claim: Louie (season 1) began airing in the 2010s.
evidence: Benjamin Louis Cardin -LRB- born October 5 , 1943 -RRB- is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who serves as the senior United States Senator from Maryland , in office since 2007 .. Maryland. Maryland. Democratic. Democratic Party ( United States ). Democratic Party. Democratic Party ( United States ). senior. Seniority in the United States Senate. United States Senator. United States Senate. Before his election to the Senate , Cardin , who has never lost an election , was a member of the United States House of Representatives , representing -LRB- 1987 -- 2007 -RRB- .. United States House of Representatives. United States House of Representatives. He also served in the Maryland House of Delegates -LRB- 1967 -- 87 -RRB- , serving as Speaker -LRB- 1979 -- 87 -RRB- .. Maryland. Maryland. Maryland House of Delegates. Maryland House of Delegates. Speaker. Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. He was the youngest Speaker in Maryland history .. Maryland. Maryland. Speaker. Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. Cardin was elected to succeed Paul Sarbanes in the 2006 U.S. Senate election , defeating Republican Michael Steele , the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland , by a margin of 54 % to 44 % .. Maryland. Maryland. Paul Sarbanes. Paul Sarbanes. 2006 U.S. Senate election. United States Senate election in Maryland, 2006. Republican. Republican Party ( United States ). Michael Steele. Michael Steele. Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. He was re-elected in 2012 with 55 % of the vote .. in 2012. United States Senate election in Maryland, 2012. He became the senior Senator on January 3 , 2017 upon Barbara Mikulski 's retirement .. Barbara Mikulski. Barbara Mikulski. senior. Seniority in the United States Senate