Seniority in the United States House of Representatives
| This article is part of a series on the |
| United States House of Representatives |
|---|
 |
| History of the House |
| Members |
|
|
| Congressional districts |
| Politics and procedure |
| Places |
 United States portal |
This is a complete list of current members of the United States House of Representatives based on seniority. For the most part, representatives are ranked by the beginning of their terms in office. Representatives whose terms begin the same day are ranked alphabetically by last name.[1]
Standards for seniority
Representatives who return to the House after having previously served in the House may be credited with service equal to one less than the number of terms they served. For example, Rep. Steve Chabot had previously served seven terms, from 1995 to 2009, when he was once again elected in 2010. Instead of holding seniority with others whose terms began January 3, 2011, he was credited with six terms, and holds seniority above all representatives whose terms began on or after January 3, 1999. When a representative has served a prior term of fewer than two terms (i.e., prior term minus one equals less than one), he or she is ranked above all others whose service begins on the same day.[citation needed]
Benefits of seniority
Committee chairmanship in the House is often associated with seniority, especially in the Democratic Caucus. The Republican leadership has a stronger hand in choosing committee chairs and ranking minority members, and does so based on voting records and campaign fundraising.[2] Party leadership in the House is not strictly associated with seniority.
Seniority also affects access to more desirable office space in the House Office Buildings.
Vacancies
- December 5, 2017 — Michigan 13: John Conyers resigned. The primary will be held on August 7, and the special election will be held on November 6, 2018.
- March 16, 2018 — New York 25: Louise Slaughter died. The special election has not yet been scheduled.
- April 23, 2018 — Oklahoma 1: Jim Bridenstine resigned. The seat will remain vacant until the next Congress.
- April 27, 2018 — Pennsylvania 7: Pat Meehan resigned. The special election will be concurrent with the general election.
- May 12, 2018 — Pennsylvania 15: Charlie Dent resigned. The special election will be concurrent with the general election.
Current seniority list
Delegates
| Rank | Delegate | Party | District | Seniority date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eleanor Holmes Norton | D | District of Columbia at-large | January 3, 1991 | |
| 2 | Madeleine Bordallo | D | Guam at-large | January 3, 2003 | |
| 3 | Gregorio Sablan | D | Northern Mariana Islands at-large | January 3, 2009 | |
| 4 | Stacey Plaskett | D | United States Virgin Islands at-large | January 3, 2015 | |
| 5 | Amata Coleman Radewagen | R | American Samoa at-large | ||
| 6 | Jenniffer González | NPP/R | Puerto Rico at-large | January 3, 2017 |
References
- ^ Delegates are non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives.
- ^ House Seniority and Committee Leadership
- ^ Members elected with substantial prior service receive credit for part of that service when calculating seniority.
See also
- Current members of the United States House of Representatives
- List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service
- List of United States congressional districts
- Seniority in the United States Senate
External links
- Clerk of the House of Representatives Office's Seniority List.