The 112th United States Congress began on January 3, 2011. There were 13 new senators (one Democrat, 12 Republicans) and 94 new representatives (nine Democrats, 85 Republicans) at the start of its first session. Additionally, three senators (one Democrat, two Republicans) and 10 representatives (seven Democrats, three Republicans) took office on various dates in order to fill vacancies during the 112th Congress before it ended on January 3, 2013.
The president of the House Democratic freshman class was Terri Sewell of Alabama, while the president of the House Republican freshman class was Austin Scott of Georgia. Additionally, the Republican's freshmen liaisons were Kristi Noem of South Dakota and Tim Scott of South Carolina.
This freshmen class was overwhelmingly Republican, resulting in an even larger prevalence of Republican freshmen than during the Republican Revolution of 1994, with approximately 23% of the 47 elected Republican senators and 33% of the 242 elected Republican representatives being first-timers.
Senate Took office January 3, 2011 State Image Senator Seniority Switched party Prior background Birth year Ref Arkansas (R) (92nd overall) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesRogers Public School BoardOptometrist 1950 Connecticut (D) (98th overall) No Connecticut Attorney GeneralConnecticut State SenateConnecticut House of RepresentativesU.S. Attorney for ConnecticutU.S. Marine Corps Reserve Sergeant 1946 Florida (R) (95th overall) No Speaker of the Florida House of RepresentativesWest Miami City Commissioner 1971 Indiana (R) (88th overall) Yes U.S. SenateU.S. Ambassador to GermanyU.S. House of RepresentativesU.S. Army Staff Sergeant 1943 Kansas (R) (90th overall) No U.S. House of RepresentativesKansas Senate 1954 Kentucky (R) (97th overall) No Ophthalmologist 1963 Missouri (R) (89th overall) No U.S. House of RepresentativesPresident of Southwest Baptist UniversityMissouri Secretary of StateGreene County Clerk 1950 New Hampshire (R) (100th overall) No Attorney General of New HampshireNew Hampshire Department of Justice 1968 North Dakota (R) (94th overall) Yes Governor of North DakotaPresident of the Bank of North Dakota 1957 Ohio (R) (91st overall) No U.S. Trade RepresentativeU.S. House of RepresentativesWhite House Director of Legislative Affairs 1955 Pennsylvania (R) (93rd overall) Yes President of the Club for GrowthU.S. House of Representatives 1961 Utah (R) (99th overall) No Clerk for Supreme Court Justice Samuel AlitoAssistant U.S. Attorney 1971 Wisconsin (R) (96th overall) Yes Plastics manufacturer 1955
Took office during the 112th Congress State Image Senator Took office Switched party Prior background Birth year Ref Nevada (R) No U.S. House of RepresentativesSecretary of State of NevadaNevada Assembly 1960 Hawaii (D) No Lieutenant Governor of HawaiiChair of the Democratic Party of HawaiiHawaii House of Representatives 1972 South Carolina (R) No U.S. House of RepresentativesSouth Carolina House of RepresentativesCharleston County Council 1965
House of Representatives Took office January 3, 2011 District Image Representative Switched party Prior background Birth year Ref (R) Yes Montgomery City Council 1976 (R) No Madison County CommissionMadison County District AttorneyAlabama House of Representatives 1954 (D) No Lawyer 1965 (R) Yes Dentist 1958 (R) No Lawyer 1976 (R) Yes Maricopa County TreasurerArizona House of Representatives 1962 (R) Yes Radio announcerU.S. Army Sergeant 1966 (R) Yes U.S. Attorney for Eastern ArkansasU.S. Army Reserve Colonel 1968 (R) No Mayor of RogersRogers City CouncilArkansas National Guard Colonel 1957 (R) No California State SenateU.S. Air Force Reserve Staff Sergeant 1967 (D) No Speaker of the California State Assembly 1953 (R) Yes Colorado House of Representatives 1956 (R) Yes Colorado House of Representatives 1974 (D) Yes Lieutenant Governor of Delaware 1956 (R) Yes Mortician 1965 (R) No Hernando County SheriffIllinois Air National Guard 1951 (R) Yes Florida SenateSpeaker of the Florida House of Representatives 1949 (R) No Florida House of Representatives 1959 (D) No Florida SenateFlorida House of RepresentativesMiami-Dade County School Board 1942 (R) Yes Civilian advisor to the Afghan National ArmyU.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel 1961 (R) Yes Florida House of RepresentativesOrange County Sheriff's OfficeU.S. Air Force 1956 (R) New seat Florida House of Representatives 1965 (R) No Attorney 1970 (R) Yes Georgia House of Representatives 1969 (D) Yes President of the Hawaii Senate 1951 (R) Yes Idaho House of Representatives 1967 (R) Yes Business executive 1961 (R) No Staffer for Vice President Dan Quayle 1969 (R) Yes McLean County BoardU.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel 1978 (R) Yes Illinois SenateIllinois House of RepresentativesDuPage County Board 1966 (R) Yes Business owner 1964 (R) No Secretary of State of Indiana 1970 (R) Yes Cardiothoracic surgeonU.S. Navy Reserve 1962 (R) Yes Orange County assistant deputy prosecutorU.S. Marine Corps Captain 1972 (R) No Kansas Senate 1968 (R) Yes Kansas House of Representatives 1976 (R) No Aerospace manufacturing entrepreneurU.S. Army Captain 1963 (D) Yes Louisiana House of Representatives 1973 (R) Yes St. Martin Parish Sheriff's OfficeLouisiana National Guard Sergeant 1970 (R) Yes Maryland SenateU.S. Navy Medical Corps 1957 (D) No Norfolk County District AttorneyMassachusetts SenateMassachusetts House of Representatives 1952 (R) Yes Physician 1952 (R) No Michigan House of Representatives 1969 (R) No Michigan House of Representatives 1980 (R) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesMichigan House of Representatives 1951 (D) No Michigan SenateMichigan House of Representatives 1957 (R) Yes Commercial airline pilotU.S. Navy Reserve Captain 1959 (R) Yes Mississippi State Senate 1958 (R) Yes Mississippi House of RepresentativesMississippi National Guard Sergeant 1970 (R) Yes Missouri House of Representatives 1960 (R) No Auctioneer business owner 1955 (R) Yes Nevada SenatePhysicianU.S. Army Reserve Brigadier General 1961 (R) Yes Mayor of ManchesterManchester Board of AldermenNew Hampshire House of Representatives 1970 (R) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesNew Hampshire Senate 1952 (R) Yes Professional football player 1973 (R) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesNew Mexico House of RepresentativesU.S. Air Force Captain 1947 (R) Yes Federal Bureau of InvestigationU.S. Marine Corps Reserve Corporal 1970 (R) Yes Ophthalmologist 1959 (R) Yes College administratorU.S. Army Colonel 1964 (R) Yes Business owner 1951 (R) Yes Assistant New York Attorney GeneralSyracuse Common CouncilRegistered nurse 1951 (R) Yes Dunn Planning BoardRegistered nurse 1964 (R) Yes Speaker of the North Dakota House of Representatives 1959 (R) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesHamilton County Board of CommissionersCincinnati City Council 1953 (R) Yes Corporate executiveU.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel 1954 (R} Yes Ohio SenateOhio National Guard Brigadier General 1965 (R) Yes Mayor of WadsworthWadsworth City Council 1958 (R) Yes Ohio SenateOhio House of RepresentativesPresident of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation 1954 (R) No Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma 1968 (R) Yes Butler County CouncilButler School Board 1948 (R) Yes U.S. Attorney for Eastern PennsylvaniaDelaware County District Attorney 1955 (R) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesBucks County Board of Commissioners 1963 (R) Yes U.S. Attorney for Middle PennsylvaniaLycoming County District Attorney 1952 (R) Yes Mayor of HazletonHazleton City Council 1956 (D) No Mayor of ProvidenceRhode Island House of Representatives 1961 (R) No South Carolina House of RepresentativesCharleston County Council 1965 (R) No South Carolina House of Representatives 1966 (R) No South Carolina Circuit Court SolicitorAssistant U.S. Attorney 1964 (R) Yes South Carolina SenateSouth Carolina House of Representatives 1967 (R) Yes South Dakota House of Representatives 1971 (R) No Lawyer 1962 (R) Yes Physician 1964 (R) Yes Tennessee SenateTennessee House of RepresentativesRegistered nurse 1951 (R) Yes Farming business owner 1973 (R) Yes Texas Real Estate CommissionEnergy company executive 1954 (R) Yes Bank executive 1949 (R) Yes Lawyer 1961 (R) Yes Car dealership ownerU.S. Marine Corps Reserve Sergeant 1960 (R) Yes Virginia SenateVirginia House of DelegatesChatham Town Council 1969 (R) Yes Virginia House of Delegates 1958 (R) Yes Washington House of RepresentativesCongressional staffer 1978 (R) Yes Chair of the West Virginia Republican PartyWest Virginia House of Delegates 1947 (R) Yes Ashland County District AttorneyReality television personality 1971 (R) Yes Business owner 1956
Took office during the 112th Congress District Image Representative Took office Switched party Prior background Birth year Ref (D) Yes Erie County ClerkHamburg Town BoardCongressional staffer 1958 (D) No Los Angeles City CouncilLos Angeles Charter Reform Commission 1952 (R) No Chair of the Nevada Republican PartyNevada SenateNevada AssemblyU.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps 1958 (R) Yes BusinessmanU.S. Army Specialist 1941 (D) No Oregon State SenateOregon House of Representatives 1954 (D) No Staff for U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords 1945 (R) No Lewis County Judge/Executive 1971 (D) Yes Union representativeU.S. Marine Corps 1948 (D) No Washington Director of RevenueTechnology business executive 1962 (D) No President of the Municipal Council of NewarkEssex County Board of Chosen FreeholdersNew Jersey Highway Authority 1958
See also List of United States representatives in the 112th Congress List of United States senators in the 112th Congress
Notes
References
External links RealClearPolitics: Freshman Class of the 112th Congress