The Green Papers
The Green Papers
Political Party Breakdown of the
105th Congress of the United States, 1997-1999

Boldface (with superscript C) numbers indicate the majority Party in each house. Red (with superscript P) numbers (boldface or not) indicate the Party of the President in any event.

President Party Congress United States Senate House of Representatives
 DemocratRepublicanothervacanciesDemocratRepublicanother
ClintonDemocrat105th 1997-199945P55C  207P226C2

105TH CONGRESS- UNITED STATES SENATE

General Election of 5 November 1996 elected 33 Class 2 Senate seats
[term: noon, 3 January 1997 to noon, 3 January 2003]

  • 19 incumbent Senators re-elected:
    • 7 Democrats: Biden[DE]; Harkin[IA]; Kerry[MA]; Levin[MI]; Wellstone[MN]; Baucus[MT]; Rockefeller[WV].
    • 12 Republicans: Stevens[AK]; Craig[ID]; McConnell[KY]; Cochran[MS]; Smith[NH]; Domenici[NM]; Helms[NC]; Inhofe[OK]; Thurmond[SC]; Thompson[TN]; Gramm[TX]; Warner[VA].
  • 14 freshman Senators elected:
    • 6 Democrats: Max Cleland[GEORGIA]; Richard Durbin[ILLINOIS]; Mary Landrieu[LOUISIANA]; Robert Torricelli[NEW JERSEY]; Jack Reed [RHODE ISLAND]; Tim Johnson[SOUTH DAKOTA].
    • 8 Republicans: Jeff Sessions[ALABAMA]; Tim Hutchinson[ARKANSAS]; Wayne Allard[COLORADO]; Pat Roberts[KANSAS]; Susan Collins[MAINE]; Chuck Hagel[NEBRASKA]; Gordon Smith[OREGON]; Mike Enzi[WYOMING].

Special Election to a seat other than a Class 2
on or after the date of the 1996 General Election
but before the start of the 105th Congress [3 January 1997]:

  • Class 3 (term ending noon, 3 January 1999)
    [elected on 5 November 1996]-
    • Sam Brownback, Republican of KANSAS
      [re: resignation of Senator Robert J. Dole, 11 June 1996]

105TH CONGRESS- HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The HOUSE in the 105th Congress included 2 Congressman from other than the two Major Parties elected by the People of his or her District in the General Election of 5 November 1996, as follows:

  • 2 Independent-
    • Congresswoman JoAnn Emerson of MISSOURI (8th Dist.)
      [NOTE: after her election, announced her intention to act as a REPUBLICAN during the 105th Congress]
    • Congressman Bernard Sanders of VERMONT (At-Large)
TOTAL Membership:
STATE-BY-STATE BREAKDOWN
STATE Democrat Republican OTHER

ALABAMA 2 5
ALASKA -- 1
ARIZONA 1 5
ARKANSAS 2 2
CALIFORNIA 29 23

COLORADO 2 4
CONNECTICUT 4 2
DELAWARE -- 1
FLORIDA 8 15
GEORGIA 3 8

HAWAII 2 --
IDAHO -- 2
ILLINOIS 10 10
INDIANA 4 6
IOWA 1 4

KANSAS -- 4
KENTUCKY 1 5
LOUISIANA 2 5
MAINE 2 --
MARYLAND 4 4

MASSACHUSETTS 10 --
MICHIGAN 10 6
MINNESOTA 6 2
MISSISSIPPI 2 3
MISSOURI 5 3 [1 Independent]

MONTANA -- 1
NEBRASKA -- 3
NEVADA -- 2
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- 2

Modified .