List of United States senators in the 101st Congress

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[edit]

Class Terms of service of senators that expired in years
Class 2 Terms of service of senators that expired in 1991[5]
Class 3 Terms of service of senators that expired in 1993[6]
Class 1 Terms of service of senators that expired in 1995[7]

U.S. Senate seniority list[edit]

U.S. Senate seniority
Rank Historical rank Senator (party-state) Seniority date Other factors
1 1549[8] Strom Thurmond (R-SC) November 7, 1956 Former governor, Previously a senator
2 1578 Robert Byrd (D-WV) January 3, 1959 Former representative
3 1593 Quentin Northrup Burdick (D-ND) August 8, 1960 Former representative
4 1601 Claiborne Pell (D-RI) January 3, 1961
5 1608 Ted Kennedy (D-MA) November 7, 1962
6 1614 Daniel Inouye (D-HI) January 3, 1963 Former representative
7 1632 Ernest Hollings (D-SC) November 9, 1966 Former governor
8 1638 Mark Hatfield (R-OR) January 10, 1967 Former governor
9 1641 Ted Stevens (R-AK) December 24, 1968
10 1645 Bob Dole (R-KS) January 3, 1969 Former representative
11 1649 Alan Cranston (D-CA) California 2nd in population (1960)
12 1652 Bob Packwood (R-OR) Oregon 32nd in population (1960)
13 1656 Bill Roth (R-DE) January 1, 1971 Former representative
14 1658 Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) January 3, 1971 Former representative
15 1668 Sam Nunn (D-GA) November 8, 1972
16 1669 Bennett Johnston Jr. (D-LA) November 14, 1972
17 1672 James A. McClure (R-ID) January 3, 1973 Former representative
18 1675 Jesse Helms (R-NC) North Carolina 12th in population (1970)
19 1679 Pete Domenici (R-NM) New Mexico 37th in population (1970)
20 1680 Joe Biden (D-DE) Delaware 46th in population (1970)
21 1683 Jake Garn (R-UT) December 21, 1974
22 1684 John Glenn (D-OH) December 24, 1974
23 1685 Wendell H. Ford (D-KY) December 28, 1974
24 1689 Dale Bumpers (D-AR) January 3, 1975 Former governor
25 1692 Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
26 1694 John Danforth (R-MO) December 27, 1976
27 1681[9] Howard Metzenbaum (D-OH) December 29, 1976 Previously a senator
28 1696 John Chafee (R-RI) Former governor, Former cabinet secretary
29 1697 Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (D-MI) December 30, 1976 Former representative
30 1700 Spark Matsunaga[10] (D-HI) January 3, 1977 Former representative (14 years)
31 1702 H. John Heinz III (R-PA) Former representative (6 years)
32 1703 Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) Former representative (6 years)
33 1704 Pat Moynihan (D-NY) New York 2nd in population (1970)
34 1705 Richard Lugar (R-IN) Indiana 11th in population (1970)
35 1706 Jim Sasser (D-TN) Tennessee 17th in population (1970)
36 1707 Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ) Arizona 22nd in population (1970))
37 1708 Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Utah 36th in population (1970)
38 1710 Malcolm Wallop (R-WY) Wyoming 49th in population (1970)
39 1716 David Durenberger (R-MN) November 8, 1978
40 1717 Max Baucus (D-MT) December 15, 1978 Former representative
41 1718 Nancy Kassebaum Baker (R-KS) December 23, 1978
42 1719 Thad Cochran (R-MS) December 27, 1978 Former representative
43 1720 Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN) December 30, 1978
44 1721 Alan K. Simpson (R-WY) January 1, 1979
45 1722 John Warner (R-VA) January 2, 1979 Former cabinet secretary
46 1723 David Pryor (D-AR) January 3, 1979 Former representative (6 years, 2 months)
47 1724 William Cohen (R-ME) Former representative (6 years)
48 1725 William L. Armstrong (R-CO) Former representative (4 years) - Colorado 30th in population (1970)
49 1727 Larry Pressler (R-SD) Former representative (4 years) - South Dakota 44th in population (1970)
50 1728 David L. Boren (D-OK) Former governor - Oklahoma 27th in population (1970)
51 1729 J. James Exon (D-NE) Former governor - Nebraska 35th in population (1970)
52 1730 Carl Levin (D-MI) Michigan 7th in population (1970)
53 1731 Bill Bradley (D-NJ) New Jersey 8th in population (1970)
54 1732 Howell Heflin (D-AL) Alabama 21st in population (1970)
55 1734 Gordon J. Humphrey (R-NH) New Hampshire 41st in population (1970)
56 1735 George J. Mitchell (D-ME) May 17, 1980
57 1736 Warren Rudman (R-NH) December 31, 1980
58 1740 Steve Symms (R-ID) January 3, 1981 Former representative (12 years)
59 1742 Chris Dodd (D-CT) Former representative (6 years) - Connecticut 24th in population (1970)
60 1743 Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Former representative (6 years) - Iowa 25th in population (1970)
61 1745 Bob Kasten (R-WI) Former representative (4 years)
62 1746 Al D'Amato (R-NY) New York 2nd in population (1970)
63 1747 Arlen Specter (R-PA) Pennsylvania 3rd in population (1970)
64 1748 Alan J. Dixon (D-IL) Illinois 5th in population (1970)
65 1752 Don Nickles (R-OK) Oklahoma 27th in population (1970)
66 1753 Frank Murkowski (R-AK) Alaska 50th in population (1970)
67 1755 Frank Lautenberg[11] (D-NJ) December 27, 1982
68 1757 Pete Wilson (R-CA) January 3, 1983 California 1st in population (1980)
69 1759 Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) New Mexico 37th in population (1980)
70 1761 John Kerry (D-MA) January 2, 1985
71 1762 Paul Simon (D-IL) January 3, 1985 Former representative (10 years) - Illinois 5th in population (1980)
72 1763 Tom Harkin (D-IA) Former representative (10 years) - Iowa 27th in population (1980)
73 1764 Al Gore (D-TN) Former representative (8 years)
74 1765 Phil Gramm (R-TX) Former representative (6 years)
75 1766 Mitch McConnell (R-KY)  
76 1767 Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) January 15, 1985
77 1769 Terry Sanford (D-NC) November 5, 1986
78 1770 John Breaux (D-LA) January 3, 1987 Former representative (14 years)
79 1771 Brock Adams (D-WA) Former representative (12 years) - Former cabinet member
80 1772 Tim Wirth (D-CO) Former representative (12 years)
81 1773 Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) Former representative (10 years)
82 1774 Wyche Fowler (D-GA) Former representative (9 years, 9 months)
83 1775 Richard Shelby (D-AL) Former representative (8 years) - Alabama 22nd in population (1980)
84 1776 Tom Daschle (D-SD) Former representative (8 years) - South Dakota 45th in population (1980)
85 1777 John McCain (R-AZ) Former representative (4 years) - Arizona 29th in population (1980)
86 1778 Harry Reid (D-NV) Former representative (4 years) - Nevada 43rd in population (1980)
87 1779 Bob Graham (D-FL) Former governor - Florida 7th in population (1980)
88 1780 Kit Bond (R-MO) Former governor - Missouri 15th in population (1980)
89 1781 Kent Conrad (D-ND)
90 1751[12] Slade Gorton (R-WA) January 3, 1989 Previously a senator
91 1783 Trent Lott (R-MS) Former representative (16 years)
92 1784 Jim Jeffords (R-VT) Former representative (14 years)
93 1785 Dan Coats (R-IN) Former representative (8 years)
94 1786 Connie Mack (R-FL) Former representative (6 years)
95 1787 Richard Bryan (D-NV) Former governor (6 years)
96 1788 Chuck Robb (D-VA) Former governor (4 years) - Virginia 14th in population (1980)
97 1789 Bob Kerrey (D-NE) Former governor (4 years) - Nebraska 35th in population (1980)
98 1790 Herb Kohl (D-WI) Wisconsin 16th in population (1980)
99 1791 Joe Lieberman (I/D-CT) Connecticut 25th in population (1980)
100 1792 Conrad Burns (R-MT) Montana 44th in population (1980)
101 1793 Daniel Akaka (D-HI) May 16, 1990
102 1794 Bob Smith (R-NH) December 7, 1990

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ A Chronological List of United States Senators 1789-Present, via www.Senate.gov
  2. ^ 1961 U.S Census Report Contains 1960 Census results.
  3. ^ 1971 U.S Census Report Contains 1970 Census results.
  4. ^ 1981 U.S Census Report Contains 1980 Census results.
  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.

External links[edit]