List of United States senators in the 97th Congress explained

This is a complete list of members of the United States Senate during the 97th United States Congress listed by seniority, from January 3, 1981, to January 3, 1983.

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]

In this congress, Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) was the most senior junior senator and Gordon J. Humphrey (R-New Hampshire) 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 1982 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 1Terms of service of senators that expired in 1983 (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.)[3]
Class 2Terms of service of senators that expired in 1985 (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.)[4]
Class 3Terms of service of senators that expired in 1987 (AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MS, NC, ND, NH, NM, NV, NY, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, and WY.)[5]

U.S. Senate seniority list

U.S. Senate seniority
RankSenator (party-state)Seniority dateOther factors
1John C. Stennis (D-MS)November 17, 1947
2Russell B. Long (D-LA)December 31, 1948
3Henry M. Jackson (D-WA)January 3, 1953Former representative (12 years)
4Strom Thurmond (R-SC)November 7, 1956Former governor, Previously a senator
5William Proxmire (D-WI)August 28, 1957
6Jennings Randolph (D-WV)November 5, 1958Former representative (14 years)
7Robert Byrd (D-WV)January 3, 1959Former representative (6 years)
8Harrison A. Williams[6] (D-NJ)Former representative (4 years)
9Howard Cannon (D-NV)
10Quentin Northrup Burdick (D-ND)August 8, 1960Former representative
11Claiborne Pell (D-RI)January 3, 1961
12John Tower (R-TX)June 15, 1961
13Ted Kennedy (D-MA)November 7, 1962
14Daniel Inouye (D-HI)January 3, 1963Former representative
15Harry F. Byrd, Jr. (I-VA)November 12, 1965
16Ernest Hollings (D-SC)November 9, 1966Former governor
17Charles H. Percy (R-IL)January 3, 1967Illinois 4th in population (1960)
18Howard Baker (R-TN)Tennessee 17th in population (1960)
19Mark Hatfield (R-OR)January 10, 1967Former governor
20Ted Stevens (R-AK)December 24, 1968
21Thomas Eagleton (D-MO)December 28, 1968
22Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)January 3, 1969Previously a senator
23Charles Mathias (R-MD)Former representative (8 years) - Maryland 21st in population (1960)
24Bob Dole (R-KS)Former representative (8 years) - Kansas 29th in population (1960)
25Alan Cranston (D-CA)California 2nd in population (1960)
26Bob Packwood (R-OR)Oregon 32nd in population (1960)
27Bill Roth (R-DE)January 1, 1971Former representative
28Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX)January 3, 1971Former representative (6 years)
29Lowell Weicker (R-CT)Former representative (2 years)
30Lawton Chiles (D-FL)
31Robert Stafford (R-VT)September 16, 1971Former governor, Former representative (10 years)
32Sam Nunn (D-GA)November 8, 1972
33Bennett Johnston Jr. (D-LA)November 14, 1972
34James A. McClure (R-ID)January 3, 1973Former representative
35Jesse Helms (R-NC)North Carolina 12th in population (1970)
36Walter Huddleston (D-KY)Kentucky 23rd in population (1970)
37Pete Domenici (R-NM)New Mexico 37th in population (1970)
38Joe Biden (D-DE)Delaware 46th in population (1970)
39Paul Laxalt (R-NV)December 18, 1974
40Jake Garn (R-UT)December 21, 1974
41John Glenn (D-OH)December 24, 1974
42Wendell H. Ford (D-KY)December 28, 1974
43Dale Bumpers (D-AR)January 3, 1975Former governor
44Gary Hart (D-CO)Colorado 30th in population (1970)
45Patrick Leahy (D-VT)Vermont 48th in population (1970)
46John Danforth (R-MO)December 27, 1976
47Edward Zorinsky (D-NE)December 28, 1976
48Howard Metzenbaum (D-OH)December 29, 1976Previously a senator
49John Chafee (R-RI)Former governor, Former cabinet secretary
50Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (D-MI)December 30, 1976Former representative
51Samuel Hayakawa (R-CA)January 2, 1977
52Spark Matsunaga (D-HI)January 3, 1977Former representative (14 years)
53John Melcher (D-MT)Former representative (7 years, 7 months)
54H. John Heinz III (R-PA)Former representative (6 years)
55Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)Former representative (6 years)
56Pat Moynihan (D-NY)New York 2nd in population (1970)
57Richard Lugar (R-IN)Indiana 11th in population (1970)
58Jim Sasser (D-TN)Tennessee 17th in population (1970)
59Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)Arizona 33rd in population (1970)
60Orrin Hatch (R-UT)Utah 36th in population (1970)
61Harrison Schmitt (R-NM)New Mexico 37th in population (1970)
62Malcolm Wallop (R-WY)Wyoming 49th in population (1970)
63David Durenberger (R-MN)November 8, 1978
64Max Baucus (D-MT)December 15, 1978Former representative
65Nancy Kassebaum Baker (R-KS)December 23, 1978
66Thad Cochran (R-MS)December 27, 1978Former representative
67Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN)December 30, 1978
68Alan K. Simpson (R-WY)January 1, 1979
69John Warner (R-VA)January 2, 1979Former cabinet secretary
70David Pryor (D-AR)January 3, 1979Former representative (6 years, 2 months)
71William Cohen (R-ME)Former representative (6 years)
72Paul Tsongas (D-MA)Former representative (4 years) - Massachusetts 10th in population (1970)
73William L. Armstrong (R-CO)Former representative (4 years) - Colorado 30th in population (1970)
74Larry Pressler (R-SD)Former representative (4 years) - South Dakota 44th in population (1970)
75David L. Boren (D-OK)Former governor - Oklahoma 27th in population (1970)
76J. James Exon (D-NE)Former governor - Nebraska 35th in population (1970)
77Carl Levin (D-MI)Michigan 7th in population (1970)
78Bill Bradley (D-NJ)New Jersey 8th in population (1970)
79Howell Heflin (D-AL)Alabama 21st in population (1970)
80Roger Jepsen (R-IA)Iowa 25th in population (1970)
81Gordon J. Humphrey (R-NH)New Hampshire 41st in population (1970)
82George J. Mitchell (D-ME)May 17, 1980
83Warren Rudman (R-NH)December 31, 1980
84Paula Hawkins (R-FL)January 1, 1981
85Jeremiah Denton (R-AL)January 2, 1981
86Mark Andrews (R-ND)January 3, 1981Former representative (16 years)
87Steve Symms (R-ID)Former representative (12 years)
88James Abdnor (R-SD)Former representative (8 years)
89Chris Dodd (D-CT)Former representative (6 years) - Connecticut 24th in population (1970)
90Chuck Grassley (R-IA)Former representative (6 years) - Iowa 25th in population (1970)
91Dan Quayle (R-IN)Former representative (4 years) - Indiana 11th in population (1970)
92Bob Kasten (R-WI)Former representative (4 years) - Wisconsin 16th in population (1970)
93Al D'Amato (R-NY)New York 2nd in population (1970)
94Arlen Specter (R-PA)Pennsylvania 3rd in population (1970)
95Alan J. Dixon (D-IL)Illinois 5th in population (1970)
96John Porter East (R-NC)North Carolina 12th in population (1970)
97Mack Mattingly (R-GA)Georgia 15th in population (1970)
98Slade Gorton (R-WA)Washington 22nd in population (1970)
99Don Nickles (R-OK)Oklahoma 27th in population (1970)
100Frank Murkowski (R-AK)Alaska 50th in population (1970)
101Nicholas F. Brady (R-NJ)April 20, 1982
102Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)December 27, 1982

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/1971-02.pdf 1971 U.S Census Report
  3. Terms of service of senators that expired in 1983.
  4. Terms of service of senators that expired in 1985.
  5. Terms of service of senators that expired in 1987.
  6. Senator Williams resigned on March 11, 1982.