# 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 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.

## Current leadership

Effective with the start of the 119th Congress, the conference leadership is as follows:
* Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer
* Democratic Whip Dick Durbin
* Chair of Steering and Policy Committee Amy Klobuchar
* Chair of Strategic Communications Committee Cory Booker
* Vice Chair of the Conference Elizabeth Warren
* Vice Chair of the Conference Mark Warner
* Chair of Outreach Bernie Sanders
* Conference Secretary Tammy Baldwin
* Vice Chair of Outreach Catherine Cortez Masto
* Deputy Conference Secretary Brian Schatz
* Deputy Conference Secretary Chris Murphy
* Vice Chair of Steering and Policy Committee Jeanne Shaheen
* Vice Chair of Strategic Communications Committee Tina Smith

## 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.
| Congress | Leader | State | Took office | Left office | Majority Leader |
| 43rd | John W. Stevenson (1812–1886) | Kentucky | December 1873 | March 4, 1877 | Unknown |
| 44th | John W. Stevenson (1812–1886) | Kentucky | December 1873 | March 4, 1877 | Unknown |
| 45th | William A. Wallace (1827–1896) | Pennsylvania | March 4, 1877 | March 4, 1881 | Unknown |
| 46th | William A. Wallace (1827–1896) | Pennsylvania | March 4, 1877 | March 4, 1881 | Unknown |
| 47th | George H. Pendleton (1825–1889) | Ohio | March 4, 1881 | March 4, 1885 | Unknown |
| 48th | George H. Pendleton (1825–1889) | Ohio | March 4, 1881 | March 4, 1885 | Unknown |
| 49th | James B. Beck (1822–1890) | Kentucky | March 4, 1885 | May 3, 1890 | Unknown |
| 50th | James B. Beck (1822–1890) | Kentucky | March 4, 1885 | May 3, 1890 | Unknown |
| 51st | James B. Beck (1822–1890) | Kentucky | March 4, 1885 | May 3, 1890 | Unknown |
| 51st | Arthur Pue Gorman (1839–1906) | Maryland | May 3, 1890 | April 29, 1898 | Unknown |
| 52nd | Arthur Pue Gorman (1839–1906) | Maryland | May 3, 1890 | April 29, 1898 | Unknown |
| 53rd | Arthur Pue Gorman (1839–1906) | Maryland | May 3, 1890 | April 29, 1898 | Himself 1893–1895 |
| 54th | Arthur Pue Gorman (1839–1906) | Maryland | May 3, 1890 | April 29, 1898 | Unknown |
| 55th | Arthur Pue Gorman (1839–1906) | Maryland | May 3, 1890 | April 29, 1898 | Unknown |
| 55th | David Turpie (1828–1909) | Indiana | April 29, 1898 | March 4, 1899 | Unknown |
| 56th | James Kimbrough Jones (1839–1908) | Arkansas | December 1899 | March 4, 1903 | Unknown |
| 57th | James Kimbrough Jones (1839–1908) | Arkansas | December 1899 | March 4, 1903 | Unknown |
| 58th | Arthur Pue Gorman (1839–1906) | Maryland | March 4, 1903 | June 4, 1906 | Unknown |
| 59th | Arthur Pue Gorman (1839–1906) | Maryland | March 4, 1903 | June 4, 1906 | Unknown |
| 59th | Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn (1838–1918) | Kentucky | June 4, 1906 | March 4, 1907 | Unknown |
| 60th | Charles Allen Culberson (1855–1925) | Texas | December 1907 | December 9, 1909 | Unknown |
| 61st | Charles Allen Culberson (1855–1925) | Texas | December 1907 | December 9, 1909 | Unknown |
| 61st | Hernando Money (1839–1912) | Mississippi | December 9, 1909 | March 4, 1911 | Unknown |
| 62nd | Thomas S. Martin (1847–1919) | Virginia | April 1911 | March 4, 1913 | Unknown |
| 63rd | John W. Kern (1849–1917) | Indiana | March 4, 1913 | March 4, 1917 | Himself 1913–1917 |
| 64th | John W. Kern (1849–1917) | Indiana | March 4, 1913 | March 4, 1917 | Himself 1913–1917 |
| 65th | Thomas S. Martin (1847–1919) | Virginia | March 4, 1917 | November 12, 1919 | Himself 1917–1919 |
| 66th | Thomas S. Martin (1847–1919) | Virginia | March 4, 1917 | November 12, 1919 | Lodge 1919–1924 |
| 66th | Gilbert Hitchcock (1859–1934) | Nebraska | November 12, 1919 | April 27, 1920 | Lodge 1919–1924 |
| 66th | Oscar Underwood (1862–1929) | Alabama | April 27, 1920 | December 3, 1923 | Lodge 1919–1924 |
| 67th | Oscar Underwood (1862–1929) | Alabama | April 27, 1920 | December 3, 1923 | Lodge 1919–1924 |
| 68th | Oscar Underwood (1862–1929) | Alabama | April 27, 1920 | December 3, 1923 | Lodge 1919–1924 |
| 68th | Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937) | Arkansas | December 3, 1923 | July 14, 1937 | Curtis 1924–1929 |
| 69th | Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937) | Arkansas | December 3, 1923 | July 14, 1937 | Curtis 1924–1929 |
| 70th | Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937) | Arkansas | December 3, 1923 | July 14, 1937 | Curtis 1924–1929 |
| 71st | Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937) | Arkansas | December 3, 1923 | July 14, 1937 | Watson 1929–1933 |
| 72nd | Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937) | Arkansas | December 3, 1923 | July 14, 1937 | Watson 1929–1933 |
| 73rd | Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937) | Arkansas | December 3, 1923 | July 14, 1937 | Himself 1933–1937 |
| 74th | Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937) | Arkansas | December 3, 1923 | July 14, 1937 | Himself 1933–1937 |
| 75th | Joseph Taylor Robinson (1872–1937) | Arkansas | December 3, 1923 | July 14, 1937 | Himself 1933–1937 |
| 75th | Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) | Kentucky | July 14, 1937 | January 3, 1949 | Himself 1937–1947 |
| 76th | Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) | Kentucky | July 14, 1937 | January 3, 1949 | Himself 1937–1947 |
| 77th | Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) | Kentucky | July 14, 1937 | January 3, 1949 | Himself 1937–1947 |
| 78th | Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) | Kentucky | July 14, 1937 | January 3, 1949 | Himself 1937–1947 |
| 79th | Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) | Kentucky | July 14, 1937 | January 3, 1949 | Himself 1937–1947 |
| 80th | Alben W. Barkley (1877–1956) | Kentucky | July 14, 1937 | January 3, 1949 | White 1947–1949 |
| 81st | Scott W. Lucas (1892–1968) | Illinois | January 3, 1949 | January 3, 1951 | Himself 1949–1951 |
| 82nd | Ernest McFarland (1894–1984) | Arizona | January 3, 1951 | January 3, 1953 | Himself 1951–1953 |
| 83rd | Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) | Texas | January 3, 1953 | January 3, 1961 | Taft 1953 |
| 83rd | Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) | Texas | January 3, 1953 | January 3, 1961 | Knowland 1953–1955 |
| 84th | Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) | Texas | January 3, 1953 | January 3, 1961 | Himself 1955–1961 |
| 85th | Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) | Texas | January 3, 1953 | January 3, 1961 | Himself 1955–1961 |
| 86th | Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) | Texas | January 3, 1953 | January 3, 1961 | Himself 1955–1961 |
| 87th | Mike Mansfield (1903–2001) | Montana | January 3, 1961 | January 3, 1977 | Himself 1961–1977 |
| 88th | Mike Mansfield (1903–2001) | Montana | January 3, 1961 | January 3, 1977 | Himself 1961–1977 |
| 89th | Mike Mansfield (1903–2001) | Montana | January 3, 1961 | January 3, 1977 | Himself 1961–1977 |
| 90th | Mike Mansfield (1903–2001) | Montana | January 3, 1961 | January 3, 1977 | Himself 1961–1977 |
| 91st | Mike Mansfield (1903–2001) | Montana | January 3, 1961 | January 3, 1977 | Himself 1961–1977 |
| 92nd | Mike Mansfield (1903–2001) | Montana | January 3, 1961 | January 3, 1977 | Himself 1961–1977 |
| 93rd | Mike Mansfield (1903–2001) | Montana | January 3, 1961 | January 3, 1977 | Himself 1961–1977 |
| 94th | Mike Mansfield (1903–2001) | Montana | January 3, 1961 | January 3, 1977 | Himself 1961–1977 |
| 95th | Robert Byrd (1917–2010) | West Virginia | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 1989 | Himself 1977–1981 |
| 96th | Robert Byrd (1917–2010) | West Virginia | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 1989 | Himself 1977–1981 |
| 97th | Robert Byrd (1917–2010) | West Virginia | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 1989 | Baker 1981–1985 |
| 98th | Robert Byrd (1917–2010) | West Virginia | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 1989 | Baker 1981–1985 |
| 99th | Robert Byrd (1917–2010) | West Virginia | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 1989 | Dole 1985–1987 |
| 100th | Robert Byrd (1917–2010) | West Virginia | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 1989 | Himself 1987–1989 |
| 101st | George J. Mitchell (born 1933) | Maine | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 1995 | Himself 1989–1995 |
| 102nd | George J. Mitchell (born 1933) | Maine | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 1995 | Himself 1989–1995 |
| 103rd | George J. Mitchell (born 1933) | Maine | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 1995 | Himself 1989–1995 |
| 104th | Tom Daschle (born 1947) | South Dakota | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2005 | Dole 1995–1996 |
| 104th | Tom Daschle (born 1947) | South Dakota | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2005 | Lott 1996–2001 |
| 105th | Tom Daschle (born 1947) | South Dakota | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2005 | Lott 1996–2001 |
| 106th | Tom Daschle (born 1947) | South Dakota | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2005 | Lott 1996–2001 |
| 107th | Tom Daschle (born 1947) | South Dakota | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2005 | Himself 2001 |
| 107th | Tom Daschle (born 1947) | South Dakota | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2005 | Lott 2001 |
| 107th | Tom Daschle (born 1947) | South Dakota | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2005 | Himself 2001–2002 |
| 107th | Tom Daschle (born 1947) | South Dakota | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2005 | Lott 2002–2003 |
| 108th | Tom Daschle (born 1947) | South Dakota | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2005 | Frist 2003–2007 |
| 109th | Harry Reid (1939–2021) | Nevada | January 3, 2005 | January 3, 2017 | Frist 2003–2007 |
| 110th | Harry Reid (1939–2021) | Nevada | January 3, 2005 | January 3, 2017 | Himself 2007–2015 |
| 111th | Harry Reid (1939–2021) | Nevada | January 3, 2005 | January 3, 2017 | Himself 2007–2015 |
| 112th | Harry Reid (1939–2021) | Nevada | January 3, 2005 | January 3, 2017 | Himself 2007–2015 |
| 113th | Harry Reid (1939–2021) | Nevada | January 3, 2005 | January 3, 2017 | Himself 2007–2015 |
| 114th | Harry Reid (1939–2021) | Nevada | January 3, 2005 | January 3, 2017 | McConnell 2015–2021 |
| 115th | Chuck Schumer (born 1950) | New York | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | McConnell 2015–2021 |
| 116th | Chuck Schumer (born 1950) | New York | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | McConnell 2015–2021 |
| 117th | Chuck Schumer (born 1950) | New York | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | McConnell 2015–2021 |
| 117th | Chuck Schumer (born 1950) | New York | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | Himself 2021–2025 |
| 118th | Chuck Schumer (born 1950) | New York | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | Himself 2021–2025 |
| 119th | Chuck Schumer (born 1950) | New York | January 3, 2017 | Incumbent | Thune 2025–present |