United States Senators by seniority(2001,2002a)
This is a classification of U.S. Senators by seniority from January 3rd, 2001 to November 24th, 2002.
Order of service is based on the commencement of the Senator's first term. Behind this is former service as a U.S. Senator (only giving the Senator seniority within his or her new incoming class), service as U.S. Vice President, a House member, a cabinet secretary, a state governor, and then by their state's population, respectively.[1]
| Rank | Name | Seniority Date | Other Factors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strom Thurmond[2] (R-SC) | November 7, 1956 | |
| 2 | Robert Byrd (D-WV) | January 3, 1959 | |
| 3 | Ted Kennedy (D-MA) | November 7, 1962 | |
| 4 | Daniel Inouye (D-HI) | January 3, 1963 | |
| 5 | Ernest Hollings (D-SC) | November 9, 1966 | |
| 6 | Ted Stevens (R-AK) | December 24, 1968 | |
| 7 | Jesse Helms[2] (R-NC) | January 31973 | North Carolina Ranked 10th Population |
| 8 | Pete Domenici (R-NM) | New Mexico Ranked 36th Population | |
| 9 | Joe Biden (D-DE) | Delaware Ranked 45th Population | |
| 10 | Patrick Leahy (D-VT) | January 3, 1975 | |
| 11 | Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) | January 3, 1977 | Former Representative |
| 12 | Richard Lugar (R-IN) | Indiana Ranked 15th population | |
| 13 | Orrin Hatch (R-UT) | Utah Ranked 34th population | |
| 14 | Max Baucus (D-MT) | December 15, 1978 | |
| 15 | Thad Cochran (R-MS) | December 27, 1978 | |
| 16 | John Warner (R-VA) | January 2, 1979 | |
| 17 | Carl Levin (D-MI) | January 3, 1979 | |
| 18 | Chris Dodd (D-CT) | January 31981 | Former Representative (6 years) - Connecticut Ranked 29th population |
| 19 | Chuck Grassley (R-IA) | Former Representative (6 years) - Iowa Ranked 30th population | |
| 20 | Arlen Specter (R-PA) | Pennsylvania Ranked 6th population | |
| 21 | Don Nickles (R-OK) | Oaklahoma Ranked 27th population | |
| 22 | Frank Murkowski[3] (R-AK) | Alaska Ranked 47th Population | |
| 23 | Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) | January 3, 1983 | |
| 24 | John Kerry (D-MA) | January 21985 | |
| 25 | Tom Harkin (D-IA) | January 31985 | Former Representative (10 years) |
| 26 | Phil Gramm[2] (R-TX) | Former Representative (6 years) | |
| 27 | Mitch McConnell (R-KY) | ||
| 28 | Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) | January 15, 1985 | |
| 29 | John Breaux (D-LA) | January 61987 | Former Representative (14 years) |
| 30 | Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) | Former Representative (10 years) | |
| 31 | Richard Shelby (R-AL) | Former Representative (8 years) - Alabama Ranked 30th population | |
| 32 | Tom Daschle (D-SD) | Former Representative (8 years) - South Dakota Ranked 46th population | |
| 33 | John McCain (R-AZ) | Former Representative (4 years) - Arizona Ranked 17th Population | |
| 34 | Harry Reid (D-NV) | Former Representative (4 years) - Nevada Ranked 35th population | |
| 35 | Bob Graham (D-FL) | Former Governor - Florida Ranked 4th population | |
| 36 | Kit Bond (R-MO) | Former Governor - Missouri Ranked 17th population | |
| 37 | Kent Conrad (D-ND) | ||
| 38 | Trent Lott (R-MS) | January 3, 1989 | Former Representative (16 Years) |
| 39 | Jim Jeffords (I-VT) | Former Representative (14 Years) | |
| 40 | Herb Kohl (D-WI) | Wisconsin Ranked 20th Population | |
| 41 | Joe Lieberman (D-CT) | Connecticut Ranked 29th Population | |
| 42 | Conrad Burns (R-MT) | Montana Ranked 44th Population | |
| 43 | Daniel Akaka (D-HI) | May 16, 1990 | |
| 54 | Robert C. Smith[2] (R-NH) | December 7, 1990 | |
| 45 | Larry Craig (R-ID) | January 3, 1991 | Former Representative (6 years) |
| 46 | Paul Wellstone[4] (D-MN) | ||
| 47 | Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) | November 10, 1992 | |
| 48 | Byron Dorgan (D-ND) | December 15, 1992 | |
| 49 | Barbara Boxer (D-CA) | January 5, 1993 | Former Representative (10 years) |
| 50 | Judd Gregg (R-NH) | Former Representative (8 years) Former Governor | |
| 51 | Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) | Former Representative (6 years) | |
| 52 | Patty Murray (D-WA) | Washington Ranked 14th Population | |
| 53 | Russ Feingold (D-WI) | Wisconsin Ranked 20th Population | |
| 54 | Bob Bennett (R-UT) | Utah Ranked 34th Population | |
| 55 | Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) | June 14, 1993 | |
| 57 | Jim Inhofe (R-OK) | November 17, 1994 | |
| 56 | Fred Thompson[2] (R-TN) | December 2, 1994 | |
| 58 | Olympia Snowe (R-ME) | January 4, 1995 | Former Representative (16 years) |
| 59 | Mike DeWine (R-OH) | Former Representative (8 years) - Ohio Ranked 7th Population | |
| 60 | Jon Kyl (R-AZ) | Former Representative (8 years) - Arizona Ranked 17th Population | |
| 61 | Craig Thomas (R-WY) | Former Representative (6 years) | |
| 62 | Rick Santorum (R-PA) | Former Representative (4 years) | |
| 63 | Bill Frist (R-TN) | ||
| 64 | Ron Wyden (D-OR) | February 6, 1996 | |
| 65 | Sam Brownback (R-KS) | November 7, 1996 | |
| 66 | Pat Roberts (R-KS) | January 71997 | Former Representative (16 years) |
| 67 | Richard Durbin (D-IL) | Former Representative (14 years) | |
| 68 | Robert Torricelli[2] (D-NJ) | Former Representative (13 years) | |
| 69 | Tim Johnson (D-SD) | Former Representative (10 years) | |
| 70 | Wayne Allard (R-CO) | Former Representative (6 years) - Colorado Ranked 22nd Population | |
| 71 | Jack Reed (D-RI) | Former Representative (6 years) - Rhode Island Ranked 43rd Population | |
| 72 | Tim Hutchinson[2] (R-AR) | Former Representative (4 years) | |
| 73 | Max Cleland[2] (D-GA) | Georgia Ranked 9th Population | |
| 74 | Mary Landrieu (D-LA) | Louisiana Ranked 22nd Population | |
| 75 | Jeff Sessions (R-AL) | Alabama Ranked 23rd Population | |
| 76 | Gordon Smith (R-OR) | Oregon Ranked 28th Population | |
| 77 | Chuck Hagel (R-NE) | Nebraska Ranked 38th population | |
| 78 | Susan Collins (R-ME) | Maine Ranked 40th population | |
| 79 | Mike Enzi (R-WY) | Wyoming Ranked 50th population | |
| 80 | Chuck Schumer (D-NY) | January 61999 | Former Representative (18 years) |
| 81 | Jim Bunning (R-KY) | Former Representative (12 years) | |
| 82 | Mike Crapo (R-ID) | Former Representative (6 years) | |
| 83 | Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) | Former Representative (4 years) | |
| 84 | George Voinovich (R-OH) | Former Governor - Ohio Ranked 7th population | |
| 85 | Evan Bayh (D-IN) | Former Governor - Indiana Ranked 15th population | |
| 86 | Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) | Illinois Ranked 5th population | |
| 87 | John Edwards (D-NC) | North Dakota Ranked 10th population | |
| 88 | Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) | November 4, 1999 | |
| 89 | Zell Miller (D-GA) | July 27, 2000 | |
| 90 | Bill Nelson (D-FL) | January 3, 2001 | Former Representative (12 years) |
| 91 | Tom Carper (D-DE) | Former Representative (10 years) | |
| 92 | Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) | Former Representative (4 years) - Michigan Ranked 8th Population | |
| 93 | John Ensign (R-NV) | Former Representative (4 years) - Nevada Ranked 35th Population | |
| 94 | George Allen (R-VA) | Former Representative (2 years) - Former Governor | |
| 95 | Maria Cantwell (D-WA) | Former Representative (2 years) | |
| 96 | Ben Nelson (D-NE) | Former Governor | |
| 97 | Hillary Clinton (D-NY) | New York Ranked 3rd Population | |
| 98 | Jon Corzine (D-NJ) | New Jersey Ranked 11th Population | |
| 99 | Jean Carnahan[2] (D-MO) | Missouri Ranked 21st Population | |
| 100 | Mark Dayton (D-MN) | Minnesota Ranked 21st Population |