Seniority in the United States Senate
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United States senators are conventionally ranked by the length of their tenure in the Senate. The senator in each U.S. state with the longer time in office is known as the senior senator; the other is the junior senator. This convention has no official standing, though seniority confers several benefits, including preference in the choice of committee assignments and physical offices. When senators have been in office for the same length of time, a number of tiebreakers, including previous offices held, are used to determine seniority.
Benefits of seniority
The United States Constitution does not mandate differences in rights or power, but Senate rules give more power to senators with more seniority. Generally, senior senators will have more power, especially within their own caucuses. In addition, by custom, senior senators from the president's party control federal patronage appointments in their states.
There are several benefits, including the following:
- Traditionally, the most senior member of the majority party is named president pro tempore of the Senate.
- Senators are given preferential treatment in choosing committee assignments based on seniority. Seniority on a committee is based on length of time serving on that committee, which means a senator may rank above another in committee seniority but be more junior in the full Senate. Although the committee chairmanship is an elected position, it is traditionally given to the most senior senator of the majority party serving on the committee, and not already holding a conflicting position such as chairmanship of another committee. The ranking member of a committee (called the vice-chairman in some select committees) is elected in the same way.
- Greater seniority enables a senator to choose a desk closer to the front of the Senate Chamber.
- Senators with higher seniority may choose to move into better office space as those offices are vacated.
- Seniority determines the ranking in the United States order of precedence although other factors, such as being a former president or first lady, can place an individual higher in the order of precedence.
Determining the beginning of a term
The beginning of an appointment does not necessarily coincide with the date the Senate convenes or when the new senator is sworn in.[1] In the case of senators first elected in a general election for the upcoming Congress, their terms begin on the first day of the new Congress. Since 1935, that means January 3 of odd-numbered years. The seniority date for an appointed senator is usually the date of the appointment, although the actual term does not begin until they take the oath of office. An incoming senator who holds another office, including membership in the U.S. House of Representatives, must resign from that office before becoming a senator.
Determining length of seniority
A senator's seniority is primarily determined by length of continuous service; for example, a senator who has served for 12 years is more senior than one who has served for 10 years. Because several new senators usually join at the beginning of a new Congress, seniority is determined by prior federal or state government service and, if necessary, the amount of time spent in the tiebreaking office. These tiebreakers in order are:[2]
- Former senator
- Former vice president
- Former House member
- Former Cabinet secretary
- Former state governor
- Population of state based on the most recent census when the senator took office
- Alphabetical by last name (in the case where two senators came from the same state on the same day and have identical credentials)
When more than one senator has served in the same previous role, length of time in that prior office is used to break the tie. For instance, Ben Cardin, Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey, Amy Klobuchar, Sheldon Whitehouse and Jon Tester took office on January 3, 2007, and the first three senators mentioned had previously served in the House of Representatives. Cardin, having served 20 years, is more senior than Sanders, who served 16 years, who in turn is more senior than Brown, who served 14 years. Casey, Klobuchar, Whitehouse, and Tester rank in that order because as of the 2000 census, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Montana had populations that ranked in that order, so Tester is ranked 33rd in seniority when the 116th United States Congress convened.
Current seniority list
Only relevant factors are listed below. For senators whose seniority is based on their state's respective population, the state population ranking is given as determined by the relevant United States Census current at the time that they began service.[3][4][5]
Republican (53) Democratic (45) Independent (2)
| Current rank |
Historical rank[a][2] |
Senator | Party | State | Seniority date | Other factors | Committee and leadership positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1692 | Patrick Leahy | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Vermont | January 3, 1975 | Ranking Member: Appropriations President pro tempore emeritus | |
| 2 | 1743 | Chuck Grassley | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Iowa | January 3, 1981 | President pro tempore Chair: Finance | |
| 3 | 1766 | Mitch McConnell | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Kentucky | January 3, 1985 | Majority Leader | |
| 4 | 1775 | Richard Shelby | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican[b] | Alabama | January 3, 1987 | Chair: Appropriations | |
| 5 | 1801 | Dianne Feinstein | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | California | November 4, 1992 | Ranking Member: Judiciary Co-Chair: International Narcotics Control Caucus | |
| 6 | 1810 | Patty Murray | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Washington | January 3, 1993 | Ranking Member: HELP Assistant Minority Leader | |
| 7 | 1816 | Jim Inhofe | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Oklahoma | November 16, 1994 | Chair: Armed Services | |
| 8 | 1827 | Ron Wyden | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Oregon | February 6, 1996 | Ranking Member: Finance | |
| 9 | 1830 | Pat Roberts | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Kansas | January 3, 1997 | Former House member (16 years) | Chair: Agriculture |
| 10 | 1831 | Dick Durbin | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Illinois | Former House member (14 years) | Minority Whip | |
| 11 | 1835 | Jack Reed | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Rhode Island | Former House member (6 years) | Ranking Member: Armed Services | |
| 12 | 1842 | Susan Collins | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Maine | Maine 38th in population (1990) | Chair: Aging | |
| 13 | 1843 | Mike Enzi | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Wyoming | Wyoming 50th in population (1990) | Chair: Budget | |
| 14 | 1844 | Chuck Schumer | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | New York | January 3, 1999 | Former House member (18 years) | Minority Leader |
| 15 | 1846 | Mike Crapo | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Idaho | Former House member (6 years) | Chair: Banking | |
| 16 | 1855 | Tom Carper | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Delaware | January 3, 2001 | Former House member (10 years) | Ranking Member: Environment |
| 17 | 1856 | Debbie Stabenow | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Michigan | Former House member (4 years) | Ranking Member: Agriculture Democratic Policy Committee Chair | |
| 18 | 1859 | Maria Cantwell[c] | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Washington | Former House member (2 years) | Ranking Member: Commerce | |
| 19 | 1867 | John Cornyn | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Texas | December 2, 2002 | Chair: International Narcotics Control Caucus | |
| 20 | 1868 | Lisa Murkowski | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Alaska | December 20, 2002[d] | Chair: Energy | |
| 21 | 1870 | Lindsey Graham | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | South Carolina | January 3, 2003 | Former House member | Chair: Judiciary |
| 22 | 1871 | Lamar Alexander | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Tennessee | Chair: HELP | ||
| 23 | 1876 | Richard Burr | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | North Carolina | January 3, 2005 | Former House member (10 years) | |
| 24 | 1879 | John Thune | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | South Dakota | Former House member (6 years) | Majority Whip | |
| 25 | 1885 | Bob Menendez | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | New Jersey | January 17, 2006[d] | Ranking Member: Foreign Relations | |
| 26 | 1886 | Ben Cardin | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Maryland | January 3, 2007 | Former House member (20 years) | Ranking Member: Small Business |
| 27 | 1887 | Bernie Sanders | style="background-color:Template:Independent (United States)/meta/color" | | Independent | Vermont | Former House member (16 years) | Ranking Member: Budget Democratic Outreach Chair | |
| 28 | 1888 | Sherrod Brown | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Ohio | Former House member (14 years) | Ranking Member: Banking | |
| 29 | 1890 | Bob Casey Jr. | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania 6th in population (2000) | Ranking Member: Aging | |
| 30 | 1893 | Amy Klobuchar | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Minnesota | Minnesota 21st in population (2000) | Ranking Member: Rules Democratic Steering Committee Chair | |
| 31 | 1894 | Sheldon Whitehouse | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Rhode Island | Rhode Island 43rd in population (2000) | ||
| 32 | 1895 | Jon Tester | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Montana | Montana 44th in population (2000) | Ranking Member: Veterans' Affairs | |
| 33 | 1896 | John Barrasso | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Wyoming | June 22, 2007[d] | Chair: Environment Republican Conference Chair | |
| 34 | 1897 | Roger Wicker | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Mississippi | December 31, 2007[d] | Chair: Commerce | |
| 35 | 1899 | Tom Udall | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | New Mexico | January 3, 2009 | Former House member | Vice Chair: Indian Affairs |
| 36 | 1901 | Jeanne Shaheen | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | New Hampshire | Former governor (6 years) | ||
| 37 | 1902 | Mark Warner | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Virginia | Former governor (4 years) | Vice Chair: Intelligence Democratic Caucus Vice Chair | |
| 38 | 1903 | Jim Risch | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Idaho | Former governor (7 months) | Chair: Foreign Relations | |
| 39 | 1905 | Jeff Merkley | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Oregon | |||
| 40 | 1909 | Michael Bennet | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Colorado | January 21, 2009[d] | ||
| 41 | 1910 | Kirsten Gillibrand | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | New York | January 26, 2009[d] | ||
| 42 | 1916 | Joe Manchin | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | West Virginia | November 15, 2010 | Former governor | Ranking Member: Energy Democratic Policy Committee Vice Chair |
| 43 | 1917 | Chris Coons | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Delaware | Vice Chair: Ethics | ||
| 44 | 1919 | Roy Blunt | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Missouri | January 3, 2011 | Former House member (14 years); Missouri 17th in population (2000) |
Chair: Rules Republican Policy Committee Chair |
| 45 | 1920 | Jerry Moran | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Kansas | Former House member (14 years); Kansas 33rd in population (2000) |
Chair: Veterans' Affairs | |
| 46 | 1921 | Rob Portman | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Ohio | Former House member (12 years) | ||
| 47 | 1922 | John Boozman | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Arkansas | Former House member (10 years) | ||
| 48 | 1923 | Pat Toomey | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Pennsylvania | Former House member (6 years) | ||
| 49 | 1924 | John Hoeven | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | North Dakota | Former governor | Chair: Indian Affairs | |
| 50 | 1925 | Marco Rubio | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Florida | Florida 4th in population (2000) | Chair: Small Business Chair: Intelligence (Acting) | |
| 51 | 1926 | Ron Johnson | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Wisconsin | Wisconsin 20th in population (2000) | Chair: Homeland Security | |
| 52 | 1927 | Rand Paul | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Kentucky | Kentucky 25th in population (2000) | ||
| 53 | 1928 | Richard Blumenthal | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Connecticut | Connecticut 29th in population (2000) | ||
| 54 | 1929 | Mike Lee | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Utah | Utah 34th in population (2000) | Republican Steering Committee Chair | |
| 55 | 1932 | Brian Schatz | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Hawaii | December 26, 2012[d] | ||
| 56 | 1933 | Tim Scott | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | South Carolina | January 2, 2013[d] | ||
| 57 | 1934 | Tammy Baldwin | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Wisconsin | January 3, 2013 | Former House member (14 years) | Democratic Caucus Secretary |
| 58 | 1937 | Chris Murphy | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Connecticut | Former House member (6 years); Connecticut 29th in population (2010) |
||
| 59 | 1938 | Mazie Hirono | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Hawaii | Former House member (6 years); Hawaii 40th in population (2010) | ||
| 60 | 1939 | Martin Heinrich | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | New Mexico | Former House member (4 years) | ||
| 61 | 1940 | Angus King | style="background-color:Template:Independent (United States)/meta/color" | | Independent | Maine | Former governor (8 years) | ||
| 62 | 1941 | Tim Kaine | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Virginia | Former governor (4 years) | ||
| 63 | 1942 | Ted Cruz | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Texas | Texas 2nd in population (2010) | ||
| 64 | 1943 | Elizabeth Warren | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Massachusetts | Massachusetts 14th in population (2010) | Democratic Caucus Vice Chair | |
| 65 | 1944 | Deb Fischer | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Nebraska | Nebraska 38th in population (2010) | ||
| 66 | 1948 | Ed Markey | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Massachusetts | July 16, 2013 | ||
| 67 | 1949 | Cory Booker | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | New Jersey | October 31, 2013 | ||
| 68 | 1951 | Shelley Moore Capito | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | West Virginia | January 3, 2015 | Former House member (14 years) | |
| 69 | 1952 | Gary Peters | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Michigan | Former House member (6 years); Michigan 8th in population (2010) |
Ranking Member: Homeland Security | |
| 70 | 1953 | Bill Cassidy | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Louisiana | Former House member (6 years); Louisiana 25th in population (2010) |
||
| 71 | 1954 | Cory Gardner | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Colorado | Former House member (4 years); Colorado 22nd in population (2010) | ||
| 72 | 1955 | James Lankford | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Oklahoma | Former House member (4 years); Oklahoma 28th in population (2010) |
Chair: Ethics | |
| 73 | 1956 | Tom Cotton | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Arkansas | Former House member (2 years); Arkansas 32nd in population (2010) |
||
| 74 | 1957 | Steve Daines | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Montana | Former House member (2 years); Montana 44th in population (2010) | ||
| 75 | 1958 | Mike Rounds | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | South Dakota | Former governor | ||
| 76 | 1959 | David Perdue | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Georgia | Georgia 9th in population (2010) | ||
| 77 | 1960 | Thom Tillis | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | North Carolina | North Carolina 10th in population (2010) | ||
| 78 | 1961 | Joni Ernst | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Iowa | Iowa 30th in population (2010) | Republican Conference Vice Chair | |
| 79 | 1962 | Ben Sasse | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Nebraska | Nebraska 38th in population (2010) | ||
| 80 | 1963 | Dan Sullivan | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Alaska | Alaska 47th in population (2010) | ||
| 81 | 1964 | Chris Van Hollen | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Maryland | January 3, 2017 | Former House member (14 years) | |
| 82 | 1965 | Todd Young | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Indiana | Former House member (6 years) | NRSC Chair | |
| 83 | 1966 | Tammy Duckworth | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Illinois | Former House member (4 years) | ||
| 84 | 1967 | Maggie Hassan | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | New Hampshire | Former governor | ||
| 85 | 1968 | Kamala Harris | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | California | California 1st in population (2010) | ||
| 86 | 1969 | John Neely Kennedy | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Louisiana | Louisiana 25th in population (2010) | ||
| 87 | 1970 | Catherine Cortez Masto | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Nevada | Nevada 35th in population (2010) | DSCC Chair | |
| 88 | 1972 | Tina Smith | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Minnesota | January 3, 2018 | Minnesota 21st in population (2010) | |
| 89 | 1973 | Doug Jones | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Alabama | Alabama 23rd in population (2010) | ||
| 90 | 1974 | Cindy Hyde-Smith | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Mississippi | April 2, 2018[d] | ||
| 91 | 1975 | Marsha Blackburn | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Tennessee | January 3, 2019 | Former House member (16 years) | |
| 92 | 1976 | Kyrsten Sinema[e] | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Arizona | Former House member (6 years); Arizona 16th in population (2010) | ||
| 93 | 1977 | Kevin Cramer | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | North Dakota | Former House member (6 years); North Dakota 48th in population (2010) | ||
| 94 | 1978 | Martha McSally | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Arizona | Former House member (4 years) | ||
| 95 | 1979 | Jacky Rosen | style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Democratic | Nevada | Former House member (2 years) | ||
| 96 | 1980 | Mitt Romney | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Utah | Former governor | ||
| 97 | 1981 | Mike Braun | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Indiana | Indiana 15th in population (2010) | ||
| 98 | 1982 | Josh Hawley | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Missouri | Missouri 18th in population (2010) | ||
| 99 | 1983 | Rick Scott | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Florida | January 8, 2019 | ||
| 100 | 1984 | Kelly Loeffler | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" | | Republican | Georgia | January 6, 2020 | ||
| Rank | Historical rank |
Senator | Party | State | Seniority date | Other factors | Committee and leadership positions | |
See also
- Current members of the United States Senate
- Seniority in the United States House of Representatives
- List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service
- List of longest-living United States senators
Notes
- ^ "Historical rank" refers to the senator's seniority over the entire history of the Senate since 1789. This is an absolute number that does not change from one Congress to the next.
- ^ Richard Shelby's 1994 party change did not break his service or seniority.
- ^ Maria Cantwell (#18) is the Senate's most senior junior senator.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i The seniority date for an appointed senator is the date of the appointment, not necessarily the date of taking the oath of office. See Determining the beginning of a term, above.
- ^ Kyrsten Sinema (#92) is the Senate's most junior senior senator.
References
- ^ "A chronological list of senators since the First Congress in 1789" (PDF). United States Senate. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "Senators of the United States 1789–present, A chronological list of senators since the First Congress in 1789" (PDF). Senate Historical Office. April 17, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
- ^ "1991 U.S Census Report" (PDF).
- ^ American FactFinder, United States Census Bureau. "2000 Census State Population Rankings". Factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2010.
- ^ "Resident Population Data (Text Version) – 2010 Census, by state and census region".