Texas Senate Seniority
Seniority rankings for members of the Texas Senate, based on continuous service in the chamber. Rankings reflect the number of full legislative sessions served and influence committee assignments, office selection, and overall legislative standing.
Seniority Rankings
Texas Senate — Seniority & Tenure
31 Members
| Seniority | District | Lawmaker | First Elected to Senate | Full Sessions Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | Judith Zaffirini D Laredo | 1987 | 20 |
| 2 | 23 | Royce West D Dallas | 1993 | 17 |
| 3 | 20 | Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa D McAllen * | 2003 | 12 |
| 4 | 3 | Robert Nichols R Jacksonville | 2007 | 10 |
| 5 | 17 | Joan Huffman R Houston | 2008 | 9 |
| 6 | 22 | Brian Birdwell R Granbury | 2010 | 9 |
| 7 | 25 | Donna Campbell R New Braunfels | 2013 | 8 |
| 8 | 9 | Kelly Hancock R North Richland Hills * | 2013 | 7 |
| 9 | 5 | Charles Schwertner R Georgetown * | 2013 | 7 |
| 10 | 4 | Brandon Creighton R Conroe * | 2014 | 6 |
| 11 | 28 | Charles Perry R Lubbock * | 2014 | 6 |
| 12 | 18 | Lois Kolkhorst R Brenham * | 2014 | 6 |
| 13 | 2 | Bob Hall R Edgewood | 2015 | 6 |
| 14 | 7 | Paul Bettencourt R Houston | 2015 | 6 |
| 15 | 26 | José Menéndez D San Antonio * | 2015 | 5 |
| 16 | 13 | Borris Miles D Houston * | 2017 | 5 |
| 17 | 1 | Bryan Hughes R Mineola * | 2017 | 5 |
| 18 | 6 | Carol Alvarado D Houston * | 2018 | 4 |
| 19 | 16 | Nathan Johnson D Dallas | 2019 | 4 |
| 20 | 8 | Angela Paxton R McKinney | 2019 | 4 |
| 21 | 14 | Sarah Eckhardt D Austin | 2020 | 3 |
| 22 | 24 | Pete Flores R Pleasanton | 2018 | 3 |
| 23 | 19 | Roland Gutierrez D San Antonio * | 2021 | 3 |
| 24 | 29 | César Blanco D El Paso * | 2021 | 3 |
| 25 | 11 | Mayes Middleton R Galveston * | 2023 | 2 |
| 26 | 10 | Phil King R Weatherford * | 2023 | 2 |
| 27 | 31 | Kevin Sparks R Midland | 2023 | 2 |
| 28 | 12 | Tan Parker R Flower Mound * | 2023 | 2 |
| 29 | 15 | Molly Cook D Houston | 2024 | 1 |
| 30 | 27 | Adam Hinojosa R Corpus Christi | 2025 | 1 |
| 31 | 30 | Brent Hagenbuch R Little Elm | 2025 | 1 |
* Lawmakers that previously served in the Texas House of Representatives |
Source: Texas Senate Seniority & Finalized Pro-Tempore List
Texas House Seniority
View the seniority and tenure rankings for members of the Texas House of Representatives.
View HouseView Floor Reports
See how we evaluate legislation on the Texas Senate floor each session using our five Liberty Principles.
Senate Floor Reports
