List of new members of the 97th United States Congress

The 97th United States Congress began on January 3, 1981. There were 15 new senators (two Democrats, 13 Republicans) and 73 new representatives (21 Democrats, 52 Republicans), as well as two new delegates (both Democrats), at the start of the first session. Additionally, two senators (one Democrat, one Republican) and nine representatives (six Democrats, three Republicans) took office on various dates in order to fill vacancies during the 97th Congress before it ended on January 3, 1983.

Senate Took office January 3, 1981 State Image Senator Seniority Switched party Prior background Birth year Ref Alaska (R) (100th overall) Yes Alaska Commissioner of Economic DevelopmentU.S. Coast Guard 1933 Connecticut (D) (89th overall) No U.S. House of RepresentativesU.S. Army Reserve 1944 Georgia (R) (97th overall) Yes Chair of the Georgia Republican PartyU.S. Air Force 1931 Idaho (R) (87th overall) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesU.S. Marine Corps First Lieutenant 1938 Illinois (D) (95th overall) No Illinois Secretary of StateIllinois TreasurerIllinois SenateIllinois House of RepresentativesU.S. Navy 1927 Indiana (R) (91st overall) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesU.S. Army Sergeant 1947 Iowa (R) (90th overall) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesIowa House of Representatives 1933 New York (R) (93rd overall) No Nassau County Board of SupervisorsHempstead Presiding Supervisor 1937 North Carolina (R) (96th overall) Yes Professor 1931 North Dakota (R) (86th overall) No U.S. House of Representatives 1926 Oklahoma (R) (99th overall) No Oklahoma SenateOklahoma National Guard 1948 Pennsylvania (R) (94th overall) No District Attorney of PhiladelphiaAssistant counsel to the Warren CommissionU.S. Air Force First Lieutenant 1930 South Dakota (R) (88th overall) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesLieutenant Governor of South DakotaSouth Dakota SenateU.S. Army 1923 Washington (R) (98th overall) Yes Attorney General of WashingtonWashington House of RepresentativesU.S. Air Force Reserve Colonel 1928 Wisconsin (R) (92nd overall) Yes U.S. House of RepresentativesWisconsin SenateWisconsin Air National Guard 1942

Took office during the 97th Congress State Image Senator Took office Switched party Prior background Birth year Ref New Jersey (R) Yes Businessman 1930 New Jersey (D) Yes Port Authority of New York and New JerseyU.S. Army Technician 1924

House of Representatives Took office January 3, 1981 District Representative Switched party Prior background Birth year Ref (R) No Insurance agent 1931 (R) Yes State Assemblyman 1920 (D) Yes Professor 1928 (R) Yes Education official 1937 (D) No Lieutenant Governor of California 1926 (R) Yes Philanthropist 1952 (R) No City Councilor 1947 (R) Yes U.S. Army First Lieutenant 1948 (R) No State Senator 1940 (D) No State Representative 1948 (R) Yes State Senator 1938 (R) No County Party Chair 1944 (R) Yes Mayor of Fort Lauderdale 1939 (D) No State Representative 1939 (R) No State Senator 1945 (D) No State Senator 1922 (D) No Journalist 1925 (R) No State Senator 1939 (R) Yes Marketing director 1953 (R) No Congressional staffer 1943 (R) No State Representative 1924 (R) No Congressional staffer 1936 (R) No Commonwealth Attorney 1937 (D) No Banker 1943 (D) Yes State Delegate 1948 (D) No State Representative 1940 (R) Yes Businessman 1943 (D) No Lawyer 1948 (R) Yes Newspaper publisher 1952 (R) Yes State Representative 1940 (R) Yes Consultant 1938 (R) Yes Lawyer 1941 (R) No Executive Councilor 1947 (R) Yes Nonprofit executive 1953 (R) Yes School Board Member 1929 (D) No State Senator 1921 (R) Yes State Party Chair 1927 (R) Yes Town Councilor 1937 (R) No State Assemblyman 1942 (R) Yes Campaign coordinator 1953 (D) No State Assemblyman 1950 (R) Yes State Assemblyman 1928 (R) No State Assemblyman 1944 (R) Yes Business executive 1926 (R) Yes Lawyer 1936 (R) Yes Businessman 1944 (D–NPL) Yes North Dakota Tax Commissioner 1942 (R) No State Representative 1950 (R) Yes Law professor 1931 (D) Yes Lawyer 1927 (D) No State Representative 1950 (D) No Assistant Attorney General of Oklahoma 1950 (R) Yes Flight engineer 1938 (D) No Gerontology professor 1949 (D) No City Councillor 1928 (R) Yes Business executive 1946 (R) Yes Federal government official 1929 (D) No City Councillor 1936 (R) Yes Director of the CLF 1947 (R) Yes State Senator 1941 (R) Yes Congressional staffer 1947 (R) No State Senator 1935 (D) No State Senator 1923 (R) Yes Lawyer 1952 (D) No State Senator 1927 (R) Yes State House Speaker 1932 (R) Yes Mayor of Richmond 1932 (R) Yes U.S. Representative 1929 (R) Yes U.S. DOI official 1939 (R) Yes State Senator 1933 (R) Yes State Party Chair 1935 (R) Yes Banker 1940 (R) Yes State Assemblyman 1951

Non-voting delegates District Delegate Switched party Prior background Birth year Ref (D) New seat Territorial Senator 1937 (D) Yes U.S. Delegate 1930

Took office during the 97th Congress District Representative Took office Switched party Prior background Birth year Ref (R) No State Representative 1951 (D) No State Senate President 1939 (R) No State Representative 1944 (D) Yes Mayor of McComb 1943 (D) No State Senator 1920 (D) No Connecticut Secretary of State 1936 (R) No None 1934 (D) No State Assemblyman 1929 (D) No State Senator 1938

See also List of United States representatives in the 97th Congress List of United States senators in the 97th Congress

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