Senate Leadership

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## Senate Leadership and Officers

Listed below are the current leadership and officers for the 118th Congress. Also available on Senate.gov are historical essays on and lists of Senate leadership and Senate officers.

## Majority Leadership

### President Pro-Tempore Alex Kahue

Alex Keiko Kahue, a Senator from the State of Hawaii; born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Honolulu County, on March 6th, 1950. Attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaiʻi Pacific for 4 years, and Georgetown University for another 4. Elected to the office of Mayor of Hawaii (1989-1991). Elected to the Senate on Hawaii's Class 3 seat in a special election in 1990, reelected in 1992, 2004, 2010, and then again in 2016, for this term will end January 3rd, 2023. Elected as Assistant Democratic Leader; (2009-2017) President Pro-Tempore Emeritus; (2017-2021) President Pro-Tempore (2021-). He has served as Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee (2017-2021) and then its chairman (2021-).

### Majority Leader Andrew Appleton

Andrew Sterling Appleton, a Senator from the State of Minnesota; born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hennepin County, on August 21st, 1965; attended the University of Yale for 4 years, and the University of Cambridge for another 4. Elected to the office of Mayor of Minneapolis; (1995-1998) Governor of Minnesota; (1999-2007). Elected to the Senate on Minnesota Class 2 seat in 2008, reelected in 2014, and in 2020, for this term will end January 3rd, 2027. Elected as Assistant Democratic Leader; (2017-2019) Senate Democratic Whip; (2019-2021) Majority Leader (2021-). He has served as the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; (2015-2021)

### Majority Whip Claire Lange

Claire Harper Lange, a Senator from the State of Massachusetts; born in Houston, Texas, Harris County, on June 5th, 1968. Attended Rice University for 4 years, and Howard Law University for 3 years. Elected to the office of Massachusetts Attorney General (1995-2001). Elected to the Senate on Massachusetts Class 1 seat in 2000, reelected in 2006; resigned in 2009. Elected to the Massachusetts Class 2 seat in 2012, reelected in 2016; for this term will expire on January 3rd, 2023. Elected as Senate Democratic Whip (2021-). She has served as Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee; (2015-2017) Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee (2017-2021), then it's Chairman (2021-).

## Minority Leadership

### Minority Leader Virgil Rickles

Virgil Lyndon Rickles, a Senator from the State of Texas; born in Haskell, Texas, Haskell County, on February 11th, 1960. Attended the University of Texas for 4 years, and the University of Houston for another 4. Elected to the Texas House of Representatives; (1993-1995) Texas Senate; (1995-1999) Lieutenant Governor of Texas; (1999-2000) then inheriting the Governorship becoming Texas's 37th Governor (2000-2003). Elected to the Senate on Texas's Class 2 seat in 2002, reelected in 2008, 2014, and again in 2020, for this term will end January 3rd, 2027. Elected as Senate Republican Conference Chair; (2005-2007) Senate Republican Whip; (2007-2013) Minority Leader; (2013-2015; 2021-) Majority Leader (2015-2021). He has served as Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (2007-2015) and then its chairman (2015-2021).

### Minority Whip Ernst Volmer

Boris Ernst Volmer is a German-American politician who has served as the Senior United States Senator from the State of Utah since 1991; born in Riverton, Utah, Salt Lake County, on August 7th, 1959. Attended the University of Cornell earning Doctoral Degrees in Political Science and Government and Constitutional and Business Law and a Bachelor's Degree in Economic Policy Analysis. Elected to the House of Representatives for Utah's 1st District (1987-1991). Elected to the Senate on Utah's Class 1 seat in a 1990 special election, reelected in 1994, 2000, 2006, 2012, and then in 2018 for this term will end January 3rd, 2025. He was elected as Senate Republican Conference Chair; (2017-2019), Senate Republican Conference Senatorial Chair; (2014-2017) and has served as Senate Republican Whip since 2019. He has served as Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations & Budget Committee; (2013-2015) later its chairman (2015-2019), and Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee (2019-2021).

## Senate Officers

### Senate Secretary Betty Rickles

As an elected officer of the Senate, the secretary of the Senate supervises an extensive array of offices and services to expedite the day-to-day operations of the United States Senate. The first secretary was chosen on April 8, 1789, two days after the Senate achieved its first quorum for business. From the start, the secretary was responsible for keeping the minutes and records of the Senate and for purchasing supplies. As the Senate grew to become a major national institution, numerous other duties were assigned to the secretary, whose jurisdiction came to encompass clerks, curators, and computers; the disbursement of payrolls; the acquisition of stationery supplies; the education of the Senate pages; and the maintenance of public records. The responsibilities of the secretary include legislative, financial, and administrative functions.