Government overview / The U.S. Senate
Federal · Congress · Senate
The U.S. Senate Each state has an equal voice: two senators representing everyone in the state.
New to this? Start with these words.
Senator A member of the Senate. Each state has two U.S. senators.
Seat A position held by one member at a time.
Majority More than half of the group being counted. The group depends on the question. Learn at your own pace. Browse the plain-language glossary →
100 Seats across 50 states
2 per state Both represent the entire state
6 years Length of a regular term
119th Congress · party composition
Who holds the seats? Snapshot · October 19, 2026 Republican majority · 53 of 100 filled seats
Senate party composition 45 Democrats, 2 Independents, 53 Republicans, 0 Vacancies. Each dot is one seat. Positions are schematic. Democratic seat 1 Democratic seat 2 Democratic seat 3 Democratic seat 4 Democratic seat 5 Democratic seat 6 Democratic seat 7 Democratic seat 8 Democratic seat 9 Democratic seat 10 Democratic seat 11 Democratic seat 12 Democratic seat 13 Democratic seat 14 Democratic seat 15 Democratic seat 16 Democratic seat 17 Democratic seat 18 Democratic seat 19 Democratic seat 20 Democratic seat 21 Democratic seat 22 Democratic seat 23 Democratic seat 24 Democratic seat 25 Democratic seat 26 Democratic seat 27 Democratic seat 28 Democratic seat 29 Democratic seat 30 Democratic seat 31 Democratic seat 32 Democratic seat 33 Democratic seat 34 Democratic seat 35 Democratic seat 36 Democratic seat 37 Democratic seat 38 Democratic seat 39 Democratic seat 40 Democratic seat 41 Democratic seat 42 Democratic seat 43 Democratic seat 44 Democratic seat 45 Independent seat 1 Independent seat 2 Republican seat 1 Republican seat 2 Republican seat 3 Republican seat 4 Republican seat 5 Republican seat 6 Republican seat 7 Republican seat 8 Republican seat 9 Republican seat 10 Republican seat 11 Republican seat 12 Republican seat 13 Republican seat 14 Republican seat 15 Republican seat 16 Republican seat 17 Republican seat 18 Republican seat 19 Republican seat 20 Republican seat 21 Republican seat 22 Republican seat 23 Republican seat 24 Republican seat 25 Republican seat 26 Republican seat 27 Republican seat 28 Republican seat 29 Republican seat 30 Republican seat 31 Republican seat 32 Republican seat 33 Republican seat 34 Republican seat 35 Republican seat 36 Republican seat 37 Republican seat 38 Republican seat 39 Republican seat 40 Republican seat 41 Republican seat 42 Republican seat 43 Republican seat 44 Republican seat 45 Republican seat 46 Republican seat 47 Republican seat 48 Republican seat 49 Republican seat 50 Republican seat 51 Republican seat 52 Republican seat 53 100 Senate seats Each dot = one seat All seats 45 Democrats2 Independents53 Republicans
100 seats shown. Select a label to highlight a group.
The two independents caucus with Democrats for organization, making a 47-member Democratic caucus. They remain separately identified as independents here.
A schematic of party totals, not actual desk locations or a prediction of how members will vote. Independents are gold; vacant seats are gray with dashed outlines. This is a dated snapshot, not a live results feed.
One chamber of Congress. The Senate works with the House to make federal laws. It also votes on many presidential nominations, considers treaties, and holds impeachment trials.
What does an individual U.S. senator do? →
Why are there Senate elections every two years? The seats are divided into three election groups, called classes . Roughly one-third are scheduled for election every two years. Each individual seat normally comes up every six years.
2026 Class II seats
2028 Class III seats
2030 Class I seats
Special elections can occur outside a seat’s regular cycle.
Explore a state Representation across all 50 states Find its senators and representatives, compare their seats, and explore the offices they hold.
For every state, use the official Senate directory ↗ .
A useful distinction U.S. senator ≠ state senator A U.S. senator serves in Congress in Washington, D.C. A state senator serves in a state’s own legislature.
Both titles contain “senator,” but the offices belong to different levels of government.
Explore the glossary → All 50 states Explore every Senate seat. Choose a state, then a seat, then its officeholder. Current representation is separate from candidacy.
