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This is a complete list of current members of the United States House of Representatives based on seniority. For the most part, representatives are ranked by the beginning of their terms in office. Representatives whose terms begin the same day are ranked alphabetically by last name.
Seniority calculation
Seniority is calculated by:
- Number of total terms served (subtracting one term from the number of non-consecutive terms)
- Number of consecutive terms served
- Alphabetically by last name[1]
An additional clause applies for representatives that have a prior tenure of less than two terms. In this case, they will have preference over all other members who are freshmen by tenure.
An example of this ranking system is Rep. Pete Sessions had previously served eleven terms, from 1997 to 2019 (after his defeat in the 2018 midterms), when he was once again elected in 2020. Instead of holding seniority with others whose terms began January 3, 2021, he was credited with ten terms, and holds seniority above all representatives whose terms began on or after January 3, 2001.
Benefits of seniority
Committee leadership in the House is often associated with seniority, especially in the Democratic Caucus. The Republican leadership, in comparison with the Democratic Party, prioritizes voting records and campaign fundraising over seniority for committee leadership.[2] Party leadership in the House is not strictly associated with seniority.
The more senior a representative is, the more likely the representative is to receive desirable committee assignments or leadership posts. Seniority also affects access to more desirable office space in the House Office Buildings:[3] after an office is vacated, members next in seniority can choose whether to move into it. Only after allocations for existing members are complete can incoming members be assigned offices via the congressional office lottery.[4]
Vacancies
- New York 3: George Santos (R) was expelled December 1, 2023.[5] A special election will be held on February 13, 2024.
- California 20: Kevin McCarthy (R) resigned December 31, 2023.[6] A special election will be held on March 19, 2024 with a potential run-off on May 21, 2024.
Current seniority list
Delegates
Delegates are non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives.
| Rank | Delegate | Party | District | Seniority date (previous service, if any) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eleanor Holmes Norton | D | District of Columbia at-large | January 3, 1991 |
| 2 | Gregorio Sablan | D | Northern Mariana Islands at-large | January 3, 2009 |
| 3 | Stacey Plaskett | D | United States Virgin Islands at-large | January 3, 2015 |
| 4 | Amata Coleman Radewagen | R | American Samoa at-large | |
| 5 | Jenniffer González | NPP/R | Puerto Rico at-large | January 3, 2017 |
| 6 | James Moylan | R | Guam at-large | January 3, 2023 |
See also
Notes
References
- ↑ "Terms of Service for Members of the House of Representatives". Historian of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
- ↑ "House Seniority and Committee Leadership". U.S. News & World Report. December 8, 2006.
- ↑ Goodwin, George (1959). "The Seniority System in Congress". The American Political Science Review. pp. 412–436. doi:10.2307/1952154. Retrieved 15 August 2022 – via JSTOR.
- ↑ Langhorne, Thomas B. (October 16, 2018). "Scramble for office space in Congress is about status". Evansville Courier & Press. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ↑ Gamio, Lazaro; Williams, Josh; Wu, Ashley; Cook Escobar, Molly (December 1, 2023). "How Every Member Voted On The Expulsion of George Santos From Congress". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ↑ Brooks, Emily (19 December 2023). "Kevin McCarthy submits official House resignation". The Hill. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
External links
- "Terms of Service for Members of the House of Representatives in the 116th Congress" (PDF). September 24, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019 – via Clerk of the House of Representatives.