The 109th United States Congress began on January 4, 2005. There were nine new senators (two Democrats, seven Republicans) and 40 new representatives (16 Democrats, 24 Republicans) at the start of its first session.
These senators and representatives served at the beginning of the Congress on January 4, 2005.
State | Image | Senator | Party | Switched party | Prior background | Religion | Birth year | Colorado | Ken Salazar | Democratic | Yes Open seat; replaced Ben Nighthorse CampbellAttorney General of Colorado | Roman Catholic | 1955 | |
Florida | Mel Martinez | Republican | Yes Open seat; replaced Bob Graham United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | Roman Catholic | 1946 | |
Georgia | Johnny Isakson | Republican | Yes Open seat; replaced Zell Miller Member of the U.S. House of Representatives | United Methodist | 1944 | |
Illinois | Barack Obama | Democratic | Yes Open seat; replaced Peter FitzgeraldMember of Illinois Senate | Christianity/United Church of Christ | 1961 | |
Louisiana | David Vitter | Republican | Yes Open seat; replaced John BreauxFormer Member Louisiana House of Representatives, Member U.S. House of Representatives | Roman Catholic | 1961 | |
North Carolina | Richard Burr | Republican | Yes Open seat; replaced John EdwardsMember U.S. House of Representatives | Methodist | 1955 | |
Oklahoma | Tom Coburn | Republican | No Open seat; replaced Don NicklesFormer Member U.S. House of Representatives | Baptist | 1948 | |
South Carolina | Jim DeMint | Republican | Yes Open seat; replaced Ernest HollingsMemberU.S. House of Representatives | Presbyterian | 1951 | |
South Dakota | John Thune | Republican | Yes Defeated Tom DaschleFormer MemberU.S. House of Representatives | Evangelical Christian | 1961 | |
District | Representative | Switched party | Prior background | Religion | Birth year | California|3|California 3}} | Daniel Lungren | No | Former Congressman | Roman Catholic | 1946 |
California|20|California 20}} | Jim Costa | No | Family farmer | Roman Catholic | 1952 |
Colorado|3|Colorado 3}} | John Salazar | Yes | Soldier | Roman Catholic | 1953 |
Florida|14|Florida 14}} | Connie Mack IV | No | State Representative | Roman Catholic | 1967 |
Florida|20|Florida 20}} | Debbie Wasserman Schultz | No | State Representative State Senator | Jewish | 1966 |
Georgia|4|Georgia 4}} | Cynthia McKinney | No | Former Congresswoman | Roman Catholic | 1955 |
Georgia|6|Georgia 6}} | Tom Price | No | State Senator | Presbyterian | 1954 |
Georgia|8|Georgia 8}} | Lynn Westmoreland | No | State Representative | Baptist | 1950 |
Georgia|12|Georgia 12}} | John Barrow | Yes | Athens City Council, Athens County Commissioner | Baptist | 1955 |
Illinois|3|Illinois 3}} | Dan Lipinski | No | Political assistant, college professor | Roman Catholic | 1966 |
Illinois|8|Illinois 8}} | Melissa Bean | Yes | Sales executive | Serbian Orthodox | 1962 |
Indiana|9|Indiana 9}} | Mike Sodrel | Yes | Guardsman, automotive executive | Baptist | 1945 |
Kentucky|4|Kentucky 4}} | Geoff Davis | Yes | Ranger, manufacturing consultant | Baptist | 1958 |
Louisiana|1|Louisiana 1}} | Bobby Jindal | No | Consultant | Roman Catholic | 1971 |
Louisiana|3|Louisiana 3}} | Charlie Melancon | Yes | Small business owner | Roman Catholic | 1947 |
Louisiana|7|Louisiana 7}} | Charles Boustany | Yes | Surgeon | Episcopalian | 1956 |
Michigan|7|Michigan 7}} | Joe Schwarz | No | Physician | Roman Catholic | 1937 |
Missouri|3|Missouri 3}} | Russ Carnahan | No | State Representative | Methodist | 1958 |
Missouri|5|Missouri 5}} | Emanuel Cleaver | No | Minister | United Methodist | 1944 |
Nebraska|1|Nebraska 1}} | Jeff Fortenberry | No | Publishing executive, economist | Roman Catholic | 1960 |
New York|27|New York 27}} | Brian Higgins | Yes | Political assistant | Roman Catholic | 1959 |
New York|29|New York 29}} | Randy Kuhl | No | State Representative, State Senator, attorney | Episcopalian | 1943 |
North Carolina|5|North Carolina 5}} | Virginia Foxx | No | State Senator, college professor/administrator | Roman Catholic | 1943 |
North Carolina|10|North Carolina 10}} | Patrick McHenry | No | State Representative, realtor | Roman Catholic | 1975 |
Oklahoma|2|Oklahoma 2}} | Dan Boren | No | State Representative | Methodist | 1973 |
Pennsylvania|8|Pennsylvania 8}} | Mike Fitzpatrick | No | Attorney | Roman Catholic | 1963 |
Pennsylvania|13|Pennsylvania 13}} | Allyson Schwartz | No | State Senator | Jewish | 1948 |
Pennsylvania|15|Pennsylvania 15}} | Charlie Dent | No | State Representative | Presbyterian | 1960 |
South Carolina|4|South Carolina 4}} | Bob Inglis | No | Attorney | Presbyterian Church in America | 1959 |
Texas|1|Texas 1}} | Louie Gohmert | Yes | Soldier | Southern Baptist | 1953 |
Texas|2|Texas 2}} | Ted Poe | Yes | Prosecutor, judge Harris County, Airmen | Church of Christ | 1948 |
Texas|9|Texas 9}} | Al Green | No | Justice of the Peace Harris County, attorney | Baptist | 1947 |
Texas|10|Texas 10}} | Michael McCaul | Yes | Federal prosecutor | Roman Catholic | 1952 |
Texas|11|Texas 11}} | Mike Conaway | Yes | Soldier | Southern Baptist | 1948 |
Texas|24|Texas 24}} | Kenny Marchant | Yes | State Representative | Church of the Nazarene | 1951 |
Texas|28|Texas 28}} | Henry Cuellar | No | State Representative, Secretary of State Texas, | Roman Catholic | 1955 |
Virginia|2|Virginia 2}} | Thelma Drake | No | State Representative, realtor | United Church of Christ | 1949 |
Washington|5|Washington 5}} | Cathy McMorris | No | State Representative, orchardist | Christian | 1969 |
Washington|8|Washington 8}} | Dave Reichert | No | Sheriff King County, Airmen | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 1950 |
Wisconsin|4|Wisconsin 4}} | Gwen Moore | No | State Representative, State Senate, civic affairs specialist | Baptist | 1951 |