Led by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who is poised to become the nation's first "Madam Speaker," record numbers of women will serve in the next Congress.

Tuesday's midterm results mean there will be at least 70 women in the House, 16 in the Senate and nine in governorships, with most of the success achieved by Democratic women, according to the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics.

"They campaigned on the issue of looking for a new direction," said Debbie Walsh, the Rutgers center's director. "Voters were looking for change. ... And I think women are seen as agents of change."

Much of the change in Washington will involve Pelosi, who will set the House agenda during the last two years of President Bush's term.

"Maybe it takes a woman to clean house," Pelosi said on CNN -- then acknowledged the remark's sexist nature. "It is. Because the fact is a woman represents what's new, because it's never happened before."

Major gains for women also included Sen. Hillary Clinton's landslide re-election in New York , boosting her potential Democratic candidacy for president in 2008. In Missouri , Claire McCaskill defeated a GOP incumbent, a critical win that helped tip the Senate to the Democrats -- if the victory in Virginia stands.

One new female governor also was elected -- Sarah Palin, an Alaska Republican.

"Women now have vastly increased political clout on Capitol Hill," said Jennifer K. Brown, vice president and legal director of Legal Momentum, a women's rights group in New York City . "(It) will be interesting to see how that translates into legislative gains."

Brown said she expects women in Congress will help focus the debate on issues like raising the minimum wage, promoting stem-cell research and improving health care options.

Martha McKenna, campaign services director for Emily's List, a national group that seeks to elect Democratic women, agreed.

"I think the first thing it means is change," said McKenna, predicting Pelosi will make House decisions more "inclusive" and "open" with the help of more women chairing House committees and subcommittees.

In New Jersey, where Christie Whitman broke the gubernatorial gender barrier 13 years ago, four women ran as major-party candidates for Congress, but none prevailed. Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D- Union) came closest in her losing bid to unseat Rep. Michael Ferguson (R-7th Dist.)

While Rep. Nancy Johnson, the senior Republican female in the House, also lost, GOP women also scored some key victories.

Hawaii's incumbent Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican, bucked the national Democratic trend and scored a landslide re-election with more than 60 percent of the vote. In Connecticut , incumbent GOP Gov. Jodi Rell also won going away after filling out the term of disgraced former Gov. John Rowland.

Candace Straight, a New Jersey Republican fundraiser and former president of The Wish List, which supports GOP women who back abortion rights, said the "most important fact" in the midterm re sults is Pelosi's expected elevation to speaker.

"That is historic," said Straight. "To the extent that she is successful, I think it will be very encouraging for women in both parties."