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List of current United States Senators by seniority
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This is a classification of current U.S. Senators by seniority. The President pro tempore of the Senate is traditionally the most senior member of the majority party. The current President pro tempore is also the Dean of the United States Senate, Robert Byrd.
Seniority is based upon a series of ranked factors; only resorting to the next factor when tied.[1] Only relevant factors are listed, for instance, Robert Byrd's time with the House of Representatives no longer has any bearing on his seniority so it is not listed.
- Amount of consecutive time serving as U.S. Senator
- Previous U.S. Senator (non consecutive)
- Length of time serving as a Senator in previous non consecutive terms
- Previous U.S. Representative
- Length of time serving as a U.S. Representative
- Previous President
- Previous Vice President
- Previous Cabinet Member
- Previous State Governor
- Population of state based on the most recent census when the Senator took office
- Alphabetical by last name (this is very rare, it means they came from the same state on the same day and have identical credentials)
For Senators who have a cited, verified census the state population ranking is listed.[2][3][4][5]
| Rank |
Name |
Seniority date |
Other factors |
| 1 |
Robert Byrd (D-WV) |
January 3, 1959 |
| 2 |
Ted Kennedy (D-MA) |
November 7, 1962 |
| 3 |
Daniel Inouye (D-HI) |
January 3, 1963 |
| 4 |
Ted Stevens (R-AK) |
December 24, 1968 |
| 5 |
Pete Domenici[6] (R-NM) |
January 3, 1973 |
New Mexico 37th Population (1970) |
| 6 |
Joe Biden (D-DE) |
Delaware 46th Population (1970) |
| 7 |
Patrick Leahy (D-VT) |
January 3, 1975 |
| 8 |
Richard Lugar (R-IN) |
January 4, 1977 |
Indiana 11th Population (1970) |
| 9 |
Orrin Hatch (R-UT) |
Utah 36th Population (1970) |
| 10 |
Max Baucus (D-MT) |
December 15, 1978 |
| 11 |
Thad Cochran (R-MS) |
December 27, 1978 |
| 12 |
John Warner[6] (R-VA) |
January 2, 1979 |
| 13 |
Carl Levin (D-MI) |
January 3, 1979 |
| 14 |
Chris Dodd (D-CT) |
January 3, 1981 |
Former Rep (6 years) - Connecticut 24th Population (1970) |
| 15 |
Chuck Grassley (R-IA) |
Former Rep (6 years) - Iowa 25th Population (1970) |
| 16 |
Arlen Specter (R-PA) |
| 17 |
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) |
January 3, 1983 |
| 18 |
John Kerry (D-MA) |
January 2, 1985 |
| 19 |
Tom Harkin (D-IA) |
January 3, 1985 |
Former Rep |
| 20 |
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) |
| 21 |
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) |
January 15, 1985 |
| 22 |
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) |
January 6, 1987 |
Former Rep (10 years) |
| 23 |
Richard Shelby (R-AL) |
Former Rep (8 years) |
| 24 |
John McCain (R-AZ) |
Former Rep (4 years) - Arizona 29th Population (1980) |
| 25 |
Harry Reid (D-NV) |
Former Rep (4 years) - Nevada 43rd Population (1980) |
| 26 |
Kit Bond (R-MO) |
Former Governor |
| 27 |
Kent Conrad (D-ND) |
| 28 |
Herb Kohl (D-WI) |
January 3, 1989 |
Wisconsin 16th Population (1980) |
| 29 |
Joe Lieberman[7] (ID-CT) |
Connecticut 25th Population (1980) |
| 30 |
Daniel Akaka (D-HI) |
May 16, 1990 |
| 31 |
Larry Craig[6] (R-ID) |
January 3, 1991 |
| 32 |
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) |
November 10, 1992 |
| 33 |
Byron Dorgan (D-ND) |
December 15, 1992 |
| 34 |
Barbara Boxer (D-CA) |
January 5, 1993 |
Former Rep (10 years) |
| 35 |
Judd Gregg (R-NH) |
Former Rep (8 years) |
| 36 |
Russ Feingold (D-WI) |
Wisconsin 16th Population (1990) |
| 37 |
Patty Murray (D-WA) |
Washington 18th Population (1990) |
| 38 |
Bob Bennett (R-UT) |
Utah 35th Population (1990) |
| 39 |
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) |
June 14, 1993 |
| 40 |
Jim Inhofe (R-OK) |
November 17, 1994 |
| 41 |
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) |
January 4, 1995 |
Former Rep (16 years) |
| 42 |
Jon Kyl (R-AZ) |
Former Rep (8 years) |
| 43 |
Ron Wyden (D-OR) |
February 6, 1996 |
| 44 |
Sam Brownback (R-KS) |
November 7, 1996 |
| 45 |
Pat Roberts (R-KS) |
January 7, 1997 |
Former Rep (16 years) |
| 46 |
Richard Durbin (D-IL) |
Former Rep (14 years) |
| 47 |
Tim Johnson (D-SD) |
Former Rep (10 years) |
| 48 |
Wayne Allard[6] (R-CO) |
Former Rep (6 years) - Colorado 26th Population (1990) |
| 49 |
Jack Reed (D-RI) |
Former Rep (6 years) - Rhode Island 43rd Population (1990) |
| 50 |
Mary Landrieu (D-LA) |
Louisiana 21st Population (1990) |
| 51 |
Jeff Sessions (R-AL) |
Alabama 22nd Population (1990) |
| 52 |
Gordon Smith (R-OR) |
Oregon 29th Population (1990) |
| 53 |
Chuck Hagel[6] (R-NE) |
Nebraska 36th Population (1990) |
| 54 |
Susan Collins (R-ME) |
Maine 38th Population (1990) |
| 55 |
Mike Enzi (R-WY) |
Wyoming 50th Population (1990) |
| 56 |
Chuck Schumer (D-NY) |
January 6, 1999 |
Former Rep (18 years) |
| 57 |
Jim Bunning (R-KY) |
Former Rep (12 years) |
| 58 |
Mike Crapo (R-ID) |
Former Rep (6 years) |
| 59 |
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) |
Former Rep (4 years) |
| 60 |
George Voinovich (R-OH) |
Former Governor - Ohio 7th Population (1990) |
| 61 |
Evan Bayh (D-IN) |
Former Governor - Indiana 15th Population (1990) |
| 62 |
Bill Nelson (D-FL) |
January 3, 2001 |
Former Rep (12 years) |
| 63 |
Tom Carper (D-DE) |
Former Rep (10 years) |
| 64 |
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) |
Former Rep (4 years) - Michigan 8th Population (1990) |
| 65 |
John Ensign (R-NV) |
Former Rep (4 years) - Nevada 39th Population (1990) |
| 66 |
Maria Cantwell (D-WA) |
Former Rep (2 years) |
| 67 |
Ben Nelson (D-NE) |
Former Governor |
| 68 |
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) |
| 69 |
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) |
December 20, 2002 |
| 70 |
Frank Lautenberg[8] (D-NJ) |
January 3, 2003 |
Previous Senate service |
| 71 |
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) |
Former Rep (8 years) - Georgia 9th Population (2000) |
| 72 |
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) |
Former Rep (8 years) - South Carolina 24th Population (2000) |
| 73 |
John Sununu (R-NH) |
Former Rep (6 years) |
| 74 |
Lamar Alexander (R-TN) |
Former Cabinet Member, Former Governor |
| 75 |
Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) |
Former Cabinet Member |
| 76 |
John Cornyn[9] (R-TX) |
Texas 2nd Population (2000) |
| 77 |
Norm Coleman (R-MN) |
Minnesota 21st Population (2000) |
| 78 |
Mark Pryor (D-AR) |
Arkansas 32nd Population (2000) |
| 79 |
Richard Burr (R-NC) |
January 3, 2005 |
Former Rep (10 years) |
| 80 |
Jim DeMint (R-SC) |
Former Rep (6 years) - South Carolina 24th Population (2000) |
| 81 |
Tom Coburn (R-OK) |
Former Rep (6 years) - Oklahoma 27th Population (2000) |
| 82 |
John Thune (R-SD) |
Former Rep (6 years) - South Dakota 46th Population (2000) |
| 83 |
Johnny Isakson (R-GA) |
Former Rep (5 years, 10 months) |
| 84 |
David Vitter (R-LA) |
Former Rep (5 years, 7 months) |
| 85 |
Mel Martinez (R-FL) |
Former Cabinet Member |
| 86 |
Barack Obama (D-IL) |
Illinois 5th Population (2000) |
| 87 |
Ken Salazar (D-CO) |
Colorado 22nd Population (2000) |
| 88 |
Bob Menendez (D-NJ) |
January 18, 2006 |
| 89 |
Ben Cardin (D-MD) |
January 3, 2007 |
Former Rep (20 years) |
| 90 |
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) |
Former Rep (16 years) |
| 91 |
Sherrod Brown (D-OH) |
Former Rep (14 years) |
| 92 |
Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA) |
Pennsylvania 6th Population (2000) |
| 93 |
Jim Webb[10] (D-VA) |
Virginia 12th Population (2000) |
| 94 |
Bob Corker (R-TN) |
Tennessee 16th Population (2000) |
| 95 |
Claire McCaskill (D-MO) |
Missouri 17th Population (2000) |
| 96 |
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) |
Minnesota 21st Population (2000) |
| 97 |
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) |
Rhode Island 43rd Population (2000) |
| 98 |
Jon Tester (D-MT) |
Montana 44th Population (2000) |
| 99 |
John Barrasso (R-WY) |
June 25, 2007 |
| 100 |
Roger Wicker (R-MS) |
December 31, 2007 |
See also
Notes
- ^ A Chronological List of United States Senators 1789-Present, via www.Senate.gov
- ^ 1971 U.S Census Report Contains 1970 Census results.
- ^ 1981 U.S Census Report Contains 1980 Census results.
- ^ 1991 U.S Census Report Contains 1990 Census results.
- ^ 2000 Census State Population Rankings
- ^ a b c d e Announced retirement after 2008 election (not running for re-election).
- ^ Lieberman won re-election as an independent in 2006 and caucuses with the Democratic Party. However, he has chosen to refer to himself as an "Independent Democrat." Despite the party change, Lieberman retains his seniority since there is no break in his Senate service.
- ^ Frank Lautenberg served a previous term as U.S. Senator from New Jersey from January 1983 to January 2001, but under the rules, does not retain seniority from that prior service. Lautenberg has sought restoration of his seniority based on his prior service, but has not received it. - HillNews.com
- ^ Phil Gramm resigned early, effective November 30, 2002, so that Cornyn could take senate office on December 2, 2002, and move into Gramm's office suite in order to begin organizing his staff. Cornyn did not, however, gain seniority, owing to a 1980 Rules Committee policy that no longer gave seniority to senators who entered Congress early for the purpose of gaining advantageous office space.
- ^ Senator Webb served as Secretary of the Navy; however, that has not been a Cabinet-level position since 1947.
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List of United States Senators by seniority (and years begun) |
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United States Congress
(House of Representatives, Senate — 110th Congress) |
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| Members |
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| Leaders |
House: Speaker ( list), Party leaders, Party whips, Dem. caucus, Rep. conference, Dean | Senate: President pro tempore ( list), Party leaders, Assistant party leaders, Dem. Caucus ( Chair, Secretary, Policy comm. chair), Rep. Conference ( Chair, Vice-Chair, Policy comm. chair), Dean |
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| Groups |
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Agencies,
Employees &
Offices |
Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Guide Service ( board), Capitol Police ( board), Chiefs of Staff, GAO, Government Printing Office, Law Revision Counsel, Librarian of Congress, Poet laureate | House: Chaplain, Chief Administrative Officer, Clerk, Doorkeeper, Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Operations, Historian, Page ( board), Parliamentarian, Postmaster, Reading clerk, Recording Studio, Sergeant at Arms | Senate: Chaplain, Curator, Historian, Librarian, Page, Parliamentarian, Secretary, Sergeant at Arms
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Politics &
Procedure |
Act of Congress ( list), Caucuses, Committees, Hearings, Joint session, Oversight, Party divisions, Rider | House: Committees, History, Procedures, Mace of the House | Senate: Committees, Filibuster, History, Jefferson's Manual, Traditions, VPs' tie-breaking votes
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| Buildings |
Botanic Garden, Capitol, Capitol Complex, Office buildings (House: Cannon, Ford, Longworth, O'Neill, Rayburn, Senate: Dirksen, Hart, Russell)
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| Research |
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| Misc |
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| Websites: House of Representatives | Senate |
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