List of United States senators in the 101st Congress explained

This is a complete list of members of the United States Senate during the 101st United States Congress listed by seniority, from January 3, 1989, to January 3, 1991.

Order of service is based on the commencement of the senator's first term. Behind this is former service as a senator (only giving the senator seniority within his or her new incoming class), service as vice president, a House member, a cabinet secretary, or a governor of a state. The final factor is the population of the senator's state.[1] [2] [3] [4]

In this congress, Ernest Hollings (D-South Carolina) was the most senior junior senator and Bob Graham (D-Florida) was the most junior senior senator.

Senators who were sworn in during the middle of the two-year congressional term (up until the last senator who was not sworn in early after winning the November 1990 election) are listed at the end of the list with no number.

Terms of service

ClassTerms of service of senators that expired in years
Class 2Terms of service of senators that expired in 1991 (AK, AL, AR, CO, DE, GA, IA, ID, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, and WY.)[5]
Class 3Terms of service of senators that expired in 1993 (AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, NC, ND, NH, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, UT, VT, WA, and WI.)[6]
Class 1Terms of service of senators that expired in 1995 (AZ, CA, CT, DE, FL, HI, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, and WY.)[7]

U.S. Senate seniority list

U.S. Senate seniority
RankHistorical rankSenator (party-state)Seniority dateOther factors
11549[8] Strom Thurmond (R-SC)November 7, 1956Former governor, Previously a senator
21578Robert Byrd (D-WV)January 3, 1959Former representative
31593Quentin Northrup Burdick (D-ND)August 8, 1960Former representative
41601Claiborne Pell (D-RI)January 3, 1961
51608Ted Kennedy (D-MA)November 7, 1962
61614Daniel Inouye (D-HI)January 3, 1963Former representative
71632Ernest Hollings (D-SC)November 9, 1966Former governor
81638Mark Hatfield (R-OR)January 10, 1967Former governor
91641Ted Stevens (R-AK)December 24, 1968
101645Bob Dole (R-KS)January 3, 1969Former representative
111649Alan Cranston (D-CA)California 2nd in population (1960)
121652Bob Packwood (R-OR)Oregon 32nd in population (1960)
131656Bill Roth (R-DE)January 1, 1971Former representative
141658Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX)January 3, 1971Former representative
151668Sam Nunn (D-GA)November 8, 1972
161669Bennett Johnston Jr. (D-LA)November 14, 1972
171672James A. McClure (R-ID)January 3, 1973Former representative
181675Jesse Helms (R-NC)North Carolina 12th in population (1970)
191679Pete Domenici (R-NM)New Mexico 37th in population (1970)
201680Joe Biden (D-DE)Delaware 46th in population (1970)
211683Jake Garn (R-UT)December 21, 1974
221684John Glenn (D-OH)December 24, 1974
231685Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)December 28, 1974
241689Dale Bumpers (D-AR)January 3, 1975Former governor
251692Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
261694John Danforth (R-MO)December 27, 1976
271681[9] Howard Metzenbaum (D-OH)December 29, 1976Previously a senator
281696John Chafee (R-RI)Former governor, Former cabinet secretary
291697Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (D-MI)December 30, 1976Former representative
301700Spark Matsunaga[10] (D-HI)January 3, 1977Former representative (14 years)
311702H. John Heinz III (R-PA)Former representative (6 years)
321703Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)Former representative (6 years)
331704Pat Moynihan (D-NY)New York 2nd in population (1970)
341705Richard Lugar (R-IN)Indiana 11th in population (1970)
351706Jim Sasser (D-TN)Tennessee 17th in population (1970)
361707Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)Arizona 22nd in population (1970))
371708Orrin Hatch (R-UT)Utah 36th in population (1970)
381710Malcolm Wallop (R-WY)Wyoming 49th in population (1970)
391716David Durenberger (R-MN)November 8, 1978
401717Max Baucus (D-MT)December 15, 1978Former representative
411718Nancy Kassebaum Baker (R-KS)December 23, 1978
421719Thad Cochran (R-MS)December 27, 1978Former representative
431720Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN)December 30, 1978
441721Alan K. Simpson (R-WY)January 1, 1979
451722John Warner (R-VA)January 2, 1979Former cabinet secretary
461723David Pryor (D-AR)January 3, 1979Former representative (6 years, 2 months)
471724William Cohen (R-ME)Former representative (6 years)
481725William L. Armstrong (R-CO)Former representative (4 years) - Colorado 30th in population (1970)
491727Larry Pressler (R-SD)Former representative (4 years) - South Dakota 44th in population (1970)
501728David L. Boren (D-OK)Former governor - Oklahoma 27th in population (1970)
511729J. James Exon (D-NE)Former governor - Nebraska 35th in population (1970)
521730Carl Levin (D-MI)Michigan 7th in population (1970)
531731Bill Bradley (D-NJ)New Jersey 8th in population (1970)
541732Howell Heflin (D-AL)Alabama 21st in population (1970)
551734Gordon J. Humphrey (R-NH)New Hampshire 41st in population (1970)
561735George J. Mitchell (D-ME)May 17, 1980
571736Warren Rudman (R-NH)December 31, 1980
581740Steve Symms (R-ID)January 3, 1981Former representative (12 years)
591742Chris Dodd (D-CT)Former representative (6 years) - Connecticut 24th in population (1970)
601743Chuck Grassley (R-IA)Former representative (6 years) - Iowa 25th in population (1970)
611745Bob Kasten (R-WI)Former representative (4 years)
621746Al D'Amato (R-NY)New York 2nd in population (1970)
631747Arlen Specter (R-PA)Pennsylvania 3rd in population (1970)
641748Alan J. Dixon (D-IL)Illinois 5th in population (1970)
651752Don Nickles (R-OK)Oklahoma 27th in population (1970)
661753Frank Murkowski (R-AK)Alaska 50th in population (1970)
671755Frank Lautenberg[11] (D-NJ)December 27, 1982
681757Pete Wilson (R-CA)January 3, 1983California 1st in population (1980)
691759Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)New Mexico 37th in population (1980)
701761John Kerry (D-MA)January 2, 1985
711762Paul Simon (D-IL)January 3, 1985Former representative (10 years) - Illinois 5th in population (1980)
721763Tom Harkin (D-IA)Former representative (10 years) - Iowa 27th in population (1980)
731764Al Gore (D-TN)Former representative (8 years)
741765Phil Gramm (R-TX)Former representative (6 years)
751766Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 
761767Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)January 15, 1985
771769Terry Sanford (D-NC)November 5, 1986
781770John Breaux (D-LA)January 3, 1987Former representative (14 years)
791771Brock Adams (D-WA)Former representative (12 years) - Former cabinet member
801772Tim Wirth (D-CO)Former representative (12 years)
811773Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)Former representative (10 years)
821774Wyche Fowler (D-GA)Former representative (9 years, 9 months)
831775Richard Shelby (D-AL)Former representative (8 years) - Alabama 22nd in population (1980)
841776Tom Daschle (D-SD)Former representative (8 years) - South Dakota 45th in population (1980)
851777John McCain (R-AZ)Former representative (4 years) - Arizona 29th in population (1980)
861778Harry Reid (D-NV)Former representative (4 years) - Nevada 43rd in population (1980)
871779Bob Graham (D-FL)Former governor - Florida 7th in population (1980)
881780Kit Bond (R-MO)Former governor - Missouri 15th in population (1980)
891781Kent Conrad (D-ND)
901751[12] Slade Gorton (R-WA)January 3, 1989Previously a senator
911783Trent Lott (R-MS)Former representative (16 years)
921784Jim Jeffords (R-VT)Former representative (14 years)
931785Dan Coats (R-IN)Former representative (8 years)
941786Connie Mack (R-FL)Former representative (6 years)
951787Richard Bryan (D-NV)Former governor (6 years)
961788Chuck Robb (D-VA)Former governor (4 years) - Virginia 14th in population (1980)
971789Bob Kerrey (D-NE)Former governor (4 years) - Nebraska 35th in population (1980)
981790Herb Kohl (D-WI)Wisconsin 16th in population (1980)
991791Joe Lieberman (I/D-CT)Connecticut 25th in population (1980)
1001792Conrad Burns (R-MT)Montana 44th in population (1980)
1011793Daniel Akaka (D-HI)May 16, 1990
1021794Bob Smith (R-NH)December 7, 1990

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/senators_chronological.htm A Chronological List of United States Senators 1789-Present
  2. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/1961-02.pdf 1961 U.S Census Report
  3. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/1971-02.pdf 1971 U.S Census Report
  4. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/1981-02.pdf 1981 U.S Census Report
  5. Terms of service of senators that expired in 1991.
  6. Terms of service of senators that expired in 1993.
  7. Terms of service of senators that expired in 1995.
  8. Thurmond previously served as a U.S. senator from December 1954 to April 1956.
  9. Metzenbaum previously served as a U.S. senator from January to December 1974.
  10. Senator Matsunaga died on April 15, 1990.
  11. Senator Lautenberg left the Senate but returned in 2003, he cannot regain his previous seniority according to Senate Rules.
  12. Gorton previously served as a U.S. senator from January 1981 to January 1987.