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
|