Party leaders of the United States Senate
The Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader are two United States senators and members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as the chief Senate spokespersons for their respective political parties holding the majority and the minority in the United States Senate. They also manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. They are each elected as Majority Leader and Minority Leader by the Senators of their party caucuses: the Senate Democratic Caucus and the Senate Republican Conference.
By Senate rule, the Presiding Officer gives the Majority Leader priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate. The Majority Leader customarily serves as the chief representative of their party in the Senate, and sometimes even in the entire Congress if the House of Representatives, and thus the office of Speaker of the House, is controlled by the opposition party.
The Assistant Majority and Assistant Minority Leaders of the United States Senate are the second-ranking members of each party's leadership. The main function of the Majority and Minority Whips is to gather votes of their respective parties on major issues. Because they are the second ranking members of the Senate leadership, if there is no floor leader present, the whip may become acting floor leader. Before 1969, their official titles were Majority Whip and Minority Whip.
Current floor leaders
The Senate is currently composed of 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and 2 independents, both of whom caucus with the Democrats.The current leaders are Senators Mitch McConnell from Kentucky and Chuck Schumer from New York. The current Assistant Leaders/Whips are Senators John Thune from South Dakota and Dick Durbin from Illinois.
History
Senate Democrats began the practice of electing their floor leaders in 1920 while they were in the minority. John W. Kern was a Democratic Senator from Indiana. While the title was not official, the Senate website identifies Kern as the first Senate party leader, serving in that capacity from 1913 through 1917, while serving concurrently as Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. In 1925, the Republicans also adopted this language when Charles Curtis became the first Majority Leader, although his immediate predecessor Henry Cabot Lodge is considered the first Senate Majority Leader.The United States Constitution designates the Vice President of the United States as President of the United States Senate. The Constitution also calls for a President pro tempore, to serve as Senate leader when the President of the Senate is absent. In practice, neither the Vice President nor the President pro tempore—customarily the most senior Senator in the majority party—actually presides over the Senate on a daily basis; that task is given to junior Senators of the majority party. Since the Vice President may be of a different party than the majority and is not a Senate member subject to discipline, the rules of procedure of the Senate give the presiding officer very little power and none beyond the presiding role. For these reasons, it is the Majority Leader who, in practice, manages the Senate. This is in contrast to the House of Representatives, where the elected Speaker of the House has a great deal of discretionary power and generally presides over votes on legislative bills.
List of party leaders
The Democratic Party first selected a leader in 1920. The Republican Party first formally designated a leader in 1925.| Congress | Dates | Democratic Whip | Democratic Leader | Majority | Republican Leader | Republican Whip |
| – March 4, 1915 | J. Hamilton Lewis | - | Democratic ← majority | - | - | |
| – December 6, 1915 | J. Hamilton Lewis | - | Democratic ← majority | - | - | |
| – December 13, 1915 | J. Hamilton Lewis | - | Democratic ← majority | - | James Wadsworth | |
| – March 4, 1917 | J. Hamilton Lewis | - | Democratic ← majority | - | Charles Curtis | |
| – March 4, 1919 | J. Hamilton Lewis | - | Democratic ← majority | - | Charles Curtis | |
| – April 27, 1920 | Peter Gerry | - | Republican majority → | Henry Cabot Lodge Unofficial | Charles Curtis | |
| – March 4, 1921 | Peter Gerry | Oscar Underwood | Republican majority → | Henry Cabot Lodge Unofficial | Charles Curtis | |
| – March 4, 1923 | Peter Gerry | Oscar Underwood | Republican majority → | Henry Cabot Lodge Unofficial | Charles Curtis | |
| – December 3, 1923 | Peter Gerry | Oscar Underwood | Republican majority → | Henry Cabot Lodge Unofficial | Charles Curtis | |
| – November 9, 1924 | Peter Gerry | Joseph Taylor Robinson | Republican majority → | Henry Cabot Lodge Unofficial | Charles Curtis | |
| November 9, 1924 – March 4, 1925 | Peter Gerry | Joseph Taylor Robinson | Republican majority → | Charles Curtis Acting | Wesley Jones Acting | |
| – March 4, 1927 | Peter Gerry | Joseph Taylor Robinson | Republican majority → | Charles Curtis | Wesley Jones | |
| – March 4, 1929 | Peter Gerry | Joseph Taylor Robinson | Republican majority → | Charles Curtis | Wesley Jones | |
| – March 4, 1931 | Morris Sheppard | Joseph Taylor Robinson | Republican majority → | James E. Watson | Simeon Fess | |
| – March 4, 1933 | Morris Sheppard | Joseph Taylor Robinson | Republican majority → | James E. Watson | Simeon Fess | |
| – January 3, 1935 | J. Hamilton Lewis | Joseph Taylor Robinson | Democratic ← majority | Charles L. McNary | Felix Hebert | |
| – January 3, 1937 | J. Hamilton Lewis | Joseph Taylor Robinson | Democratic ← majority | Charles L. McNary | None | |
| – July 14, 1937 | J. Hamilton Lewis | Joseph Taylor Robinson | Democratic ← majority | Charles L. McNary | None | |
| July 14, 1937 – January 3, 1939 | J. Hamilton Lewis | Alben W. Barkley | Democratic ← majority | Charles L. McNary | None | |
| January 3, 1939 – April 9, 1939 | J. Hamilton Lewis | Alben W. Barkley | Democratic ← majority | Charles L. McNary | None | |
| April 9, 1939 – January 3, 1940 | Sherman Minton | Alben W. Barkley | Democratic ← majority | Charles L. McNary | None | |
| January 3, 1940 – January 3, 1941 | Sherman Minton | Alben W. Barkley | Democratic ← majority | Warren Austin Acting | None | |
| – January 3, 1943 | J. Lister Hill | Alben W. Barkley | Democratic ← majority | Charles L. McNary | None | |
| – February 25, 1944 | J. Lister Hill | Alben W. Barkley | Democratic ← majority | Charles L. McNary | Kenneth Wherry | |
| February 25, 1944 – January 3, 1945 | J. Lister Hill | Alben W. Barkley | Democratic ← majority | Wallace H. White Jr. Acting | Kenneth Wherry | |
| – January 3, 1947 | J. Lister Hill | Alben W. Barkley | Democratic ← majority | Wallace H. White Jr. | Kenneth Wherry | |
| – January 3, 1949 | Scott W. Lucas | Alben W. Barkley | Republican majority → | Wallace H. White Jr. | Kenneth Wherry | |
| – January 3, 1951 | Francis Myers | Scott W. Lucas | Democratic ← majority | Kenneth S. Wherry | Leverett Saltonstall | |
| – January 3, 1952 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Ernest McFarland | Democratic ← majority | Kenneth S. Wherry | Leverett Saltonstall | |
| – January 3, 1953 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Ernest McFarland | Democratic ← majority | Styles Bridges | Leverett Saltonstall | |
| – July 31, 1953 | Earle Clements | Lyndon B. Johnson | Republican majority → | Robert A. Taft | Leverett Saltonstall | |
| – January 3, 1955 | Earle Clements | Lyndon B. Johnson | Republican majority → | William F. Knowland | Leverett Saltonstall | |
| – January 3, 1957 | Earle Clements | Lyndon B. Johnson | Democratic ← majority | William F. Knowland | Leverett Saltonstall | |
| – January 3, 1959 | Mike Mansfield | Lyndon B. Johnson | Democratic ← majority | William F. Knowland | Everett Dirksen | |
| – January 3, 1961 | Mike Mansfield | Lyndon B. Johnson | Democratic ← majority | Everett Dirksen | Thomas Kuchel | |
| – January 3, 1963 | Hubert Humphrey | Mike Mansfield | Democratic ← majority | Everett Dirksen | Thomas Kuchel | |
| – January 3, 1965 | Hubert Humphrey | Mike Mansfield | Democratic ← majority | Everett Dirksen | Thomas Kuchel | |
| – January 3, 1967 | Russell B. Long | Mike Mansfield | Democratic ← majority | Everett Dirksen | Thomas Kuchel | |
| – January 3, 1969 | Russell B. Long | Mike Mansfield | Democratic ← majority | Everett Dirksen | Thomas Kuchel | |
| – September 7, 1969 | Ted Kennedy | Mike Mansfield | Democratic ← majority | Everett Dirksen | Hugh Scott | |
| – January 3, 1971 | Ted Kennedy | Mike Mansfield | Democratic ← majority | Hugh Scott | Robert Griffin | |
| – January 3, 1973 | Robert Byrd | Mike Mansfield | Democratic ← majority | Hugh Scott | Robert Griffin | |
| – January 3, 1975 | Robert Byrd | Mike Mansfield | Democratic ← majority | Hugh Scott | Robert Griffin | |
| – January 3, 1977 | Robert Byrd | Mike Mansfield | Democratic ← majority | Hugh Scott | Robert Griffin | |
| – January 3, 1979 | Alan Cranston | Robert Byrd | Democratic ← majority | Howard Baker | Ted Stevens | |
| – November 1, 1979 | Alan Cranston | Robert Byrd | Democratic ← majority | Howard Baker | Ted Stevens | |
| – March 5, 1980 | Alan Cranston | Robert Byrd | Democratic ← majority | Ted Stevens Acting | Ted Stevens | |
| – January 3, 1981 | Alan Cranston | Robert Byrd | Democratic ← majority | Howard Baker | Ted Stevens | |
| – January 3, 1983 | Alan Cranston | Robert Byrd | Republican majority → | Howard Baker | Ted Stevens | |
| – January 3, 1985 | Alan Cranston | Robert Byrd | Republican majority → | Howard Baker | Ted Stevens | |
| – January 3, 1987 | Alan Cranston | Robert Byrd | Republican majority → | Bob Dole | Alan Simpson | |
| – January 3, 1989 | Alan Cranston | Robert Byrd | Democratic ← majority | Bob Dole | Alan Simpson | |
| – January 3, 1991 | Alan Cranston | George Mitchell | Democratic ← majority | Bob Dole | Alan Simpson | |
| – January 3, 1993 | Wendell H. Ford | George Mitchell | Democratic ← majority | Bob Dole | Alan Simpson | |
| – January 3, 1995 | Wendell H. Ford | George Mitchell | Democratic ← majority | Bob Dole | Alan Simpson | |
| – June 12, 1996 | Wendell H. Ford | Tom Daschle | Republican majority → | Bob Dole | Trent Lott | |
| – January 3, 1997 | Wendell H. Ford | Tom Daschle | Republican majority → | Trent Lott | Don Nickles | |
| – January 3, 1999 | Wendell H. Ford | Tom Daschle | Republican majority → | Trent Lott | Don Nickles | |
| – January 3, 2001 | Harry Reid | Tom Daschle | Republican majority → | Trent Lott | Don Nickles | |
| – January 20, 2001 | Harry Reid | Tom Daschle | Democratic ← majority | Trent Lott | Don Nickles | |
| – June 6, 2001 | Harry Reid | Tom Daschle | Republican majority → | Trent Lott | Don Nickles | |
| – November 12, 2002 | Harry Reid | Tom Daschle | Democratic ← majority | Trent Lott | Don Nickles | |
| – January 2, 2003 | Harry Reid | Tom Daschle | Republican majority → | Trent Lott | Don Nickles | |
| – January 3, 2005 | Harry Reid | Tom Daschle | Republican majority → | Bill Frist | Mitch McConnell | |
| – January 3, 2007 | Dick Durbin | Harry Reid | Republican majority → | Bill Frist | Mitch McConnell | |
| – December 18, 2007 | Dick Durbin | Harry Reid | Democratic ← majority | Mitch McConnell | Trent Lott | |
| – January 3, 2009 | Dick Durbin | Harry Reid | Democratic ← majority | Mitch McConnell | Jon Kyl | |
| – January 3, 2011 | Dick Durbin | Harry Reid | Democratic ← majority | Mitch McConnell | Jon Kyl | |
| – January 3, 2013 | Dick Durbin | Harry Reid | Democratic ← majority | Mitch McConnell | Jon Kyl | |
| – January 3, 2015 | Dick Durbin | Harry Reid | Democratic ← majority | Mitch McConnell | John Cornyn | |
| – January 3, 2017 | Dick Durbin | Harry Reid | Republican majority → | Mitch McConnell | John Cornyn | |
| – January 3, 2019 | Dick Durbin | Chuck Schumer | Republican majority → | Mitch McConnell | John Cornyn | |
| – January 3, 2021 | Dick Durbin | Chuck Schumer | Republican majority → | Mitch McConnell | John Thune | |
| Congress | Dates | Democratic Whip | Democratic Leader | Majority | Republican Leader | Republican Whip |