Will a Woman be President?

ByABC News via logo
September 27, 2005, 9:44 AM

Sept. 27, 2005 — -- There are six female presidents worldwide, four female prime ministers and tonight the first female commander in chief is coming to America -- or at least to American television.

Geena Davis portrays the first female president of the United States in the new ABC drama, "Commander in Chief," which debuts tonight at 9 p.m. ET. How long the United States will have to wait for its first real female president is a matter up for debate.

In May, a Gallup poll showed 72 percent of people would be likely to vote for a woman.

"I think we should just be talking about the person who is the president, rather than their sex," Davis said. "In the world, America is 61st in female representation in government so there's obviously something in Americans that is resistant to this idea."

Currently, there are 14 women in the U.S. Senate, 59 women in the House of Representatives and eight female governors.

There has been speculation that either Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or both could run for president in 2008.

In 2004, Carol Moseley Braun was on the presidential ballot in 20 states, and Elizabeth Dole ran in the Republican presidential primaries in 2000. The first woman to run for president was Victoria Woodhull in 1872.