Seniority in the United States House of Representatives

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:

1. Number of total terms served (subtracting one term from the number of non-consecutive terms)
2. Number of consecutive terms served
3. Alphabetically by last name

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. 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: 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.

Vacancies

• Colorado 4: Ken Buck (R) resigned on March 22, 2024. A special election will be held on June 25, 2024.
• Wisconsin 8: Mike Gallagher (R) resigned on April 24 2024. A special election will be held concurrently with the general election for the 119th Congress on November 5, 2024.
• New Jersey 10: Donald Payne Jr. (D) died on April 24, 2024. A special election will be held on September 18, 2024.

Current seniority list

Delegates

Delegates are non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives.

See also

• Current members of the United States House of Representatives
• List of United States congressional districts
• List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service
• Seniority in the United States Senate

Notes

References

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.