Thirteen Georgetown Law Alumni in 116th Congress
November 8, 2018
When the 116th United States Congress convenes in January, it will include one newly elected Georgetown Law alumna — bringing the total number of Law Center graduates serving in Congress to 13. Five serve in the Senate and 8 will serve in the House of Representatives. Georgetown Law Professor Emerita and D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) also won re-election.
“We are especially pleased to have 14 members of our community continuing the Law Center’s long tradition of government service,” said Georgetown Law Dean William M. Treanor. “We congratulate the newest alumni members of the 116th Congress, and wish all of them the best in the years ahead.”
Rebecca (“Mikie”) Sherrill (D-N.J.)(L’07) was newly elected to the House of Representatives. Georgetown Law graduates re-elected to the House include David Cicilline (D-R.I.)(L’86), Francis Rooney (R-Fla.)(C’75, L’78), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.)(L’73), Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.)(L’84), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)(L’94), Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.)(LL.M.’82) and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)(L’66).
Rep. John K. Delaney (D-Md.)(L’88) did not run in 2018, choosing to focus on his 2020 presidential campaign. Six additional Georgetown Law alumni vied for seats in the House of Representatives.
In the Senate, Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)(L’78) won reelection. She will remain with her Georgetown Law colleagues Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)(L’90), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)(F’66, L’69), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)(L’64, H’94) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)(L’93, MSFS’93).
Five is the highest number of Georgetown Law alumni to serve in the Senate in a particular session of Congress; five alumni also served in the 115th, 114th and the 111th Congresses.
Leahy, who was first elected in 1975, is the longest serving member of the current Senate and the fifth longest serving senator in U.S. history.
Hoyer, who was elected in 1981, will be serving his 20th term in the House. Hoyer is currently the minority (Democratic) whip (Democrats will choose their House leaders in December).
Durbin is currently the minority (Democratic) whip in the Senate.
Professor Emerita Eleanor Holmes Norton (H’77, H’18) has served as the District of Columbia delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives since her election in 1990. She was Georgetown Law’s Commencement speaker in May, when she received an honorary degree from the Law Center; she received an honorary degree from Georgetown University in 1977.