Crimson on the Hill

Harvard's Capitol Hill alumni (defined for this exercise as graduates of or matriculants in a degree program) will drop from 42 members in the...

Harvard's Capitol Hill alumni (defined for this exercise as graduates of or matriculants in a degree program) will drop from 42 members in the 108th Congress to 41 members in the 109th, based on the 2004 election results. That total includes 29 Democrats (up two), 11 Republicans (down three), and one Independent (unchanged).

Three alumni did not run for reelection: Republican congressmen Douglas K. Bereuter, M.C.P. '66, M.P.A. '73, of Nebraska and Amory Houghton Jr. '50, M.B.A. '52, of New York, and Democratic senator Bob Graham, LL.B. '62, of Florida, who sought the presidency. Republican Patrick J. Toomey '84 of Pennsylvania, first elected to the House in 1998, who had promised to serve only three terms, mount ed a primary challenge against fellow Republican Arlen Specter, the state's senior senator, but lost in a close vote.

Toomey's House colleague David Vitter '83, Republican of Louisiana, did win a seat in the Senate, and will be joined by Barack Obama, J.D. '91, Democrat of Illinois. In the House, Democrats will welcome newcomer John Barrow, J.D. '79, of Georgia and Brian Higgins, M.P.A. '96, of New York. The line up follows (asterisks mark newcomers).

 

SENATE REPUBLICANS: Michael D. Crapo, J.D. '77 (Id.); Elizabeth Dole, M.A. '60, J.D. '65 (N.C.); William H. Frist, M.D. '78 (Tenn.); Ted Stevens, LL.B. '50 (Alaska); John E. Sununu, M.B.A. '91 (N.H.); *David Vitter '83 (La.).

 

SENATE DEMOCRATS: Jeff Bingaman '65 (N.M.); Russ Feingold, J.D. '79 (Wisc.); Edward M. Kennedy '54 (Mass.); Herbert H. Kohl, M.B.A. '58 (Wisc.); Carl Levin, LL.B. '59 (Mich.); *Barack Obama, J.D. '91 (Ill.); John F. (Jack) Reed, M.P.P. '73, J.D. '82 (R.I.); John D. Rockefeller IV '58 (W.V.); Paul S. Sarbanes, J.D. '60 (Md.); Charles E. Schumer '71, J.D. '74 (N.Y.).

 

SENATE INDEPENDENT: James M. Jeffords, LL.B. '62 (Vt.).


 

HOUSE REPUBLICANS: C. Christopher Cox, M.B.A. '75, J.D. '77 (Calif.); Katherine Harris, M.P.A. '97 (Fla.); Nancy L. Johnson '57 (Conn.); Thomas E. Petri '62, LL.B. '65 (Wisc.); Robert R. Simmons, G '73, M.P.A. '79 (Conn.).


 

HOUSE DEMOCRATS: Thomas H. Allen, J.D. '74 (Maine); *John Barrow, J.D. '79 (Ga.); James H. Cooper, J.D. '80 (Tenn.); Artur Davis '90, J.D. '93 (Ala.); Chet Edwards, M.B.A. '81 (Tex.); Barney Frank '61, G '62-'68, J.D. '77 (Mass.); Jane Harman, J.D. '69 (Calif.); *Brian Higgins, M.P.A. '96 (N.Y.); William J. Jefferson, J.D. '72 (La.); Ron Kind '85 (Wisc.); James R. Langevin, M.P.A. '94 (R.I.); Sander M. Levin, LL.B. '57 (Mich.); Stephen F. Lynch, M.P.A. '99 (Mass.); James D. Matheson '82 (Utah); Adam B. Schiff, J.D. '85 (Calif.); Robert C. Scott '69 (Va.); Bradley J. Sherman, J.D. '79 (Calif.); Christopher Van Hollen Jr., M.P.P. '85 (Md.); David Wu, M '81 (Ore.).


 

The roster above omits legislators who have taught at the University or participated in Harvard programs, but have not enrolled for a degree—such as newly elected Republican congressman Michael McCaul of Texas, a senior executive fellow at the Kennedy School for 2002.

 

Most popular

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

The former economics concentrator brings his talent for crunching numbers to netminding.

Explore More From Current Issue

Star-filled night sky with the Milky Way arching over a rocky silhouette.

There’s a growing movement to curb light pollution. It starts on your front porch.

Five individuals are posed in a monochrome outdoor setting near a cinderblock building, some standing, some seated.

Photographer and writer Morgan Smith chronicles life beyond the violence in Ciudad Juárez and other Mexican towns.

Graduates in caps and gowns celebrate joyfully, raising their hands in excitement.

Conan O’Brien headlines a star-studded cast