Senate Seniority for the 110th 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.
(As of Jan. 9, 2007)
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. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.), Jan. 3, 1977
9. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Jan. 3, 1977
10. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Dec. 15, 1978
11. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Dec. 27, 1978
12. John Warner (R-Va.), Jan. 3, 1979
13. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Jan. 3, 1979
14. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Jan. 3, 1981
15. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jan. 3, 1981
16. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Jan. 3, 1981
17. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Jan. 3, 1983
18. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Jan. 2, 1985
19. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Jan. 3, 1985
20. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jan. 3, 1985
21. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Jan. 15, 1985
22. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Jan. 6, 1987
23. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Jan. 6, 1987
24. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jan. 6, 1987
25. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Jan. 6, 1987
26. Kit Bond (R-Mo.), Jan. 6, 1987
27. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Jan. 6, 1987
28. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Jan. 3, 1989
29. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Jan. 3, 1989
30. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), Jan. 3, 1989
31. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), April 28, 1990
32. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Jan. 3, 1991
33. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Nov. 10, 1992
34. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Dec. 15, 1992
35. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Jan. 5, 1993
36. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Jan. 5, 1993
37. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), Jan. 5, 1993
38. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jan. 5, 1993
39. Bob Bennett (R-Utah), Jan. 5, 1993
40. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas),
June 14, 1993
41. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Nov. 30, 1994
42. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Jan. 4, 1995
43. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Jan. 4, 1995
44. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.), Jan. 4, 1995
45. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Feb. 6, 1996
46. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Nov. 27, 1996
47. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Jan. 7, 1997
48. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jan. 3, 1997
49. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Jan. 3, 1997
50. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), Jan. 3, 1997
51. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jan. 3, 1997
52. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Jan. 3, 1997
53. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Jan. 3, 1997
54. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Jan. 3, 1997
55. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Jan. 3, 1997
56. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jan. 3, 1997
57. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Jan. 3, 1997
58. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jan. 3, 1999
59. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), Jan. 3, 1999
60. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jan. 3, 1999
61. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Jan. 3, 1999
62. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Jan. 3, 1999
63. George Voinovich (R-Ohio), Jan. 3, 1999
64. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Jan. 3, 2001
65. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Jan. 3, 2001
66. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Jan. 3, 2001
67. John Ensign (R-Nev.), Jan. 3, 2001
68. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Jan. 3, 2001
69. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Jan. 3, 2001
70. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.),
Jan. 3, 2001
71. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dec. 20, 2002
72. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Jan. 3, 2003
73. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Jan. 3, 2003
74. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jan. 3, 2003
75. John Sununu (R-N.H.), Jan. 3, 2003
76. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), Jan. 3, 2003
77. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Jan. 3, 2003
78. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Jan. 3, 2003
79. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Jan. 3, 2003
80. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Jan. 3, 2003
81. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Jan. 4, 2005
82. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Jan. 4, 2005
83. David Vitter (R-La.), Jan. 4, 2005
84. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Jan. 4, 2005
85. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Jan. 4, 2005
86. John Thune (R-S.D.), Jan. 4, 2005
87. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), Jan. 4, 2005
88. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Jan. 4, 2005
89. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), Jan. 4, 2005
90. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Jan. 18, 2006
91. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Jan. 4, 2007
92. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jan. 4, 2007
93. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jan. 4, 2007
94. Jim Webb (D-Va.), Jan. 4, 2007
95. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jan. 4, 2007
96. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Jan. 4, 2007
97. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jan. 4, 2007
98. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jan. 4, 2007
99. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jan. 4, 2007
100. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Jan. 4, 2007