's a mother of an 18-month-old -- should be embraced by her caucus, which is in serious need of an image makeover after some bruising elections have winnowed the ranks of Republicans. She acknowledged as much in a press conference today: