Dean of the United States Senate

The dean of the United States Senate is an informal term for the senator with the longest continuous service, regardless of party affiliation. This is not an official position within the Senate, although customarily (since 1945) the longest-serving member of the majority party serves as president pro tempore.

The dean as of 2026 is Republican senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. He has been in the Senate since 1981 and became dean in 2023 with the retirement of Patrick Leahy.

List of deans NamePartyStateYearsFirst servedAnti-AdminDemocratic-RepublicanGA1789–17971789Pro-AdminDemocratic-RepublicanNHand othersDemocratic-RepublicanGA1797–1801Democratic-RepublicanNHDemocratic-RepublicanRI1801–18031790Democratic-RepublicanKY1803–18051791FederalistCT1805–18101796Democratic-RepublicanTN1810–18151797Democratic-RepublicanSC1815–18261804Anti-JacksonianOH1826–18331815DemocraticAL1833–18441819DemocraticMO1844–18511821WhigNC1851–18531831, 1840WhigMD1853–18621843DemocraticDE1862–18641851RepublicanVTRepublicanVT1864–1866RepublicanOH1866–1869RepublicanMA1869–1874RepublicanMI1874–18751857RepublicanRI1875–18841859RepublicanVT1884–18911866RepublicanVT1891–18981867RepublicanIA1898–19081873RepublicanME1908–19111881RepublicanME19111881RepublicanIL1911–19131883RepublicanNH1913–19181891RepublicanMA1918–19241893RepublicanWY1924–19291895DemocraticNC1929–19311901RepublicanUT1931–19331903RepublicanID1933–19401907DemocraticSC1940–19441909DemocraticTN1944–19531917DemocraticGA1953–19571922DemocraticAZ1957–19691927DemocraticGA1969–19711933DemocraticLA1971–19721937RepublicanVT1972–19751941DemocraticMS1975–19771941, 1943DemocraticAR1943DemocraticMS1977–19781941, 1943DemocraticWA1978–19811944DemocraticMS1981–19891947RepublicanSC1989–20031954, 1956DemocraticWV2003–20101959DemocraticHI2010–20121963DemocraticVT2012–20231975RepublicanIA2023–present1981

Party deans Democratic NameStateYearsNC1826–1828NJ1828–1833AL1833–1844MO1844–1851MO1851–1855IN1855–1856MD1856–1862DE1862–1864DE1864–1871KY1871–1872MD1872–1873DE1873–1885DE1885–1889NC1889–1895MO1895–1905AL1905–1907MD1907–1908CO1908–1909VA1909–1910SC1910–1918VA1918–1919TX1919–1923NC1923–1931SC1931–1944TN1944–1953GA1953–1957AZ1957–1969GA1969–1971LA1971–1972MS1972–1978WA1978–1981MS1981–1989WV1989–2010HI2010–2012VT2012–2023CA2023Patty MurrayWA2023–present

Republican NameStateYearsNY1854–1861VT1861–1866OH1866–1869MA1869–1872MA1872–1873MI1873–1875RI1875–1884VT1884–1891VT1891–1898IA1898–1908ME1908–1911ME1911IL1911–1913NH1913–1918MA1918–1924WY1924–1929UT1929–1933ID1933–1940CA1940–1945KS1945–1949MI1949–1951NH1951–1961WI1961–1963VT1963–1975ND1975–1981SC1981–2003AK2003–2009IN2009–2013UT2013–2019IA2019–present

Whig NameStateYearsRI1833–1841VT1841–1842NY1842–1844VA1844–1845DE1845–1847VT1847–1851NC1851–1853MD1853–1856MO1856–1857

National Republican NameStateYearsOH1825–1833RI1833

Democratic-Republican NameStateYearsNH1799–1801KY1801–1805TN1805–1815SC1815–1826

Federalist NameStateYearsGA1799–1801RI1801–1803CT1803–1807CT1807–1810MA1810–1811DE1811–1813CT1813DE1813–1821NY1821–1825

Pro-Administration NameStateYearsSC1789–1795CT1795–1796GA1796–1799

Anti-Administration NameStateYearsDE1789–1793NH1793–1795SC1795–1796NH1796–1799

See also Baby of the United States Senate Oldest living United States president Dean of the United States House of Representatives List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service

References Senators of the United States