AN INTERESTING chart crafted by the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs ranks Senate state delegations by seniority. “Interesting” because the order is susceptible to great flux. Consider Massachusetts, which soon will plunge from 14th to 50th once Senator Kerry takes up the reins of the State Department. Or Hawaii, which “in a matter of a few weeks…dropped from the longest-serving in the nation with over 72 years of experience between Inouye and Daniel Akaka all the way down to #50 – with just 18 days of collective Senate service as of Monday between newly-elected Mazie Hirono and the appointed Brian Schatz.”
Length of Service in the U.S. Senate by State Delegation
|
Rank
|
State
|
Senior
|
Days
|
Junior
|
Days
|
Total
|
Years
|
|
1
|
IA
|
Chuck Grassley
|
11,693
|
Tom Harkin
|
10,232
|
21,925
|
60.1
|
|
2
|
MI
|
Carl Levin
|
12,424
|
Debbie Stabenow
|
4,388
|
16,812
|
46.1
|
|
3
|
VT
|
Patrick Leahy
|
13,885
|
Bernie Sanders
|
2,197
|
16,082
|
44.1
|
|
4
|
AL
|
Richard Shelby
|
9,502
|
Jeff Sessions
|
5,849
|
15,351
|
42.1
|
|
5
|
CA
|
Dianne Feinstein
|
7,370
|
Barbara Boxer
|
7,310
|
14,680
|
40.2
|
|
6
|
MT
|
Max Baucus
|
12,443
|
Jon Tester
|
2,197
|
14,640
|
40.1
|
|
7
|
MS
|
Thad Cochran
|
12,431
|
Roger Wicker
|
1,835
|
14,266
|
39.1
|
|
8
|
UT
|
Orrin Hatch
|
13,154
|
Mike Lee
|
736
|
13,890
|
38.1
|
|
9
|
NJ
|
Frank Lautenberg
|
10,241
|
Bob Menendez
|
2,547
|
12,788
|
35.0
|
|
10
|
MD
|
Barbara Mikulski
|
9,502
|
Ben Cardin
|
2,197
|
11,699
|
32.1
|
|
11
|
WA
|
Patty Murray
|
7,310
|
Maria Cantwell
|
4,388
|
11,698
|
32.0
|
|
12
|
WV
|
Jay Rockefeller
|
10,220
|
Joe Manchin
|
785
|
11,005
|
30.2
|
|
13
|
KY
|
Mitch McConnell
|
10,232
|
Rand Paul
|
736
|
10,968
|
30.0
|
|
14
|
MA
|
John Kerry
|
10,232
|
Elizabeth Warren
|
5
|
10,237
|
28.0
|
|
15
|
NV
|
Harry Reid
|
9,502
|
Dean Heller
|
610
|
10,112
|
27.7
|
|
16
|
OK
|
Jim Inhofe
|
6,628
|
Tom Coburn
|
2,927
|
9,555
|
26.2
|
|
17
|
AZ
|
John McCain
|
9,502
|
Jeff Flake
|
5
|
9,507
|
26.0
|
|
18
|
LA
|
Mary Landrieu
|
5,849
|
David Vitter
|
2,927
|
8,776
|
24.0
|
|
18
|
SD
|
Tim Johnson
|
5,849
|
John Thune
|
2,927
|
8,776
|
24.0
|
|
20
|
RI
|
Jack Reed
|
5,849
|
Sheldon Whitehouse
|
2,197
|
8,046
|
22.0
|
|
21
|
WY
|
Mike Enzi
|
5,849
|
John Barrasso
|
2,024
|
7,873
|
21.6
|
|
22
|
OR
|
Ron Wyden
|
6,181
|
Jeff Merkley
|
1,466
|
7,647
|
21.0
|
|
23
|
IL
|
Dick Durbin
|
5,849
|
Mark Kirk
|
771
|
6,620
|
18.1
|
|
24
|
GA
|
Saxby Chambliss
|
3,658
|
Johnny Isakson
|
2,927
|
6,585
|
18.0
|
|
24
|
ID
|
Mike Crapo
|
5,119
|
Jim Risch
|
1,466
|
6,585
|
18.0
|
|
24
|
KS
|
Pat Roberts
|
5,849
|
Jerry Moran
|
736
|
6,585
|
18.0
|
|
27
|
NY
|
Chuck Schumer
|
5,119
|
Kirsten Gillibrand
|
1,442
|
6,561
|
18.0
|
|
28
|
TN
|
Lamar Alexander
|
3,658
|
Bob Corker
|
2,197
|
5,855
|
16.0
|
|
29
|
ME
|
Susan Collins
|
5,849
|
Angus King
|
5
|
5,854
|
16.0
|
|
30
|
DE
|
Tom Carper
|
4,388
|
Chris Coons
|
785
|
5,173
|
14.2
|
|
31
|
AK
|
Lisa Murkowski
|
3,672
|
Mark Begich
|
1,466
|
5,138
|
14.1
|
|
32
|
FL
|
Bill Nelson
|
4,388
|
Marco Rubio
|
736
|
5,124
|
14.0
|
|
33
|
AR
|
Mark Pryor
|
3,658
|
John Boozman
|
736
|
4,394
|
12.0
|
|
34
|
IN
|
Dan Coats
|
4,388
|
Joe Donnelly
|
5
|
4,393
|
12.0
|
|
34
|
NC
|
Richard Burr
|
2,927
|
Kay Hagan
|
1,466
|
4,393
|
12.0
|
|
36
|
TX
|
John Cornyn
|
3,691
|
Ted Cruz
|
5
|
3,696
|
10.1
|
|
37
|
SC
|
Lindsey Graham
|
3,658
|
Tim Scott
|
6
|
3,664
|
10.0
|
|
38
|
MN
|
Amy Klobuchar
|
2,197
|
Al Franken
|
1,281
|
3,478
|
9.5
|
|
39
|
MO
|
Claire McCaskill
|
2,197
|
Roy Blunt
|
736
|
2,933
|
8.0
|
|
39
|
OH
|
Sherrod Brown
|
2,197
|
Rob Portman
|
736
|
2,933
|
8.0
|
|
39
|
PA
|
Bob Casey
|
2,197
|
Pat Toomey
|
736
|
2,933
|
8.0
|
|
42
|
CO
|
Mark Udall
|
1,466
|
Michael Bennet
|
1,448
|
2,914
|
8.0
|
|
43
|
NH
|
Jeanne Shaheen
|
1,466
|
Kelly Ayotte
|
736
|
2,202
|
6.0
|
|
44
|
NE
|
Mike Johanns
|
1,466
|
Deb Fischer
|
5
|
1,471
|
4.0
|
|
44
|
NM
|
Tom Udall
|
1,466
|
Martin Heinrich
|
5
|
1,471
|
4.0
|
|
44
|
VA
|
Mark Warner
|
1,466
|
Tim Kaine
|
5
|
1,471
|
4.0
|
|
47
|
ND
|
John Hoeven
|
736
|
Heidi Heitkamp
|
5
|
741
|
2.0
|
|
47
|
WI
|
Ron Johnson
|
736
|
Tammy Baldwin
|
5
|
741
|
2.0
|
|
49
|
CT
|
Richard Blumenthal
|
734
|
Chris Murphy
|
5
|
739
|
2.0
|
|
50
|
HI
|
Brian Schatz
|
13
|
Mazie Hirono
|
5
|
18
|
0.0
|
Tags: akaka, hirono, humphrey school of public affairs, inouye, john kerry, schatz, Senate, senate delegations, senate seniority, senator kerry, seniority, university of minnesota
