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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.

Order of service is based on the date of commencement of the Senator's current tenure in office (this may span multiple terms, so long as they are consecutive). 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 member, a state governor, and then by their state's population, respectively.[1] For Senators who have a cited, verified census the state population ranking is listed.[2] [3][4][5]


Current U.S. Senate Seniority
Rank Name Seniority Date Other Factors
1 Robert Byrd (D-WV) January 31959
2 Ted Kennedy (D-MA) November 71962
3 Daniel Inouye (D-HI) January 31963
4 Ted Stevens (R-AK) December 241968
5 Pete Domenici[6] (R-NM) January 31973 New Mexico 37th Population (1970)
6 Joe Biden (D-DE) Delaware 46th Population (1970)
7 Patrick Leahy (D-VT) January 31975
8 Richard Lugar (R-IN) January 41977 Indiana 11th Population (1970)
9 Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Utah 36th Population (1970)
10 Max Baucus (D-MT) December 151978
11 Thad Cochran (R-MS) December 271978
12 John Warner[6] (R-VA) January 21979
13 Carl Levin (D-MI) January 31979
14 Chris Dodd (D-CT) January 31981 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 31983
18 John Kerry (D-MA) January 21985
19 Tom Harkin (D-IA) January 31985 Former Rep
20 Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
21 Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) January 151985
22 Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) January 61987 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 Trent Lott (R-MS) January 31989 Former Rep
29 Herb Kohl (D-WI) Wisconsin 16th Population (1980)
30 Joe Lieberman[7] (ID-CT) Connecticut 25th Population (1980)
31 Daniel Akaka (D-HI) May 161990
32 Larry Craig[6] (R-ID) January 31991
33 Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) November 101992
34 Byron Dorgan (D-ND) December 151992
35 Barbara Boxer (D-CA) January 51993 Former Rep (10 years)
36 Judd Gregg (R-NH) Former Rep (8 years)
37 Russ Feingold (D-WI) Wisconsin 16th Population (1990)
38 Patty Murray (D-WA) Washington 18th Population (1990)
39 Bob Bennett (R-UT) Utah 35th Population (1990)
40 Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) June 141993
41 Jim Inhofe (R-OK) November 171994
42 Olympia Snowe (R-ME) January 41995 Former Rep (16 years)
43 Jon Kyl (R-AZ) Former Rep (8 years)
44 Ron Wyden (D-OR) February 61996
45 Sam Brownback (R-KS) November 71996
46 Pat Roberts (R-KS) January 71997 Former Rep (16 years)
47 Richard Durbin (D-IL) Former Rep (14 years)
48 Tim Johnson (D-SD) Former Rep (10 years)
49 Wayne Allard[6] (R-CO) Former Rep (6 years) - Colorado 26th Population (1990)
50 Jack Reed (D-RI) Former Rep (6 years) - Rhode Island 43rd Population (1990)
51 Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Louisiana 21st Population (1990)
52 Jeff Sessions (R-AL) Alabama 22nd Population (1990)
53 Gordon Smith (R-OR) Oregon 29th Population (1990)
54 Chuck Hagel[6] (R-NE) Nebraska 36th Population (1990)
55 Susan Collins (R-ME) Maine 38th Population (1990)
56 Mike Enzi (R-WY) Wyoming 50th Population (1990)
57 Chuck Schumer (D-NY) January 61999 Former Rep (18 years)
58 Jim Bunning (R-KY) Former Rep (12 years)
59 Mike Crapo (R-ID) Former Rep (6 years)
60 Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) Former Rep (4 years)
61 George Voinovich (R-OH) Former Governor - Ohio 7th Population (1990)
62 Evan Bayh (D-IN) Former Governor - Indiana 15th Population (1990)
63 Bill Nelson (D-FL) January 32001 Former Rep (12 years)
64 Tom Carper (D-DE) Former Rep (10 years)
65 Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Former Rep (4 years) - Michigan 8th Population (1990)
66 John Ensign (R-NV) Former Rep (4 years) - Nevada 39th Population (1990)
67 Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Former Rep (2 years)
68 Ben Nelson (D-NE) Former Governor
69 Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
70 Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) December 202002
71 Frank Lautenberg[8] (D-NJ) January 32003 Previously a Senator
72 Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) Former Rep (8 years) - Georgia Ranked 9th Population (2000)
73 Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Former Rep (8 years) - South Carolina Ranked 24th Population (2000)
74 John Sununu (R-NH) Former Rep (6 years)
75 Lamar Alexander (R-TN) Former Cabinet Member, Former Governor
76 Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) Former Cabinet Member
77 John Cornyn[9] (R-TX) Texas Ranked 2nd Population
78 Norm Coleman (R-MN) Minnesota Ranked 21st Population (2000)
79 Mark Pryor (D-AR) Arkansas Ranked 32nd Population (2000)
80 Richard Burr (R-NC) January 32005 Former Rep (10 years)
81 Jim DeMint (R-SC) Former Rep (6 years) - South Carolina Ranked 24th Population (2000)
82 Tom Coburn (R-OK) Former Rep (6 years) - Oklahoma Ranked 27th Population (2000)
83 John Thune (R-SD) Former Rep (6 years) - South Dakota Ranked 46th Population (2000)
84 Johnny Isakson (R-GA) Former Rep (5 years, 10 months)
85 David Vitter (R-LA) Former Rep (5 years, 7 months)
86 Mel Martinez (R-FL) Former Cabinet Member
87 Barack Obama (D-IL) Illinois Ranked 5th Population (2000)
88 Ken Salazar (D-CO) Colorado Ranked 22nd Population (2000)
89 Bob Menendez (D-NJ) January 182006
90 Ben Cardin (D-MD) January 32007 Former Rep (20 years)
91 Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Former Rep (16 years)
92 Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Former Rep (14 years)
93 Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA) Pennsylvania Ranked 6th Population (2000)
94 Jim Webb[10] (D-VA) Virginia Ranked 12th Population (2000)
95 Bob Corker (R-TN) Tennessee Ranked 16th Population (2000)
96 Claire McCaskill (D-MO) Missouri Ranked 17th Population (2000)
97 Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Minnesota Ranked 21st Population (2000)
98 Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Rhode Island Ranked 43rd Population (2000)
99 Jon Tester (D-MT) Montana Ranked 44th Population (2000)
100 John Barrasso (R-WY) June 25 2007

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A Chronological List of United States Senators 1789-Present, via www.Senate.gov
  2. ^ 1971 U.S Census Report Contains 1970 Census results.
  3. ^ 1981 U.S Census Report Contains 1980 Census results.
  4. ^ 1991 U.S Census Report Contains 1990 Census results.
  5. ^ 2000 Census State Population Rankings
  6. ^ a b c d e Announced retirement after 2008 election (not running for re-election).
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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
  9. ^ Phil Gramm resigned early, effective November 302002, so that Cornyn could take senate office on December 22002 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.
  10. ^ Senator Webb served as Secretary of the Navy; however, that has not been a Cabinet-level position since 1947.

 
 
 

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