List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
Updated: 5/24/2026, 6:58:25 PM Wikipedia source
This is a list of Jewish members of the United States Congress. As of 2025, there are 10 Jewish senators and 25 Jewish members of the House of Representatives serving in the United States Congress.
Tables
· Senate
Start
Start
Senator
Start
Senator
End
Party
Length of
service
March 4, 1855
March 4, 1855
Senator
March 4, 1855
Senator
January 21, 1861
Party
5 years, 323 days
Party
Withdrew from the Senate in 1861 following the secession of Florida from the Union
December 29, 1976
December 29, 1976
Senator
December 29, 1976
Senator
January 3, 1995
Party
18 years, 5 days
Party
Retired
January 3, 2003
January 3, 2003
Senator
January 3, 2003
Senator
June 3, 2013
Party
10 years, 151 days
Party
Died in office
| Senator | Party | State | Term | Notes | ||||
| Start | End | Length of service | ||||||
| | David Levy Yulee (1810–1886) | Democratic | Florida | July 1, 1845 | March 4, 1851 | 5 years, 246 days | Lost renomination | |
| March 4, 1855 | January 21, 1861 | 5 years, 323 days | Withdrew from the Senate in 1861 following the secession of Florida from the Union | |||||
| | Judah P. Benjamin (1811–1884) | Whig (1853–1856) | Louisiana | March 4, 1853 | February 4, 1861 | 7 years, 337 days | Withdrew from the Senate in 1861 following the secession of Louisiana from the Union | |
| Democratic (1856–1861) | ||||||||
| | Benjamin F. Jonas (1834–1911) | Democratic | Louisiana | March 4, 1879 | March 4, 1885 | 6 years, 0 days | Lost renomination | |
| | Joseph Simon (1851–1935) | Republican | Oregon | October 7, 1898 | March 4, 1903 | 4 years, 148 days | Retired | |
| | Isidor Rayner (1850–1912) | Democratic | Maryland | March 4, 1905 | November 25, 1912 | 7 years, 266 days | Died in office | |
| | Simon Guggenheim (1867–1941) | Republican | Colorado | March 4, 1907 | March 4, 1913 | 6 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| | Herbert H. Lehman (1878–1963) | Democratic | New York | November 9, 1949 | January 3, 1957 | 7 years, 55 days | Retired | |
| | Richard L. Neuberger (1912–1960) | Democratic | Oregon | January 3, 1955 | March 9, 1960 | 5 years, 66 days | Died in office | |
| | Jacob Javits (1904–1986) | Republican | New York | January 9, 1957 | January 3, 1981 | 23 years, 360 days | Lost reelection as Liberal Party nominee after having lost Republican Party renomination | |
| | Ernest Gruening (1887–1974) | Democratic | Alaska | January 3, 1959 | January 3, 1969 | 10 years, 0 days | Lost renomination Lost write-in reelection | |
| | Abraham Ribicoff (1910–1998) | Democratic | Connecticut | January 3, 1963 | January 3, 1981 | 18 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| | Howard Metzenbaum (1917–2008) | Democratic | Ohio | January 4, 1974 | December 23, 1974 | 353 days | Resigned to permit governor to appoint winner of general election, after previously having lost renomination for new term | |
| December 29, 1976 | January 3, 1995 | 18 years, 5 days | Retired | |||||
| | Richard Stone (1928–2019) | Democratic | Florida | January 1, 1975 | December 31, 1980 | 5 years, 365 days | Lost renomination | |
| | Edward Zorinsky (1928–1987) | Democratic | Nebraska | December 28, 1976 | March 6, 1987 | 10 years, 68 days | Died in office | |
| | Rudy Boschwitz (born 1930) | Republican | Minnesota | December 30, 1978 | January 3, 1991 | 12 years, 4 days | Lost reelection | |
| | William Cohen (born 1940) | Republican | Maine | January 3, 1979 | January 3, 1997 | 18 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| | Carl Levin (1934–2021) | Democratic | Michigan | January 3, 1979 | January 3, 2015 | 36 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| | Warren Rudman (1930–2012) | Republican | New Hampshire | December 29, 1980 | January 3, 1993 | 12 years, 5 days | Retired | |
| | Arlen Specter (1930–2012) | Republican (1981–2009) | Pennsylvania | January 3, 1981 | January 3, 2011 | 30 years, 0 days | Lost renomination by the Democratic Party, to which he had switched the prior year. | |
| Democratic (2009–2011) | ||||||||
| | Frank Lautenberg (1924–2013) | Democratic | New Jersey | December 27, 1982 | January 3, 2001 | 18 years, 7 days | Retired | |
| January 3, 2003 | June 3, 2013 | 10 years, 151 days | Died in office | |||||
| | Chic Hecht (1928–2006) | Republican | Nevada | January 3, 1983 | January 3, 1989 | 6 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| | Herb Kohl (1935–2023) | Democratic | Wisconsin | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 2013 | 24 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| | Joe Lieberman (1942–2024) | Democratic (1989–2006) | Connecticut | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 2013 | 24 years, 0 days | Lost renomination, but re-elected on the Connecticut for Lieberman ticket in 2006 Retired | |
| Independent (2006–2013) | ||||||||
| | Paul Wellstone (1944–2002) | Democratic (DFL) | Minnesota | January 3, 1991 | October 25, 2002 | 11 years, 295 days | Died in office | |
| | Dianne Feinstein (1933–2023) | Democratic | California | November 10, 1992 | September 29, 2023 | 30 years, 323 days | Died in office | |
| | Barbara Boxer (born 1940) | Democratic | California | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 2017 | 24 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| | Russ Feingold (born 1953) | Democratic | Wisconsin | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 2011 | 18 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| | Ron Wyden (born 1949) | Democratic | Oregon | February 6, 1996 | Incumbent | 30 years, 107 days | ||
| | Chuck Schumer (born 1950) | Democratic | New York | January 3, 1999 | Incumbent | 27 years, 141 days | First Jewish Senate Majority Leader and Senate Minority Leader | |
| | Norm Coleman (born 1949) | Republican | Minnesota | January 3, 2003 | January 3, 2009 | 6 years, 0 days | Lost reelection | |
| | Ben Cardin (born 1943) | Democratic | Maryland | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2025 | 18 years, 0 days | Retired | |
| | Bernie Sanders (born 1941) | Independent | Vermont | January 3, 2007 | Incumbent | 19 years, 141 days | Elected as an Independent. Began identifying alternately as an Independent or Democrat while running in the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries. Officially joined the Democratic Party after signing a declaratory pledge, but kept his independent affiliation in the Senate. | |
| | Al Franken (born 1951) | Democratic (DFL) | Minnesota | July 7, 2009 | January 2, 2018 | 8 years, 179 days | Resigned | |
| | Michael Bennet (born 1964) | Democratic | Colorado | January 21, 2009 | Incumbent | 17 years, 123 days | ||
| | Richard Blumenthal (born 1946) | Democratic | Connecticut | January 3, 2011 | Incumbent | 15 years, 141 days | ||
| | Brian Schatz (born 1972) | Democratic | Hawaii | December 26, 2012 | Incumbent | 13 years, 149 days | ||
| | Jacky Rosen (born 1957) | Democratic | Nevada | January 3, 2019 | Incumbent | 7 years, 141 days | ||
| | Jon Ossoff (born 1987) | Democratic | Georgia | January 20, 2021 | Incumbent | 5 years, 124 days | ||
| | Adam Schiff (born 1960) | Democratic | California | December 9, 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 166 days | ||
| | Elissa Slotkin (born 1976) | Democratic | Michigan | January 3, 2025 | Incumbent | 1 year, 141 days | ||
· Senate › Elected to the Senate, but not seated
| Senator-elect | Party | State | Year elected | Notes | ||
| | Michael Hahn (1830–1886) | Republican | Louisiana | 1865 | Not seated due to policy of Radical Republicans not to seat any senators-elect from former Confederate states until a Reconstruction plan had been adopted | |
· Senate › List of states with Jewish U . senators
Alabama
Alabama
State
Alabama
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Alaska
Alaska
State
Alaska
Current
0
Previous
1
Total
1
First Jewish senator
Ernest Gruening
Arizona
Arizona
State
Arizona
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Arkansas
Arkansas
State
Arkansas
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
California
California
State
California
Current
1
Previous
2
Total
3
First Jewish senator
Dianne Feinstein
Colorado
Colorado
State
Colorado
Current
1
Previous
1
Total
2
First Jewish senator
Simon Guggenheim
Connecticut
Connecticut
State
Connecticut
Current
1
Previous
2
Total
3
First Jewish senator
Abraham A. Ribicoff
Delaware
Delaware
State
Delaware
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Florida
Florida
State
Florida
Current
0
Previous
2
Total
2
First Jewish senator
David Levy Yulee
Georgia
Georgia
State
Georgia
Current
1
Previous
0
Total
1
First Jewish senator
Jon Ossoff
Hawaii
Hawaii
State
Hawaii
Current
1
Previous
0
Total
1
First Jewish senator
Brian Schatz
Idaho
Idaho
State
Idaho
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Illinois
Illinois
State
Illinois
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Indiana
Indiana
State
Indiana
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Iowa
Iowa
State
Iowa
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Kansas
Kansas
State
Kansas
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Kentucky
Kentucky
State
Kentucky
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Louisiana
Louisiana
State
Louisiana
Current
0
Previous
2
Total
2
First Jewish senator
Judah P. Benjamin
Maine
Maine
State
Maine
Current
0
Previous
1
Total
1
First Jewish senator
William Cohen
Maryland
Maryland
State
Maryland
Current
0
Previous
2
Total
2
First Jewish senator
Isidor Rayner
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
State
Massachusetts
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Michigan
Michigan
State
Michigan
Current
1
Previous
1
Total
2
First Jewish senator
Carl Levin
Minnesota
Minnesota
State
Minnesota
Current
0
Previous
4
Total
4
First Jewish senator
Rudy Boschwitz
Mississippi
Mississippi
State
Mississippi
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Missouri
Missouri
State
Missouri
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Montana
Montana
State
Montana
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Nebraska
Nebraska
State
Nebraska
Current
0
Previous
1
Total
1
First Jewish senator
Edward Zorinsky
Nevada
Nevada
State
Nevada
Current
1
Previous
1
Total
2
First Jewish senator
Chic Hecht
New Hampshire
New Hampshire
State
New Hampshire
Current
0
Previous
1
Total
1
First Jewish senator
Warren Rudman
New Jersey
New Jersey
State
New Jersey
Current
0
Previous
1
Total
1
First Jewish senator
Frank Lautenberg
New Mexico
New Mexico
State
New Mexico
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
New York
New York
State
New York
Current
1
Previous
2
Total
3
First Jewish senator
Herbert H. Lehman
North Carolina
North Carolina
State
North Carolina
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
North Dakota
North Dakota
State
North Dakota
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Ohio
Ohio
State
Ohio
Current
0
Previous
1
Total
1
First Jewish senator
Howard Metzenbaum
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
State
Oklahoma
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Oregon
Oregon
State
Oregon
Current
1
Previous
2
Total
3
First Jewish senator
Joseph Simon
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
State
Pennsylvania
Current
0
Previous
1
Total
1
First Jewish senator
Arlen Specter
Rhode Island
Rhode Island
State
Rhode Island
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
South Carolina
South Carolina
State
South Carolina
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
South Dakota
South Dakota
State
South Dakota
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Tennessee
Tennessee
State
Tennessee
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Texas
Texas
State
Texas
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Utah
Utah
State
Utah
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Vermont
Vermont
State
Vermont
Current
1
Previous
0
Total
1
First Jewish senator
Bernie Sanders
Virginia
Virginia
State
Virginia
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Washington
Washington
State
Washington
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
West Virginia
West Virginia
State
West Virginia
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
State
Wisconsin
Current
0
Previous
2
Total
2
First Jewish senator
Herb Kohl
Wyoming
Wyoming
State
Wyoming
Current
0
Previous
0
Total
0
| State | Current | Previous | Total | First Jewish senator |
| Alabama | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Alaska | 0 | 1 | 1 | Ernest Gruening |
| Arizona | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Arkansas | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| California | 1 | 2 | 3 | Dianne Feinstein |
| Colorado | 1 | 1 | 2 | Simon Guggenheim |
| Connecticut | 1 | 2 | 3 | Abraham A. Ribicoff |
| Delaware | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Florida | 0 | 2 | 2 | David Levy Yulee |
| Georgia | 1 | 0 | 1 | Jon Ossoff |
| Hawaii | 1 | 0 | 1 | Brian Schatz |
| Idaho | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Illinois | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Indiana | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Iowa | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kansas | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kentucky | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Louisiana | 0 | 2 | 2 | Judah P. Benjamin |
| Maine | 0 | 1 | 1 | William Cohen |
| Maryland | 0 | 2 | 2 | Isidor Rayner |
| Massachusetts | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | 2 | Carl Levin |
| Minnesota | 0 | 4 | 4 | Rudy Boschwitz |
| Mississippi | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Missouri | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Montana | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nebraska | 0 | 1 | 1 | Edward Zorinsky |
| Nevada | 1 | 1 | 2 | Chic Hecht |
| New Hampshire | 0 | 1 | 1 | Warren Rudman |
| New Jersey | 0 | 1 | 1 | Frank Lautenberg |
| New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| New York | 1 | 2 | 3 | Herbert H. Lehman |
| North Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| North Dakota | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ohio | 0 | 1 | 1 | Howard Metzenbaum |
| Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Oregon | 1 | 2 | 3 | Joseph Simon |
| Pennsylvania | 0 | 1 | 1 | Arlen Specter |
| Rhode Island | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| South Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| South Dakota | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tennessee | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Texas | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Utah | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vermont | 1 | 0 | 1 | Bernie Sanders |
| Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Washington | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 2 | 2 | Herb Kohl |
· Senate › Concurrently serving Jewish senators from the same state
California
California
State
California
Start date
January 3, 1993
End date
January 3, 2017
Duration
24 years, 0 days
Senior senator
Dianne Feinstein (D)
Junior senator
Barbara Boxer (D)
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
State
Wisconsin
Start date
January 3, 1993
End date
January 3, 2011
Duration
18 years, 0 days
Senior senator
Herb Kohl (D)
Junior senator
Russ Feingold (D)
Connecticut
Connecticut
State
Connecticut
Start date
January 3, 2011
End date
January 3, 2013
Duration
2 years, 0 days
Senior senator
Joe Lieberman (I)
Junior senator
Richard Blumenthal (D)
| State | Start date | End date | Duration | Senior senator | Junior senator | ||
| California | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 2017 | 24 years, 0 days | Dianne Feinstein (D) | Barbara Boxer (D) | ||
| Wisconsin | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 2011 | 18 years, 0 days | Herb Kohl (D) | Russ Feingold (D) | ||
| Connecticut | January 3, 2011 | January 3, 2013 | 2 years, 0 days | Joe Lieberman (I) | Richard Blumenthal (D) | ||
· Senate › Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Election year
Election year
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Election year
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
State
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Winner
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Second-place finisher
1990
1990
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
1990
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Maine
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
William Cohen
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Neil Rolde
Minnesota
Minnesota
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Minnesota
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Paul Wellstone
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Rudy Boschwitz
1992
1992
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
1992
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
California
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Barbara Boxer
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Bruce Herschensohn
1996
1996
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
1996
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Minnesota
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Paul Wellstone
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Rudy Boschwitz
2008
2008
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
2008
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Minnesota
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Al Franken
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Norm Coleman
New Jersey
New Jersey
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
New Jersey
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Frank Lautenberg
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Dick Zimmer
2022
2022
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
2022
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Connecticut
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Richard Blumenthal
Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees
Leora Levy
| Elections with two Jewish major-party nominees | ||||
| Election year | State | Winner | Second-place finisher | |
| 1990 | Maine | William Cohen | Neil Rolde | |
| Minnesota | Paul Wellstone | Rudy Boschwitz | ||
| 1992 | California | Barbara Boxer | Bruce Herschensohn | |
| 1996 | Minnesota | Paul Wellstone | Rudy Boschwitz | |
| 2008 | Minnesota | Al Franken | Norm Coleman | |
| New Jersey | Frank Lautenberg | Dick Zimmer | ||
| 2022 | Connecticut | Richard Blumenthal | Leora Levy | |
References
- Born (and raised) Jewish, but converted to Episcopalianism in his mid-to-late 30s while serving as a U . Senator.
- Born to a Jewish father and a Protestant mother, Cohen was raised Jewish until his Bar Mitzvah, after which he quit the
- Raised Jewish from birth by his Jewish father, but later converted to Mormonism.
- With a Jewish father and Catholic mother, he was baptized as a Catholic but "was raised with both the Catholic faith and
- Born (and raised) Jewish, but converted to Episcopalianism in his mid-to-late 30s
- Finding Florida: The True History of the Sunshine State
- The Jews of Capitol Hill: A Compendium of Jewish Congressional Membershttps://books.google.com/books?id=ACTF56SnaykC
- Stone (2011), p. 15
- Stone (2011), p. 35
- Stone (2011), p. 60
- Stone (2011), p. 46
- Stone (2011), p. 78
- Stone (2011), p. 182
- Stone (2011), p. 206
- Stone (2011), p. 160
- Stone (2011), p. 210
- Stone (2011), p. 167
- Stone (2011), p. 281
- Stone (2011), p. 267
- Stone (2011), p. 348