List of new members of the 109th United States Congress
The 109th United States Congress began on January 3, 2005. There were nine new senators (two Democrats, seven Republicans) and 40 new representatives (16 Democrats, 24 Republicans) at the start of its first session. Additionally, one senator (a Democrat) and six representatives (two Democrats, four Republicans) took office on various dates in order to fill vacancies during the 109th Congress before it ended on January 3, 2007.
Senate
Took office January 3, 2005
| State | Image | Senator | Seniority | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 
|
Ken Salazar (D) | 9th (100th overall) |
Yes Open seat; replaced Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R) |
Attorney General of Colorado
|
1955 |
| Florida | 
|
Mel Martinez (R)
|
7th (98th overall) |
Yes Open seat; replaced Bob Graham (D) |
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mayor of Orange County |
1946 |
| Georgia | 
|
Johnny Isakson (R) | 5th (96th overall) |
Yes Open seat; replaced Zell Miller (D) |
Georgia Senate
Georgia House of Representatives |
1944 |
| Illinois | 
|
Barack Obama (D) | 8th (99th overall) |
Peter Fitzgerald (R)
|
Illinois Senate | 1961 |
| Louisiana | 
|
David Vitter (R) | 6th (97th overall) |
Yes Open seat; replaced John Breaux (D) |
U.S. House of Representatives
Louisiana House of Representatives |
1961 |
| North Carolina | 
|
Richard Burr (R) | 1st (92nd overall) |
Yes Open seat; replaced John Edwards (D) |
U.S. House of Representatives
|
1955 |
| Oklahoma | 
|
Tom Coburn (R) | 3rd (94th overall) |
No Open seat; replaced Don Nickles (R) |
U.S. House of Representatives
|
1948 |
| South Carolina | 
|
Jim DeMint (R) | 2nd (93rd overall) |
Ernest Hollings (D)
|
U.S. House of Representatives
|
1951 |
| South Dakota | 
|
John Thune (R) | 4th (95th overall) |
Yes Defeated Tom Daschle (D) |
U.S. House of Representatives
|
1961 |
Took office during the 109th Congress
| State | Image | Senator | Took office | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 
|
Bob Menendez (D) | January 18, 2006 | No Appointed; replaced Jon Corzine (D) |
1954 |
House of Representatives
Took office January 3, 2005
| District | Representative | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California 3 | Daniel Lungren (R)
|
No | Former Congressman | 1946 |
| California 20 | Jim Costa (D) | No | Family farmer | 1952 |
| Colorado 3 | John Salazar (D) | Yes | Soldier | 1953 |
| Florida 14 | Connie Mack IV (R) | No | State Representative | 1967 |
| Florida 20 | Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) | No | State Representative State Senator | 1966 |
| Georgia 4 | Cynthia McKinney (D) | No | Former Congresswoman | 1955 |
| Georgia 6 | Tom Price (R) | No | State Senator | 1954 |
| Georgia 8 | Lynn Westmoreland (R) | No | State Representative | 1950 |
| Georgia 12 | John Barrow (D)
|
Yes | Athens City Council, Athens County Commissioner | 1955 |
| Illinois 3 | Dan Lipinski (D) | No | Political assistant, college professor | 1966 |
| Illinois 8 | Melissa Bean (D) | Yes | Sales executive | 1962 |
| Indiana 9 | Mike Sodrel (R) | Yes | Guardsman, automotive executive | 1945 |
| Kentucky 4 | Geoff Davis (R) | Yes | Ranger , manufacturing consultant
|
1958 |
| Louisiana 1 | Bobby Jindal (R) | No | Consultant | 1971 |
| Louisiana 3 | Charlie Melancon (D)
|
Yes | State Representative, Small business owner | 1947 |
| Louisiana 7 | Charles Boustany (R) | Yes | Surgeon | 1956 |
| Michigan 7 | Joe Schwarz (R) | No | Physician | 1937 |
| Missouri 3 | Russ Carnahan (D) | No | State Representative | 1958 |
| Missouri 5 | Emanuel Cleaver (D) | No | Mayor of Kansas City, Minister | 1944 |
| Nebraska 1 | Jeff Fortenberry (R) | No | Publishing executive, economist | 1960 |
| New York 27 | Brian Higgins (D) | Yes | State Representative , Political assistant
|
1959 |
| New York 29 | Randy Kuhl (R) | No | State Senator , attorney
|
1943 |
| North Carolina 5 | Virginia Foxx (R) | No | State Senator , college professor/administrator
|
1943 |
| North Carolina 10 | Patrick McHenry (R) | No | State Representative, realtor | 1975 |
| Oklahoma 2 | Dan Boren (D) | No | State Representative | 1973 |
| Pennsylvania 8 | Mike Fitzpatrick (R) | No | Member of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners, Attorney | 1963 |
| Pennsylvania 13 | Allyson Schwartz (D) | No | State Senator | 1948 |
| Pennsylvania 15 | Charlie Dent (R) | No | State Senator
|
1960 |
| South Carolina 4 | Bob Inglis (R) | No | Former Congressman, Attorney | 1959 |
| Texas 1 | Louie Gohmert (R) | Yes | Soldier | 1953 |
| Texas 2 | Ted Poe (R) | Yes | Prosecutor, judge Harris County, Airmen | 1948 |
| Texas 9 | Al Green (D)
|
No | Justice of the Peace Harris County, attorney | 1947 |
| Texas 10 | Michael McCaul (R) | Yes | Federal prosecutor | 1952 |
| Texas 11 | Mike Conaway (R) | Yes | Soldier | 1948 |
| Texas 24 | Kenny Marchant (R) | Yes | State Representative | 1951 |
| Texas 28 | Henry Cuellar (D) | No | State Representative, Secretary of State Texas, | 1955 |
| Virginia 2 | Thelma Drake (R) | No | State Representative, realtor | 1949 |
| Washington 5 | Cathy McMorris (R)
|
No | State Representative, orchardist | 1969 |
| Washington 8 | Dave Reichert (R) | No | Sheriff King County, Airmen | 1950 |
| Wisconsin 4 | Gwen Moore (D) | No | State Senate , civic affairs specialist
|
1951 |
Non-voting members
| District | Delegate | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Puerto Rico at-large
|
Luis Fortuño (PNP/R) | Yes | Secretary of Economic Development and Commerce of Puerto Rico | 1960 |
Took office during the 109th Congress
| District | Representative | Took office | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California 5 | Doris Matsui (D) | March 10, 2005 | No | White House staffer | 1944 |
| Ohio 2 | Jean Schmidt (R) | September 6, 2005 | No | State Representative | 1951 |
| California 48 | John Campbell (R)
|
December 7, 2005 | No | State Senator | 1955 |
| California 50 | Brian Bilbray (R) | June 13, 2006 | No | U.S. House of Representatives
|
1951 |
| New Jersey 13 | Albio Sires (D) | November 13, 2006 | No
|
State Assemblyman | 1951 |
| Texas 22 | Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (R) | November 13, 2006 | No
|
City Councilor | 1953 |