Dean of the United States Senate explained

Post:	Dean
Body:	the United States Senate
Incumbentsince:	January 3, 2023
Member Of:	United States Senate
Formation:	March 4, 1789
First:	James Gunn

The dean of the United States Senate is an informal term for the senator with the longest continuous service, regardless of party affiliation. This is not an official position within the Senate, although customarily (since 1945) the longest-serving member of the majority party serves as president pro tempore.

The current dean is Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. He has been in the Senate since 1981 and became dean in 2023 with the retirement of Patrick Leahy.

List of deans

Name	Party	State	Years	First served
	Anti-Admin Democratic-Republican	GA	1789–1797	1789
	Pro-Admin Democratic-Republican	NH
and others
		Democratic-Republican	GA		1797–1801
		Democratic-Republican	NH
		Democratic-Republican	RI	1801–1803	1790
		Democratic-Republican	KY	1803–1805	1791
		Federalist	CT	1805–1810	1796
		Democratic-Republican	TN	1810–1815	1797
		Democratic-Republican	SC	1815–1826	1804
		Anti-Jacksonian	OH	1826–1833	1815
		Democratic	AL	1833–1844	1819
		Democratic	MO	1844–1851	1821
		Whig	NC	1851–1853	1831, 1840
		Whig	MD	1853–1862	1843
		Democratic	DE	1862–1864	1851
		Republican	VT
		Republican	VT	1864–1866
		Republican	OH	1866–1869
		Republican	MA	1869–1874
		Republican	MI	1874–1875	1857
		Republican	RI	1875–1884	1859
		Republican	VT	1884–1891	1866
		Republican	VT	1891–1898	1867
		Republican	IA	1898–1908	1873
		Republican	ME	1908–1911	1881
		Republican	ME	1911	1881
		Republican	IL	1911–1913	1883
		Republican	NH	1913–1918	1891
		Republican	MA	1918–1924	1893
		Republican	WY	1924–1929	1895
		Democratic	NC	1929–1931	1901
		Republican	UT	1931–1933	1903
		Republican	ID	1933–1940	1907
		Democratic	SC	1940–1944	1909
		Democratic	TN	1944–1953	1917
		Democratic	GA	1953–1957	1922
		Democratic	AZ	1957–1969	1927
		Democratic	GA	1969–1971	1933
		Democratic	LA	1971–1972	1937
		Republican	VT	1972–1975	1941
		Democratic	MS	1975–1977	1941, 1943
		Democratic	AR		1943
		Democratic	MS	1977–1978	1941, 1943
		Democratic	WA	1978–1981	1944
		Democratic	MS	1981–1989	1947
		Republican	SC	1989–2003	1954, 1956
		Democratic	WV	2003–2010	1959
		Democratic	HI	2010–2012	1963
		Democratic	VT	2012–2023	1975
		Republican	IA	2023–present	1981

Party deans

Democratic

Name	State	Years
	NC	1826–1828
	NJ	1828–1833
	AL	1833–1844
	MO	1844–1851
	MO	1851–1855
	IN	1855–1856
	MD	1856–1862
	DE	1862–1864
	DE	1864–1871
	KY	1871–1872
	MD	1872–1873
	DE	1873–1885
	DE	1885–1889
	NC	1889–1895
	MO	1895–1905
	AL	1905–1907
	MD	1907–1908
	CO	1908–1909
	VA	1909–1910
	SC	1910–1918
	VA	1918–1919
	TX	1919–1923
	NC	1923–1931
	SC	1931–1944
	TN	1944–1953
	GA	1953–1957
	AZ	1957–1969
	GA	1969–1971
	LA	1971–1972
	MS	1972–1978
	WA	1978–1981
	MS	1981–1989
	WV	1989–2010
	HI	2010–2012
	VT	2012–2023
	CA	2023
Patty Murray	WA	2023–present

Republican

Name	State	Years
	NY	1854–1861
	VT	1861–1866
	OH	1866–1869
	MA	1869–1872
	MA	1872–1873
	MI	1873–1875
	RI	1875–1884
	VT	1884–1891
	VT	1891–1898
	IA	1898–1908
	ME	1908–1911
	ME	1911
	IL	1911–1913
	NH	1913–1918
	MA	1918–1924
	WY	1924–1929
	UT	1929–1933
	ID	1933–1940
	CA	1940–1945
	KS	1945–1949
	MI	1949–1951
	NH	1951–1961
	WI	1961–1963
	VT	1963–1975
	ND	1975–1981
	SC	1981–2003
	AK	2003–2009
	IN	2009–2013
	UT	2013–2019
	IA	2019–present

Whig

Name	State	Years
	RI	1833–1841
	VT	1841–1842
	NY	1842–1844
	VA	1844–1845
	DE	1845–1847
	VT	1847–1851
	NC	1851–1853
	MD	1853–1856
	MO	1856–1857

National Republican

Name	State	Years
	OH	1825–1833
	RI	1833

Democratic-Republican

Name	State	Years
	NH	1799–1801
	KY	1801–1805
	TN	1805–1815
	SC	1815–1826

Federalist

Name	State	Years
	GA	1799–1801
	RI	1801–1803
	CT	1803–1807
	CT	1807–1810
	MA	1810–1811
	DE	1811–1813
	CT	1813
	DE	1813–1821
	NY	1821–1825

Pro-Administration

Name	State	Years
	SC	1789–1795
	CT	1795–1796
	GA	1796–1799

Anti-Administration

Name	State	Years
	DE	1789–1793
	NH	1793–1795
	SC	1795–1796
	NH	1796–1799

See also

• Baby of the United States Senate
• Oldest living United States president
• Dean of the United States House of Representatives
• List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service

References

• Senators of the United States