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 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.

Current leadership

Effective with the start of the 116th Congress, the conference leadership is as follows:
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.
DatesSenatorState
December 1873 – March 4, 1877John W. StevensonKentucky
March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881William A. WallacePennsylvania
March 4, 1881 – March 4, 1885George H. PendletonOhio
March 4, 1885 – May 3, 1890James B. BeckKentucky
May 3, 1890 – April 1898Arthur GormanMaryland
April 1898 – March 4, 1899David TurpieIndiana
December 1899 – March 4, 1903James Kimbrough JonesArkansas
March 4, 1903 – June 4, 1906Arthur GormanMaryland
June 4, 1906 – March 4, 1907Joseph BlackburnKentucky
December 1907 – December 1909Charles CulbersonTexas
December 1909 – March 4, 1911Hernando MoneyMississippi
April 1911 – March 4, 1913Thomas S. MartinVirginia
March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1917John W. KernIndiana
March 4, 1917 – November 12, 1919Thomas S. MartinVirginia
November 12, 1919 – April 27, 1920Gilbert Hitchcock
Acting		Nebraska
April 27, 1920 – December 3, 1923Oscar UnderwoodAlabama
December 3, 1923 – July 14, 1937Joe RobinsonArkansas
July 14, 1937 – January 3, 1949Alben W. BarkleyKentucky
January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951Scott W. LucasIllinois
January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953Ernest McFarlandArizona
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1961Lyndon JohnsonTexas
January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1977Mike MansfieldMontana
January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1989Robert ByrdWest Virginia
January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1995George J. MitchellMaine
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2005Tom DaschleSouth Dakota
January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2017Harry ReidNevada
January 3, 2017 – presentChuck SchumerNew 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.