List of new members of the 97th United States Congress explained

The 97th United States Congress began on January 3, 1981. There were 15 new senators (two Democrats, 13 Republicans) and 73 new representatives (21 Democrats, 52 Republicans), as well as two new delegates (both Democrats), at the start of the first session. Additionally, two senators (one Democrat, one Republican) and nine representatives (six Democrats, three Republicans) took office on various dates in order to fill vacancies during the 97th Congress before it ended on January 3, 1983.

Senate

Took office January 3, 1981

State	Image	Senator	Seniority	Switched party	Prior background	Birth year	Ref
Alaska			(R)	(100th overall)	Yes	Alaska Commissioner of Economic Development U.S. Coast Guard	1933	^[1]
Connecticut			(D)	(89th overall)	No	U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Army Reserve	1944	^[2]
Georgia			(R)	(97th overall)	Yes	Chair of the Georgia Republican Party U.S. Air Force	1931	^[3]
Idaho			(R)	(87th overall)	Yes	U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Marine Corps First Lieutenant	1938	^[4]
Illinois			(D)	(95th overall)	No	Illinois Secretary of State Illinois Treasurer Illinois Senate Illinois House of Representatives U.S. Navy	1927	^[5]
Indiana			(R)	(91st overall)	Yes	U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Army Sergeant	1947	^[6]
Iowa			(R)	(90th overall)	Yes	U.S. House of Representatives Iowa House of Representatives	1933	^[7]
New York			(R)	(93rd overall)	No	Nassau County Board of Supervisors Hempstead Presiding Supervisor	1937	^[8]
North Carolina			(R)	(96th overall)	Yes	Professor	1931	^[9]
North Dakota			(R)	(86th overall)	No	U.S. House of Representatives	1926	^[10]
Oklahoma			(R)	(99th overall)	No	Oklahoma Senate Oklahoma National Guard	1948	^[11]
Pennsylvania			(R)	(94th overall)	No	District Attorney of Philadelphia Assistant counsel to the Warren Commission U.S. Air Force First Lieutenant	1930	^[12]
South Dakota			(R)	(88th overall)	Yes	U.S. House of Representatives Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota South Dakota Senate U.S. Army	1923	^[13]
Washington			(R)	(98th overall)	Yes	Attorney General of Washington Washington House of Representatives U.S. Air Force Reserve Colonel	1928	^[14]
Wisconsin			(R)	(92nd overall)	Yes	U.S. House of Representatives Wisconsin Senate Wisconsin Air National Guard	1942	^[15]

Took office during the 97th Congress

State	Image	Senator	Took office	Switched party	Prior background	Birth year	Ref
New Jersey			(R)		Yes	Businessman	1930	^[16]
New Jersey			(D)		Yes	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey U.S. Army Technician	1924	^[17]

House of Representatives

Took office January 3, 1981

District	Representative	Switched party	Prior background	Birth year	Ref
		(R)	No	Insurance agent	1931	^[18]
		(R)	Yes	State Assemblyman	1920	^[19]
		(D)	Yes	Professor	1928	^[20]
		(R)	Yes	Education official	1937	^[21]
		(D)	No	Lieutenant Governor of California	1926	^[22]
		(R)	Yes	Philanthropist	1952	^[23]
		(R)	No	City Councilor	1947	^[24]
		(R)	Yes	U.S. Army First Lieutenant	1948	^[25]
		(R)	No	State Senator	1940	^[26]
		(D)	No	State Representative	1948	^[27]
		(R)	Yes	State Senator	1938	^[28]
		(R)	No	County Party Chair	1944	^[29]
		(R)	Yes	Mayor of Fort Lauderdale	1939	^[30]
		(D)	No	State Representative	1939	^[31]
		(R)	No	State Senator	1945	^[32]
		(D)	No	State Senator	1922	^[33]
		(D)	No	Journalist	1925	^[34]
		(R)	No	State Senator	1939	^[35]
		(R)	Yes	Marketing director	1953	^[36]
		(R)	No	Congressional staffer	1943	^[37]
		(R)	No	State Representative	1924	^[38]
		(R)	No	Congressional staffer	1936	^[39]
		(R)	No	Commonwealth Attorney	1937	^[40]
		(D)	No	Banker	1943	^[41]
		(D)	Yes	State Delegate	1948	^[42]
		(D)	No	State Representative	1940	^[43]
		(R)	Yes	Businessman	1943	^[44]
		(D)	No	Lawyer	1948	^[45]
		(R)	Yes	Newspaper publisher	1952	^[46]
		(R)	Yes	State Representative	1940	^[47]
		(R)	Yes	Consultant	1938	^[48]
		(R)	Yes	Lawyer	1941	^[49]
		(R)	No	Executive Councilor	1947	^[50]
		(R)	Yes	Nonprofit executive	1953	^[51]
		(R)	Yes	School Board Member	1929	^[52]
		(D)	No	State Senator	1921	^[53]
		(R)	Yes	State Party Chair	1927	^[54]
		(R)	Yes	Town Councilor	1937	^[55]
		(R)	No	State Assemblyman	1942	^[56]
		(R)	Yes	Campaign coordinator	1953	^[57]
		(D)	No	State Assemblyman	1950	^[58]
		(R)	Yes	State Assemblyman	1928	^[59]
		(R)	No	State Assemblyman	1944	^[60]
		(R)	Yes	Business executive	1926	^[61]
		(R)	Yes	Lawyer	1936	^[62]
		(R)	Yes	Businessman	1944	^[63]
		(D–NPL)	Yes	North Dakota Tax Commissioner	1942	^[64]
		(R)	No	State Representative	1950	^[65]
		(R)	Yes	Law professor	1931	^[66]
		(D)	Yes	Lawyer	1927	^[67]
		(D)	No	State Representative	1950	^[68]
		(D)	No	Assistant Attorney General of Oklahoma	1950	^[69]
		(R)	Yes	Flight engineer	1938	^[70]
		(D)	No	Gerontology professor	1949	^[71]
		(D)	No	City Councillor	1928	^[72]
		(R)	Yes	Business executive	1946	^[73]
		(R)	Yes	Federal government official	1929	^[74]
		(D)	No	City Councillor	1936	^[75]
		(R)	Yes	Director of the CLF	1947	^[76]
		(R)	Yes	State Senator	1941	^[77]
		(R)	Yes	Congressional staffer	1947	^[78]
		(R)	No	State Senator	1935	^[79]
		(D)	No	State Senator	1923	^[80]
		(R)	Yes	Lawyer	1952	^[81]
		(D)	No	State Senator	1927	^[82]
		(R)	Yes	State House Speaker	1932	^[83]
		(R)	Yes	Mayor of Richmond	1932	^[84]
		(R)	Yes	U.S. Representative	1929	^[85]
		(R)	Yes	U.S. DOI official	1939	^[86]
		(R)	Yes	State Senator	1933	^[87]
		(R)	Yes	State Party Chair	1935	^[88]
		(R)	Yes	Banker	1940	^[89]
		(R)	Yes	State Assemblyman	1951	^[90]

Non-voting delegates

District	Delegate	Switched party	Prior background	Birth year	Ref
		(D)	New seat	Territorial Senator	1937	^[91]
		(D)	Yes	U.S. Delegate	1930	^[92]

Took office during the 97th Congress

District	Representative	Took office	Switched party	Prior background	Birth year	Ref
		(R)		No	State Representative	1951	^[93]
		(D)		No	State Senate President	1939	^[94]
		(R)		No	State Representative	1944	^[95]
		(D)		Yes	Mayor of McComb	1943	^[96]
		(D)		No	State Senator	1920	^[97]
		(D)		No	Connecticut Secretary of State	1936	^[98]
		(R)		No	None	1934	^[99]
		(D)		No	State Assemblyman	1929	^[100]
		(D)		No	State Senator	1938	^[101]

See also

• List of United States senators in the 97th Congress
• List of members of the United States House of Representatives in the 97th Congress by seniority

Notes and References

1. Web site: MURKOWSKI, Frank Hughes . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
2. Web site: DODD, Christopher John . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
3. Web site: MATTINGLY, Mack Francis . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
4. Web site: SYMMS, Steven Douglas . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
5. Web site: DIXON, Alan John . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
6. Web site: QUAYLE, James Danforth (Dan) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
7. Web site: GRASSLEY, Charles Ernest . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
8. Web site: D'AMATO, Alfonse Marcello . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
9. Web site: EAST, John Porter . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
10. Web site: ANDREWS, Mark . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
11. Web site: NICKLES, Donald Lee . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
12. Web site: SPECTER, Arlen . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
13. Web site: ABDNOR, James . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
14. Web site: GORTON, Thomas Slade (Slade), III . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
15. Web site: KASTEN, Robert Walter, Jr. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
16. Web site: BRADY, Nicholas Frederick . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
17. Web site: LAUTENBERG, Frank Raleigh . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
18. Web site: SMITH, Albert Lee, Jr. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
19. Web site: CHAPPIE, Eugene A. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
20. Web site: LANTOS, Thomas Peter . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
21. Web site: FIEDLER, Bobbi . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
22. Web site: DYMALLY, Mervyn Malcolm . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
23. Web site: DREIER, David Timothy . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
24. Web site: LOWERY, William David . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
25. Web site: HUNTER, Duncan Lee . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
26. Web site: BROWN, George Hanks (Hank) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
27. Web site: GEJDENSON, Samuel . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
28. Web site: DENARDIS, Lawrence Joseph . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
29. Web site: MCCOLLUM, Ira William (Bill), Jr. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
30. Web site: SHAW, Eugene Clay, Jr. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
31. Web site: HATCHER, Charles Floyd . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
32. Web site: CRAIG, Larry Edwin . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
33. Web site: WASHINGTON, Harold . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
34. Web site: SAVAGE, Gus . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
35. Web site: MARTIN, Lynn Morley . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
36. Web site: HILER, John Patrick . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
37. Web site: COATS, Daniel Ray . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
38. Web site: EVANS, Thomas Cooper . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
39. Web site: ROBERTS, Charles Patrick (Pat) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
40. Web site: ROGERS, Harold Dallas (Hal) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
41. Web site: ROEMER, Charles Elson (Buddy), III . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
42. Web site: DYSON, Royden Patrick . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
43. Web site: FRANK, Barney . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
44. Web site: DUNN, James Whitney . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
45. Web site: HERTEL, Dennis Mark . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
46. Web site: WEBER, John Vincent (Vin) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
47. Web site: BAILEY, R. Wendell . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
48. Web site: EMERSON, Norvell William (Bill) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
49. Web site: DAUB, Harold John (Hal), Jr. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
50. Web site: GREGG, Judd Alan . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
51. Web site: SMITH, Christopher Henry . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
52. Web site: ROUKEMA, Margaret Scafati . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
53. Web site: DWYER, Bernard James . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
54. Web site: SKEEN, Joseph Richard . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
55. Web site: CARMAN, Gregory Wright . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
56. Web site: MCGRATH, Raymond Joseph . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
57. Web site: LEBOUTILLIER, John . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
58. Web site: SCHUMER, Charles Ellis (Chuck) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
59. Web site: MOLINARI, Guy Victor . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
60. Web site: MARTIN, David O'Brien . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
61. Web site: WORTLEY, George Cornelius . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
62. Web site: JOHNSTON, Walter Eugene, III . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
63. Web site: HENDON, William Martin . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
64. Web site: DORGAN, Byron Leslie . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
65. Web site: MCEWEN, Bob . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
66. Web site: WEBER, Edward Ford . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
67. Web site: SHAMANSKY, Robert Norton . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
68. Web site: ECKART, Dennis Edward . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
69. Web site: MCCURDY, David Keith . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
70. Web site: SMITH, Dennis Alan (Denny) . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
71. Web site: WYDEN, Ronald Lee . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
72. Web site: FOGLIETTA, Thomas Michael . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
73. Web site: COYNE, James Kitchenman, III . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
74. Web site: NELLIGAN, James Leo . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
75. Web site: COYNE, William Joseph . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
76. Web site: SCHNEIDER, Claudine . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
77. Web site: HARTNETT, Thomas Forbes . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
78. Web site: NAPIER, John Light . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
79. Web site: ROBERTS, Clint Ronald . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
80. Web site: HALL, Ralph Moody . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
81. Web site: FIELDS, Jack Milton, Jr. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
82. Web site: PATMAN, William Neff . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
83. Web site: HANSEN, James Vear . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
84. Web site: BLILEY, Thomas Jerome, Jr. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
85. Web site: PARRIS, Stanford E. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
86. Web site: WOLF, Frank Rudolph . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
87. Web site: MORRISON, Sidney Wallace . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
88. Web site: BENEDICT, Cleveland Keith . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
89. Web site: STATON, David Michael . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
90. Web site: GUNDERSON, Steven Craig . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
91. Web site: SUNIA, Fofó Iosefa . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
92. Web site: DE LUGO, Ron . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
93. Web site: SILJANDER, Mark Deli . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
94. Web site: HOYER, Steny Hamilton . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
95. Web site: OXLEY, Michael Garver . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
96. Web site: DOWDY, Charles Wayne . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
97. Web site: SMITH, Joseph Francis . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
98. Web site: KENNELLY, Barbara Bailey . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
99. Web site: ASHBROOK, Jean Spencer . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
100. Web site: MARTÍNEZ, Matthew G. . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
101. Web site: HALL, Katie Beatrice . Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .