Chapter 20: Myth—Politics Doesn’t Matter

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Control of Senate & Majority Leader

Congress Years DEMS REPS Senate Majority Leader 84th 1955-1957 D – Lyndon B. Johnson, TX

85th 1957-1959 D – Lyndon B. Johnson, TX 86th 1959-1961 D – Lyndon B. Johnson, TX 87th 1961-1963 D – Mike Mansfield, MT

88th 1963-1965 D – Mike Mansfield, MT 89th 1965-1967 D – Mike Mansfield, MT 90th 1967-1969 D – Mike Mansfield, MT 91st 1969-1971 D – Mike Mansfield, MT

92nd 1971-1973 D – Mike Mansfield, MT 93rd 1973-1975 D – Mike Mansfield, MT 94th 1975-1977 D – Mike Mansfield, MT 95th 1977-1979 D – Robert C. Byrd, WV

96th 1979-1981 D – Robert C. Byrd, WV 97th 1981-1983 R – Howard H. Baker, Jr, TN 98th 1983-1985 R – Howard H. Baker, Jr, TN

99th 1985-1987 R – Robert Dole, KS 100th 1987-1989 D – Robert C. Byrd, WV 101st 1989-1991 D – George J. Mitchell, Me 102nd 1991-1993 D – George J. Mitchell, Me

103rd 1993-1995 D – George J. Mitchell, Me 104th 1995-1997 R – Dole & C. Trent Lott, MS 105th 1997-1999 R – C. Trent Lott, MS

106th 1999-2001 R – C. Trent Lott, MS 107th 2001-2003 Coup D – Thomas A. Daschle, SD 108th 2003-2005 R – Bill Frist, TN

Note: Senate control by Democrats has prevented a full disclosure of what the Republican Party governance would actually be like. In addition, the Republicans in the Senate have never had the veto proof majority the Democrats enjoyed during their reign in power. As a result, a coup d’etat

was pulled off in 2001 that allowed the Democrats to retake the Senate when Jeffers, a Republican switched party affiliation.