The 119th Congress highlights the pipeline of state legislative leaders to federal office
WASHINGTON—Members of the 119th Congress will soon be sworn in – 46 percent of whom previously served as state legislators, showing that on both sides of the aisle, state legislatures are a powerful pipeline of talent. In statehouses across the country, future Congressional leaders are cutting their teeth and playing a pivotal role in shaping the policies that most directly affect people’s day-to-day lives while building experience for higher office.
As the new Congress is sworn in, legislative sessions are also starting up around the country where state Democrats will play a key role in holding the line against the incoming Trump Administration. Compared to 2017, when there were just 29 Democratic majorities, today there are 39 majorities ready to serve as a counterweight to the MAGA agenda.
Here is a breakdown of the 119th Congress:
- The 119th Congress will include 246 former state legislators – or 46% of the 535 members of the House and Senate combined.
- 120 of the 260 Democrats in the 119th Congress are former state legislators, nearly half of the combined Democratic caucus.
- The two newest Democratic Senators, Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Adam Schiff of California, were both former state legislators.
- Of the 33 new Democratic members in the House, 18 are former state legislators.
- The Democratic caucuses in both chambers will be led by former state legislators: New York Senator and former State Assembly Member Chuck Schumer and New York Congressman and former State Assembly Member Hakeem Jefferies.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“As this new Congress is sworn in, the importance of the pipeline of state legislators in shaping the highest levels of our government is on full display. The newest leaders of the Democratic Party are being tested and built through state legislatures across the country, and to understand where our party is headed, the states are the place to look.
“As the new Congress and incoming administration prepare to advance their MAGA agenda, Democratic leadership in the state legislatures will be a powerful counterweight to extremism and will continue to shape the future of the party and the country.”
The DLCC is the official arm of the Democratic Party with the sole mission of building Democratic power in the states and setting the national agenda at the state level. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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