Senate Democratic Caucus

Last updated
Senate Democratic Caucus
Part of United States Senate
Chair and Floor Leader Chuck Schumer (NY)
Floor Whip Dick Durbin (IL)
Vice Chairs Mark Warner (VA)
Elizabeth Warren (MA)
Secretary Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Ideology Modern liberalism
Political position Center-left
Affiliation Democratic Party
Colors  Blue
Seats
47 / 100
Website
democrats.senate.gov

The Democratic Caucus of the United States Senate, sometimes referred to as the Democratic Conference, is the formal organization of all senators who are part of the Democratic Party in the United States Senate. For the makeup of the 119th Congress, the caucus additionally includes two independent senators (Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Angus King of Maine) who caucus with the Democrats, bringing the current total to 47 members. The central organizational front for Democrats in the Senate, its primary function is communicating the party's message to all of its members under a single banner. The present chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus is Chuck Schumer of New York.

Contents

Current leadership

Effective with the start of the 119th Congress, the conference leadership is as follows:

History

The conference was formally organized on March 6, 1903, electing a chair to preside over its members and a secretary to keep minutes. Until that time, this caucus was often disorganized, philosophically divided and had neither firm written rules of governance nor a clear mission.

Chairs of the Senate Democratic Caucus

Since Oscar Underwood's election in 1920, the chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus has also concurrently served as the floor leader as part of an unwritten tradition.

CongressLeaderStateTook officeLeft officeMajority Leader
43rd John Stevenson.jpg John W. Stevenson
(1812–1886)
Kentucky December 1873March 4, 1877 Unknown [b]
44th  Unknown [b]
45th William A. Wallace - Brady-Handy.jpg William A. Wallace
(1827–1896)
Pennsylvania March 4, 1877March 4, 1881 Unknown [b]
46th  Unknown [c]
47th GeorgeHPendleton.png George H. Pendleton
(1825–1889)
Ohio March 4, 1881March 4, 1885 Unknown [d]
 
48th  Unknown [b]
49th James B. Beck - Brady-Handy.jpg James B. Beck
(1822–1890)
Kentucky March 4, 1885May 3, 1890 [e]  Unknown [b]
50th  Unknown [b]
51st  Unknown [b]
51st Arthur Pue Gorman.jpg Arthur Pue Gorman
(1839–1906)
Maryland May 3, 1890April 29, 1898 [f]
52nd  Unknown [b]
53rd  Himself1893–1895
54th  Unknown [b]
55th  Unknown [b]
55th David Turpie.jpg David Turpie
(1828–1909)
Indiana April 29, 1898March 4, 1899
56th James Jones.png James Kimbrough Jones
(1839–1908)
Arkansas December 1899March 4, 1903 Unknown [b]
57th  Unknown [b]
58th Arthur Pue Gorman.jpg Arthur Pue Gorman
(1839–1906)
Maryland March 4, 1903June 4, 1906 [e]  Unknown [b]
59th  Unknown [b]
Jblackburn.jpg Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn
(1838–1918)
Kentucky June 4, 1906March 4, 1907
60th Charles Allen Culberson.jpg Charles Allen Culberson
(1855–1925)
Texas December 1907December 9, 1909 [f]  Unknown [b]
61st  Unknown [b]
Hernando Money - Brady-Handy.jpg Hernando Money
(1839–1912)
Mississippi December 9, 1909March 4, 1911
62nd Thomas Staples Martin.jpg Thomas S. Martin
(1847–1919)
Virginia April 1911March 4, 1913 Unknown [b]
63rd JohnWKern.jpg John W. Kern
(1849–1917)
Indiana March 4, 1913March 4, 1917 Himself1913–1917
64th
65th Thomas Staples Martin.jpg Thomas S. Martin
(1847–1919)
Virginia March 4, 1917November 12, 1919 [e]  Himself1917–1919
66th   Lodge 1919–1924
66th HITCHCOCK, G.M. HONORABLE LCCN2016857525 (cropped).jpg Gilbert Hitchcock [g]
(1859–1934)
Nebraska November 12, 1919April 27, 1920
66th Oscar W. Underwood.jpg Oscar Underwood
(1862–1929)
Alabama April 27, 1920December 3, 1923
67th
68th
68th Joseph T. Robinson cropped.jpg Joseph Taylor Robinson
(1872–1937)
Arkansas December 3, 1923July 14, 1937 [e]   Curtis 1924–1929
69th
70th
71st   Watson 1929–1933
72nd
73rd  Himself1933–1937
74th
75th
Alben Barkley, Vice-President.jpg Alben W. Barkley
(1877–1956)
Kentucky July 14, 1937January 3, 1949 [h]  Himself1937–1947
76th
77th
78th
79th
80th   White 1947–1949
81st ScottWikeLucas.jpg Scott W. Lucas
(1892–1968)
Illinois January 3, 1949January 3, 1951 Himself1949–1951
82nd Mcfarland ernest.jpg Ernest McFarland
(1894–1984)
Arizona January 3, 1951January 3, 1953 Himself1951–1953
83rd Senator Lyndon Johnson.jpg Lyndon B. Johnson
(1908–1973)
Texas January 3, 1953January 3, 1961 [h]   Taft 1953
  Knowland 1953–1955
84th  Himself1955–1961
85th
86th
87th Mike mansfield cropped.jpg Mike Mansfield
(1903–2001)
Montana January 3, 1961January 3, 1977 Himself1961–1977
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd
93rd
94th
95th Robert Byrd official portrait.jpg Robert Byrd
(1917–2010)
West Virginia January 3, 1977January 3, 1989 Himself1977–1981
96th
97th   Baker 1981–1985
98th
99th   Dole 1985–1987
100th  Himself1987–1989
101st George Mitchell in Tel Aviv July 26, 2009.jpg George J. Mitchell
(born 1933)
Maine January 3, 1989January 3, 1995 Himself1989–1995
102nd
103rd
104th Tom Daschle, official Senate photo.jpg Tom Daschle
(born 1947)
South Dakota January 3, 1995January 3, 2005  Dole 1995–1996
104th  Lott 1996–2001
105th
106th
107th  Himself2001
  Lott 2001
 Himself2001–2002
  Lott 2002–2003
108th   Frist 2003–2007
109th Harry Reid official portrait 2009.jpg Harry Reid
(1939–2021)
Nevada January 3, 2005January 3, 2017
110th  Himself2007–2015
111th
112th
113th
114th   McConnell 2015–2021
115th Chuck Schumer official photo.jpg Chuck Schumer
(born 1950)
New York January 3, 2017 Incumbent
116th
117th
 Himself2021–2025
118th
119th   Thune 2025–present

Notes

  1. Concurrently serves as Chief Deputy Whip on Durbin's Whip Operations Team. [2]
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Although the Senate Majority Leader for this Congress is unknown, the Republican Party had a majority.
  3. Although the Senate Majority Leader for this Congress is unknown, the Democratic Party had a majority.
  4. The Republican Party had a majority in the Senate for the first special Senate session of the 47th Congress from March to May 1881. Beginning with the second special Senate session in October 1881 and continuing until the end of the 47th Congress, the Senate was split between parties.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Died in office.
  6. 1 2 Resigned from office.
  7. Acting chair.
  8. 1 2 Resigned to become Vice President of the United States.

Vice chairs

After the victory of Democrats in the midterm elections of 2006, an overwhelming majority in the conference wanted to reward Chuck Schumer, then the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, with a position in the leadership hierarchy.[ citation needed ] In response, then-Democratic Leader Harry Reid created the position of vice-chair when Democrats formally took control in 2007. [4] Schumer ascended to Reid's position following his retirement after the 2016 elections. The position was then split, with one co-chair awarded to Mark Warner and the other awarded to Elizabeth Warren.


CongressVice Chair(s)StateTerm StartTerm End
110th January 3, 2007January 3, 2017
111th
112th
113th
114th
115th January 3, 2017present
116th
117th
118th
119th

Caucus secretary

The United States Senate Democratic Conference Secretary, also called the Caucus Secretary was previously considered the number-three position, behind the party's floor leader and the party's whip, until in 2006, when Democratic leader Harry Reid created the new position of Vice-Chairman of the caucus. Now, the secretary is the fourth-highest ranking position. The conference secretary is responsible for taking notes and aiding the party leadership when senators of the party meet or caucus together. [5]

The first conference secretary was Sen. Edward W. Carmack of Tennessee, who was elected in March 1903. [6]

The current conference secretary is Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who assumed the office in January 2017.

CongressSecretaryStateTerm StartTerm End
58th March 6, 1903March 3, 1907
59th
60th December 3, 1907 [a] March 4, 1911
61st
62nd March 4, 1911March 4, 1913
63rd March 4, 1913March 3, 1915
64th
Willard Saulsbury Jr.
Delaware
March 3, 1915December 14, 1916
Key Pittman (Acting)
December 14, 1916March 3, 1917
65th March 4, 1917March 3, 1927
66th
67th
68th
69th
70th March 4, 1927January 3, 1937
71st
72nd
73rd
74th
75th January 3, 1937January 3, 1943
76th
77th
78th Connecticut January 3, 1943January 3, 1945
79th January 3, 1945July 28, 1952
80th
81st
82nd
83rd January 3, 1953January 3, 1959
84th
85th
86th
Thomas Hennings
Missouri
January 3, 1959September 13, 1960
September 3, 1960January 3, 1961
87th
George Smathers
Florida
January 3, 1961January 3, 1967
88th
89th
90th January 3, 1967January 3, 1971
91st
92nd January 3, 1971January 3, 1977
93rd
94th
95th January 3, 1977January 3, 1989
96th
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st January 3, 1989January 3, 1995
102nd
103rd
104th January 3, 1995January 3, 2005
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th January 3, 2005January 3, 2007
110th January 3, 2007January 3, 2017
111th
112th
113th
114th
115th January 3, 2017incumbent
116th
117th
118th
119th

Deputy Caucus Secretary

On December 8, 2022, Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii was elected to the newly created position of Deputy Caucus Secretary, assuming the office at the beginning of the 118th Congress on January 3, 2023. [7] This was an elevation from his previous leadership role as Senate Democratic Chief Deputy Whip. On January 3, 2025, Chris Murphy was also appointed to this position. [8]

Notes

  1. The 60th Congress began on March 4, 1907; however Owen did not take office until the start of the 1st Session of the 60th Congress on December 2, 1907.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "U.S. Senate: Leadership & Officers". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
  2. "Durbin Announces Senate Democratic Whip Operations For 119th Congress". Dick Durbin United States Senator Illinois Newsroom. 2024-12-04. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  3. 1 2 "Rules for the Democratic Conference". www.democrats.senate.gov. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  4. Bolton, Alexander (January 20, 2021). "Schumer becomes new Senate majority leader". The Hill. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  5. "Conference Secretaries". U.S. Senate.
  6. "Senate Democratic Caucus Organized". U.S. Senate.
  7. "Schumer reelected as Senate majority leader". The Hill.
  8. Hagen, Lisa (2024-12-03). "Chris Murphy to join Senate leadership ranks in next Congress". CT Mirror. Retrieved 2025-01-25.

Bibliography