Senate Seniority for the 109th Congress
Rankings are based on the date the oath of office was taken, except in cases when a Senator resigns after the election and the winner of the election is appointed to fill the remainder of the term. For Senators sworn in on the same date, seniority is determined by prior Senate service, followed by vice presidential, House, Cabinet and gubernatorial service, according to the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. If ties remain, seniority is based first on state population and then alphabetically, if there are two Senators from the same state. The panel provided the ranking information but as a matter of committee policy would not confirm the list.
1. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), Jan. 7, 1959
2. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Nov. 7, 1962
3. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Jan. 9, 1963
4. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Dec. 24, 1968
5. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), Jan. 3, 1973
6. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Jan. 3, 1973
7. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Jan. 3, 1975
8. Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), Jan. 3, 1977
9. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), Jan. 3, 1977
10. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Jan. 3, 1977
11. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Dec. 15, 1978
12. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Dec. 27, 1978
13. John Warner (R-Va.), Jan. 3, 1979
14. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Jan. 3, 1979
15. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Jan. 3, 1981
16. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jan. 3, 1981
17. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Jan. 3, 1981
18. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Jan. 3, 1983
19. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Jan. 2, 1985
20. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Jan. 3, 1985
21. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jan. 3, 1985
22. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Jan. 15, 1985
23. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Jan. 6, 1987
24. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Jan. 6, 1987
25. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jan. 6, 1987
26. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Jan. 6, 1987
27. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), Jan. 6, 1987
28. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Jan. 6, 1987
29. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Jan. 3, 1989
30. James Jeffords (I-Vt.), Jan. 3, 1989
31. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), Jan. 3, 1989
32. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Jan. 3, 1989
33. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), Jan. 3, 1989
34. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), April 28, 1990
35. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Jan. 3, 1991
36. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Nov. 10, 1992
37. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Dec. 15, 1992
38. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Jan. 5, 1993
39. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Jan. 5, 1993
40. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), Jan. 5, 1993
41. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jan. 5, 1993
42. Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Jan. 5, 1993
43. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), June 14, 1993
44. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Nov. 30, 1994
45. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Jan. 4, 1995
46. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), Jan. 4, 1995
47. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Jan. 4, 1995
48. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.), Jan. 4, 1995
49. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), Jan. 4, 1995
50. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), Jan. 4, 1995
51. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Feb. 6, 1996
52. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Nov. 27, 1996
53. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Jan. 7, 1997
54. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jan. 3, 1997
55. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Jan. 3, 1997
56. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), Jan. 3, 1997
57. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jan. 3, 1997
58. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Jan. 3, 1997
59. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Jan. 3, 1997
60. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Jan. 3, 1997
61. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Jan. 3, 1997
62. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jan. 3, 1997
63. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Jan. 3, 1997
64. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jan. 3, 1999
65. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), Jan. 3, 1999
66. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jan. 3, 1999
67. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Jan. 3, 1999
68. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Jan. 3, 1999
69. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), Jan. 3, 1999
70. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), Nov. 4, 1999
71. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Jan. 3, 2001
72. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Jan. 3, 2001
73. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jan. 3, 2001
74. John Ensign (R-Nev.), Jan. 3, 2001
75. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jan. 3, 2001
76. George Allen (R-Va.), Jan. 3, 2001
77. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Jan. 3, 2001
78. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Jan. 3, 2001
79. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), Jan. 3, 2001
80. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.), Jan. 3, 2001
81. Jim Talent (R-Mont.), Nov. 23, 2002
82. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dec. 20, 2002
83. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Jan. 3, 2003
84. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Jan. 3, 2003
85. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jan. 3, 2003
86. John Sununu (R-N.H.), Jan. 3, 2003
87. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), Jan. 3, 2003
88. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Jan. 3, 2003
89. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jan. 3, 2003
90. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Jan. 3, 2003
91. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Jan. 3, 2003
92. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Jan. 4, 2005
93. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Jan. 4, 2005
94. David Vitter (R-La.), Jan. 4, 2005
95. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Jan. 4, 2005
96. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Jan. 4, 2005
97. John Thune (R-S.D.), Jan. 4, 2005
98. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), Jan. 4, 2005
99. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Jan. 4, 2005
100. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), Jan. 4, 2005