This is a classification of United States Senators by seniority during the 105th Congress, from January 3, 1997 to January 3, 1999.
Order of service is based on the commencement of the senator's first term. Behind this is former service as a senator (only giving the Senator seniority within his or her new incoming class), service as Vice President, a House member, a Cabinet secretary, or a state governor. The final factor is the population of the senator's state.
| Rank | Name | Seniority Date | Other Factors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strom Thurmond (R-SC) | November 7, 1956 | |
| 2 | Robert Byrd (D-WV) | January 3, 1959 | |
| 3 | Ted Kennedy (D-MA) | November 7, 1962 | |
| 4 | Daniel Inouye (D-HI) | January 3, 1963 | |
| 5 | Ernest Hollings (D-SC) | November 9, 1966 | |
| 6 | Ted Stevens (R-AK) | December 24, 1968 | |
| 7 | Bill Roth (R-DE) | January 1, 1971 | |
| 8 | Jesse Helms (R-NC) | January 3, 1973 | North Carolina 12th population (1970) |
| 9 | Pete Domenici (R-NM) | New Mexico 37th population (1970) | |
| 10 | Joe Biden (D-DE) | Delaware 46th population (1970) | |
| 11 | John Glenn (D-OH) | December 24, 1974 | |
| 12 | Wendell H. Ford (D-KY) | December 28, 1974 | |
| 13 | Dale Bumpers (D-AR) | January 3, 1975 | Former Governor |
| 14 | Patrick Leahy (D-VT) | ||
| 15 | John Chafee (R-RI) | December 29, 1976 | |
| 16 | Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) | January 3, 1977 | Former Rep |
| 17 | Pat Moynihan (D-NY) | New York 2nd population (1970) | |
| 18 | Richard Lugar (R-IN) | Indiana 11th population (1970) | |
| 19 | Orrin Hatch (R-UT) | Utah 36th population (1970) | |
| 20 | Max Baucus (D-MT) | December 15, 1978 | |
| 21 | Thad Cochran (R-MS) | December 27, 1978 | |
| 22 | John Warner (R-VA) | January 2, 1979 | |
| 23 | Carl Levin (D-MI) | January 3, 1979 | |
| 24 | Chris Dodd (D-CT) | January 3, 1981 | Former Rep (6 years) - Connecticut 24th population (1970) |
| 25 | Chuck Grassley (R-IA) | Former Rep (6 years) - Iowa 25th population (1970) | |
| 26 | Al D'Amato (R-NY) | New York 2nd population (1970) | |
| 27 | Arlen Specter (R-PA) | Pennsylvania 3rd population (1970) | |
| 28 | Don Nickles (R-OK) | Oklahoma 27th population (1970) | |
| 29 | Frank Murkowski (R-AK) | Alaska 50th population (1970) | |
| 30 | Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) | December 27, 1982 | |
| 31 | Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) | January 3, 1983 | |
| 32 | John Kerry (D-MA) | January 2, 1985 | |
| 33 | Tom Harkin (D-IA) | January 3, 1985 | Former Rep (10 years) |
| 34 | Phil Gramm (R-TX) | Former Rep (6 years) | |
| 35 | Mitch McConnell (R-KY) | ||
| 36 | Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) | January 15, 1985 | |
| 37 | John Breaux (D-LA) | January 3, 1987 | Former Rep (14 years) |
| 38 | Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) | Former Rep (10 years) | |
| 39 | Richard Shelby (R-AL) | Former Rep (8 years) - Alabama 22nd population (1980) | |
| 40 | Tom Daschle (D-SD) | Former Rep (8 years) - South Dakota 45th population (1980) | |
| 41 | John McCain (R-AZ) | Former Rep (4 years) - Arizona 29th population (1980) | |
| 42 | Harry Reid (D-NV) | Former Rep (4 years) - Nevada 43rd population (1980) | |
| 43 | Bob Graham (D-FL) | Former Governor - Florida 7th population (1980) | |
| 44 | Kit Bond (R-MO) | Former Governor - Missouri 15th population (1980) | |
| 45 | Kent Conrad (D-ND) | ||
| 46 | Slade Gorton (R-WA) | January 3, 1989 | Previously a Senator |
| 47 | Trent Lott (R-MS) | Former Rep (16 Years) | |
| 48 | Jim Jeffords (R-VT) | Former Rep (14 Years) | |
| 49 | Dan Coats (R-IN) | Former Rep (8 Years) | |
| 50 | Connie Mack (R-FL) | Former Rep (6 Years) | |
| 51 | Chuck Robb (D-VA) | Former Governor - Virginia 14th population (1980) | |
| 52 | Richard Bryan (D-NV) | Former Governor - Nevada 43rd population (1980) | |
| 53 | Bob Kerrey (D-NE) | Former Governor - Nebraska 35th population (1980) | |
| 54 | Herb Kohl (D-WI) | Wisconsin 16th population (1980) | |
| 55 | Joe Lieberman (D-CT) | Connecticut 25th population (1980) | |
| 56 | Conrad Burns (R-MT) | Montana 44th population (1980) | |
| 57 | Daniel Akaka (D-HI) | May 16, 1990 | |
| 58 | Robert C. Smith (R-NH) | December 7, 1990 | |
| 59 | Larry Craig (R-ID) | January 3, 1991 | Former Rep (6 years) |
| 60 | Paul Wellstone (D-MN) | ||
| 61 | Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) | November 10, 1992 | |
| 62 | Byron Dorgan (D-ND) | December 15, 1992 | |
| 63 | Barbara Boxer (D-CA) | January 3, 1993 | Former Rep (10 years) |
| 64 | Judd Gregg (R-NH) | Former Rep (8 years) Former Governor | |
| 65 | Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) | Former Rep (6 years) | |
| 66 | Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL) | Illinois 6th population (1990) | |
| 67 | Lauch Faircloth (R-NC) | North Carolina 10th population (1990) | |
| 68 | Paul Coverdell (R-GA) | Georgia 11th population (1990) | |
| 69 | Russ Feingold (D-WI) | Wisconsin 16th population (1990) | |
| 70 | Patty Murray (D-WA) | Washington 18th population (1990) | |
| 71 | Bob Bennett (R-UT) | Utah 35th population (1990) | |
| 72 | Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID) | Idaho 42nd population (1990) | |
| 73 | Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) | June 14, 1993 | |
| 74 | Jim Inhofe (R-OK) | November 17, 1994 | |
| 75 | Fred Thompson (R-TN) | December 2, 1994 | |
| 76 | Olympia Snowe (R-ME) | January 3, 1995 | Former Rep (16 years) |
| 77 | Mike DeWine (R-OH) | Former Rep (8 years) - Ohio 7th population (1990) | |
| 78 | Jon Kyl (R-AZ) | Former Rep (8 years) - Arizona 24th population (1990) | |
| 79 | Craig Thomas (R-WY) | Former Rep (6 years) | |
| 80 | Rick Santorum (R-PA) | Former Rep (4 years) | |
| 81 | Rod Grams (R-MN) | Former Rep (2 years) | |
| 82 | John Ashcroft (R-MO) | Former Governor | |
| 83 | Spencer Abraham (R-MI) | Michigan 8th population (1990) | |
| 84 | Bill Frist (R-TN) | Tennessee 17th population (1990) | |
| 85 | Ron Wyden (D-OR) | February 6, 1996 | |
| 86 | Sam Brownback (R-KS) | November 7, 1996 | |
| 87 | Pat Roberts (R-KS) | January 3, 1997 | Former Rep (16 years) |
| 88 | Richard Durbin (D-IL) | Former Rep (14 years) | |
| 89 | Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) | Former Rep (13 years) | |
| 90 | Tim Johnson (D-SD) | Former Rep (10 years) | |
| 91 | Wayne Allard (R-CO) | Former Rep (6 years) - Colorado 26th population (1990) | |
| 92 | Jack Reed (D-RI) | Former Rep (6 years) - Rhode Island 43rd population (1990) | |
| 93 | Tim Hutchinson (R-AR) | Former Rep (4 years) | |
| 94 | Max Cleland (D-GA) | Georgia 11th population (1990) | |
| 95 | Mary Landrieu (D-LA) | Louisiana 21st population (1990) | |
| 96 | Jeff Sessions (R-AL) | Alabama 22nd population (1990) | |
| 97 | Gordon Smith (R-OR) | Oregon 29th population (1990) | |
| 98 | Chuck Hagel (R-NE) | Nebraska 36th population (1990) | |
| 99 | Susan Collins (R-ME) | Maine 38th population (1990) | |
| 100 | Mike Enzi (R-WY) | Wyoming 50th population (1990) |
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