List of new members of the 99th United States Congress
# List of new members of the 99th United States Congress

The 99th United States Congress began on January 3, 1985. There were five new senators (three Democrats, two Republicans) and 41 new representatives (11 Democrats, 30 Republicans), as well as two new delegates (one Democrat, one Republican), at the start of the first session. Additionally, three senators (two Democrats, one Republican) and five representatives (four Democrats, one Republican) took office on various dates in order to fill vacancies during the 99th Congress before it ended on January 3, 1987.

## Senate

### Took office January 3, 1985

| State | Senator | Seniority | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Illinois | Paul Simon (D) | 1st (95th overall) | Yes Defeated Charles H. Percy (R) | U.S. House of Representatives Lieutenant Governor of Illinois U.S. Army Private | 1928 |
| Iowa | Tom Harkin (D) | 2nd (96th overall) | Yes Defeated Roger Jepsen (R) | U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Navy Reserve Commander | 1939 |
| Kentucky | Mitch McConnell (R) | 5th (99th overall) | Yes Defeated Walter Dee Huddleston (D) | Jefferson County Judge/Executive Acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General | 1942 |
| Tennessee | Al Gore (D) | 3rd (97th overall) | Yes Open seat; replaced Howard Baker (R) | U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Army Specialist | 1948 |
| Texas | Phil Gramm (R) | 4th (98th overall) | No Open seat; replaced John Tower (R) | U.S. House of Representatives | 1942 |

### Took office during the 99th Congress

| State | Senator | Took office | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| West Virginia | Jay Rockefeller (D) | January 15, 1985 | No Open seat; replaced Jennings Randolph (D) | Governor of West Virginia Secretary of State of West Virginia West Virginia House of Delegates | 1937 |
| North Carolina | Jim Broyhill (R) | July 14, 1986 | No Appointed; replaced John Porter East (R) | U.S. House of Representatives | 1927 |
| North Carolina | Terry Sanford (D) | December 10, 1986 | Yes Defeated Jim Broyhill (R) | President of Duke University Governor of North Carolina North Carolina Senate U.S. Army First Lieutenant | 1917 |

## House of Representatives

### Took office January 3, 1985

| District | Representative | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Alabama 1 | Sonny Callahan (R) | No | State Senator | 1932 |
| Arizona 5 | Jim Kolbe (R) | Yes | State Senator | 1942 |
| Arkansas 2 | Tommy F. Robinson (D) | Yes | Sheriff | 1942 |
| California 38 | Bob Dornan (R) | Yes | U.S. Representative | 1933 |
| Colorado 3 | Michael L. Strang (R) | Yes | State Representative | 1929 |
| Connecticut 5 | John G. Rowland (R) | Yes | State Representative | 1957 |
| Georgia 4 | Pat Swindall (R) | Yes | Lawyer | 1950 |
| Idaho 2 | Richard H. Stallings (D) | Yes | Educator | 1940 |
| Illinois 13 | Harris Fawell (R) | No | State Senator | 1929 |
| Illinois 14 | John E. Grotberg (R) | No | State Senator | 1925 |
| Illinois 19 | Terry L. Bruce (D) | Yes | State Senator | 1944 |
| Illinois 22 | Kenneth J. Gray (D) | No | U.S. Representative | 1924 |
| Indiana 1 | Pete Visclosky (D) | No | Congressional staffer | 1949 |
| Iowa 5 | Jim Ross Lightfoot (R) | Yes | Broadcaster | 1938 |
| Kansas 3 | Jan Meyers (R) | No | State Senator | 1928 |
| Maryland 2 | Helen Delich Bentley (R) | Yes | Chair of the FMC | 1923 |
| Massachusetts 5 | Chester G. Atkins (D) | No | State Senator | 1948 |
| Michigan 5 | Paul B. Henry (R) | No | State Senator | 1942 |
| Michigan 10 | Bill Schuette (R) | Yes | Lawyer | 1953 |
| New Hampshire 1 | Bob Smith (R) | Yes | Educator | 1941 |
| New Jersey 11 | Dean Gallo (R) | Yes | State Assemblyman | 1935 |
| New York 9 | Thomas Manton (D) | No | City Councilor | 1932 |
| New York 20 | Joe DioGuardi (R) | Yes | Accountant | 1940 |
| New York 30 | Fred J. Eckert (R) | No | U.S. Ambassador | 1941 |
| North Carolina 4 | Bill Cobey (R) | Yes | Athletic administrator | 1939 |
| North Carolina 6 | Howard Coble (R) | Yes | State Representative | 1931 |
| North Carolina 9 | Alex McMillan (R) | No | CEO of Harris Teeter | 1932 |
| North Carolina 11 | Bill Hendon (R) | Yes | U.S. Representative | 1944 |
| Ohio 17 | James Traficant (D) | Yes | Sheriff | 1941 |
| Pennsylvania 11 | Paul Kanjorski (D) | No | Attorney | 1937 |
| Tennessee 6 | Bart Gordon (D) | No | State Party Chair | 1949 |
| Texas 6 | Joe Barton (R) | No | Engineer | 1949 |
| Texas 13 | Beau Boulter (R) | Yes | City Commissioner | 1942 |
| Texas 14 | Mac Sweeney (R) | Yes | White House staffer | 1955 |
| Texas 19 | Larry Combest (R) | Yes | Businessman | 1945 |
| Texas 22 | Tom DeLay (R) | No | State Representative | 1947 |
| Texas 23 | Albert Bustamante (D) | No | County Commissioner | 1935 |
| Texas 26 | Dick Armey (R) | Yes | Economist | 1940 |
| Utah 2 | David Smith Monson (R) | No | Lieutenant Governor of Utah | 1945 |
| Virginia 7 | D. French Slaughter Jr. (R) | No | State Delegate | 1925 |
| Washington 1 | John Miller (R) | No | City Council President | 1938 |

**Non-voting members**

| District | Delegate | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year | Ref |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Guam at-large | Vicente T. Blaz (R) | Yes | USMC Brigadier General | 1928 | |
| Puerto Rico at-large | Jaime Fuster (PD/D) | Yes/No | U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General | 1941 | |

### Took office during the 99th Congress

| District | Representative | Took office | Switched party | Prior background | Birth year |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Louisiana 8 | Catherine Small Long (D) | March 30, 1985 | No | Congressional staffer | 1924 |
| Texas 1 | Jim Chapman (D) | August 3, 1985 | No | District attorney | 1945 |
| New York 6 | Alton Waldon (D) | June 10, 1986 | No | State Assemblyman | 1936 |
| Hawaii 1 | Neil Abercrombie (D) | September 20, 1986 | No | State Representative | 1938 |
| North Carolina 10 | Cass Ballenger (R) | November 4, 1986 | No | State Senator | 1926 |
