Senate Democratic Caucus
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 116th Congress, the conference additionally includes two independent senators (Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine) who formally caucus with the Democrats for the purpose of committee assignments and structural organization, 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.
Senate Democratic Caucus | |
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Part of | United States Senate |
Chair | Chuck Schumer (NY) |
Vice Chairs | Mark Warner (VA) Elizabeth Warren (MA) |
Floor Whip | Dick Durbin (IL) |
Assistant Leader | Patty Murray (WA) |
Ideology | Centrism Modern liberalism Progressivism |
Political position | Center to center-left |
Affiliation | Democratic Party |
Colors | Blue |
Seats | 47 / 100 |
Website | |
democrats.senate.gov | |
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Current leadership
Effective with the start of the 116th Congress, the conference leadership is as follows:
- Caucus chair: Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York)
- Caucus vice chairs: Mark Warner (Virginia) and Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts)
- Minority Whip: Dick Durbin (Illinois)
- Assistant Leader: Patty Murray (Washington)
- Policy Committee Chair: Debbie Stabenow (Michigan)
- Steering Committee Chair: Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota)
- Outreach Chair: Bernie Sanders (Vermont)
- Policy Committee Vice Chair: Joe Manchin (West Virginia)
- Caucus Secretary: Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin)
- Campaign Committee Chair: Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada)
- Chief Deputy Whip: Jeff Merkley (Oregon)
- President pro tempore emeritus: Patrick Leahy (Vermont)
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
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.
Dates | Senator | State |
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December 1873 – March 4, 1877 | John W. Stevenson | Kentucky |
March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881 | William A. Wallace | Pennsylvania |
March 4, 1881 – March 4, 1885 | George H. Pendleton | Ohio |
March 4, 1885 – May 3, 1890 | James B. Beck | Kentucky |
May 3, 1890 – April 1898 | Arthur Gorman | Maryland |
April 1898 – March 4, 1899 | David Turpie | Indiana |
December 1899 – March 4, 1903 | James Kimbrough Jones | Arkansas |
March 4, 1903 – June 4, 1906 | Arthur Gorman | Maryland |
June 4, 1906 – March 4, 1907 | Joseph Blackburn | Kentucky |
December 1907 – December 1909 | Charles Culberson | Texas |
December 1909 – March 4, 1911 | Hernando Money | Mississippi |
April 1911 – March 4, 1913 | Thomas S. Martin | Virginia |
March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1917 | John W. Kern | Indiana |
March 4, 1917 – November 12, 1919 | Thomas S. Martin | Virginia |
November 12, 1919 – April 27, 1920 | Gilbert Hitchcock Acting |
Nebraska |
April 27, 1920 – December 3, 1923 | Oscar Underwood | Alabama |
December 3, 1923 – July 14, 1937 | Joe Robinson | Arkansas |
July 14, 1937 – January 3, 1949 | Alben W. Barkley | Kentucky |
January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951 | Scott W. Lucas | Illinois |
January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953 | Ernest McFarland | Arizona |
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1961 | Lyndon Johnson | Texas |
January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1977 | Mike Mansfield | Montana |
January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1989 | Robert Byrd | West Virginia |
January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1995 | George J. Mitchell | Maine |
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2005 | Tom Daschle | South Dakota |
January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2017 | Harry Reid | Nevada |
January 3, 2017 – present | Chuck Schumer | New York |
Vice chair
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. In response, then-Democratic Leader Harry Reid created the position of vice-chair when Democrats formally took control in 2007. 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.
- Chuck Schumer (2007–2017)
- Mark Warner and Elizabeth Warren (2017–present)
References
Bibliography
External links
- Official Home of the Senate Democratic Caucus on the Internet
- Senate Party Leadership – much of this article's content was adapted from this useful public domain resource
- First Formal Organization of the Senate Democratic Caucus