List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives

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The speaker of the United States House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. The speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House, and is simultaneously the body's presiding officer, the de facto leader of the body's majority party, and the institution's administrative head.[1] Speakers also perform various administrative and procedural functions, all in addition to representing their own congressional district. Given these several roles and responsibilities, the speaker usually does not personally preside over debates. That duty is instead delegated to members of the House from the majority party. Neither does the speaker regularly participate in floor debates. Additionally, the speaker is second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president and ahead of the president pro tempore of the Senate.[2]

The House elects a new speaker by roll call vote when it first convenes after a general election for its two-year term, or when a speaker dies, resigns or is removed from the position intra-term. A majority of votes cast (as opposed to a majority of the full membership of the House) is necessary to elect a speaker.[1] If no candidate receives a majority vote, then the roll call is repeated until a speaker is elected.[3] The Constitution does not require the speaker to be an incumbent member of the House, although every speaker thus far has been.[4]

The current speaker of the House, Democrat Nancy Pelosi of California, was elected to a fourth (second consecutive) term in office on January 3, 2021, the first day of the 117th Congress. She is the only woman to have served as speaker. Altogether, 54 individuals, from 23 of the 50 states, have served as speaker of the House. The number from each state are:

One speaker, James K. Polk, subsequently served as President of the United States, the only one to serve in both offices, and two speakers, Schuyler Colfax and John Nance Garner, later became Vice president. The longest serving speaker was Sam Rayburn – 17 years, 53 days. Elected 10 times, he led the House three times: from September 1940 to January 1947; January 1949 to January 1953; and January 1955 to November 1961. Tip O'Neill had the longest uninterrupted tenure as speaker – 9 years, 350 days. Elected five times, he led the House from January 1977 to January 1987. Theodore M. Pomeroy had the shortest tenure; elected speaker on March 3, 1869, he served one day.

List of speakers

The House has elected a speaker 126 times since 1789:[3] at the start of each of the 117 congresses, plus on 10 occasions when a vacancy arose during a Congress via death or resignation. Of the 54 people who have served as speaker of the House over the past 235 years, 32 served multiple terms, and seven of them served nonconsecutive terms: Frederick Muhlenberg, Henry Clay, John W. Taylor, Thomas Brackett Reed, Joseph W. Martin Jr., Sam Rayburn, and Nancy Pelosi. Altogether, there have been 63 occasions on which a new speaker took office. Every speaker of the House has been a member of a political party or faction; the number affiliated with each is:

      Democratic – 22;[lower-alpha 1]       Republican – 16;       Democratic-Republican – 6;[lower-alpha 2]       Jacksonian – 3;[lower-alpha 1]       Whig – 3;       Federalist – 2;       Pro-Administration – 2;[lower-alpha 3]       Adams Republican – 1;[lower-alpha 2]       American – 1;       Anti-Administration – 1.[lower-alpha 3]

As of April 2024, there are four living former speakers of the House: Newt Gingrich, Dennis Hastert, John Boehner, and Paul Ryan. Nancy Pelosi was also among this group, prior to reassuming the office in January 2019.

<templatestyles src="Screen reader-only/styles.css" />List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives
Congress Term Portrait Name Party District[lower-alpha 4]
1st April 1, 1789
–
March 4, 1791		 Frederick Muhlenberg.jpg Frederick Muhlenberg Pro-Administration Pennsylvania at-large
2nd October 24, 1791
–
March 4, 1793		 JonathanTrumbull.jpg Jonathan Trumbull Jr. Pro-Administration Connecticut at-large
3rd December 2, 1793[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1795		 Frederick Muhlenberg.jpg Frederick Muhlenberg Anti-Administration Pennsylvania at-large
4th December 7, 1795
–
March 4, 1797		 JDayton.jpg Jonathan Dayton Federalist New Jersey at-large

5th

 May 15, 1797
–
March 4, 1799
6th December 2, 1799[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1801		 150px Theodore Sedgwick Federalist Massachusetts 1
7th December 7, 1801
–
March 4, 1803		 NC-Congress-NathanielMacon.jpg Nathaniel Macon Democratic-
Republican		 North Carolina 5
8th October 17, 1803
–
March 4, 1805		 North Carolina 6
9th December 2, 1805[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1807
10th October 26, 1807
–
March 4, 1809		 JosephBradleyVarnum.jpg Joseph Bradley Varnum Democratic-
Republican		 Massachusetts 4
11th May 22, 1809[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1811
12th November 4, 1811
–
March 4, 1813		 Henry Clay.JPG Henry Clay Democratic-
Republican		 Kentucky 5
13th May 24, 1813
–
January 19, 1814[lower-alpha 6]		 Kentucky 2
13th[lower-alpha 7] January 19, 1814
–
March 4, 1815		 LangdonCheves.jpg Langdon Cheves Democratic-
Republican		 South Carolina 1
14th December 4, 1815
–
March 4, 1817		 Henry Clay.JPG Henry Clay Democratic-
Republican		 Kentucky 2
15th December 1, 1817
–
March 4, 1819
16th December 6, 1819
–
October 28, 1820[lower-alpha 6]
16th[lower-alpha 7] November 15, 1820[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1821		 SpeakerTaylor.png John W. Taylor Democratic-
Republican		 New York 11
17th December 4, 1821[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1823		 PPBarbour.jpg Philip P. Barbour Democratic-
Republican		 Virginia 11
18th December 1, 1823
–
March 6, 1825[lower-alpha 6]		 Henry Clay.JPG Henry Clay Democratic-
Republican		 Kentucky 3
19th December 5, 1825[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1827		 SpeakerTaylor.png John W. Taylor Adams Republican New York 17
20th December 3, 1827
–
March 4, 1829		 150px Andrew Stevenson Jacksonian Virginia 9
21st December 7, 1829
–
March 4, 1831
22nd December 5, 1831
–
March 4, 1833
23rd December 2, 1833
–
June 2, 1834[lower-alpha 6]		 Virginia 11
23rd[lower-alpha 7] June 2, 1834[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1835		 John Bell.jpg John Bell Jacksonian Tennessee 7
24th December 7, 1835
–
March 4, 1837		 James Knox Polk by GPA Healy, 1858.jpg James K. Polk Jacksonian Tennessee 9
25th September 4, 1837
–
March 4, 1839		 Democratic
26th December 16, 1839[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1841		 RbrtMTHntr.jpg Robert M. T. Hunter Whig Virginia 9
27th May 31, 1841
–
March 4, 1843		 John White.jpg John White Whig Kentucky 9
28th December 4, 1843
–
March 4, 1845		 JohnWinstonJones.jpg John Winston Jones Democratic Virginia 6
29th December 1, 1845
–
March 4, 1847		 John Wesley Davis.jpg John Wesley Davis Democratic Indiana 6
30th December 6, 1847[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1849		 RCWinthrop.jpg Robert Charles Winthrop Whig Massachusetts 1
31st December 22, 1849[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1851		 Cobb, Howell2.jpg Howell Cobb Democratic Georgia 6
32nd December 1, 1851
–
March 4, 1853		 LinnBoyd.jpg Linn Boyd Democratic Kentucky 1
33rd December 5, 1853
–
March 4, 1855
34th February 2, 1856[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1857		 150px Nathaniel P. Banks American Massachusetts 7
35th December 7, 1857
–
March 4, 1859		 James Lawrence Orr - Brady-Handy.jpg James Lawrence Orr Democratic South Carolina 5
36th February 1, 1860[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1861		 150px William Pennington Republican New Jersey 5
37th July 4, 1861
–
March 4, 1863		 150px Galusha A. Grow Republican Pennsylvania 14
38th December 7, 1863
–
March 4, 1865		 150px Schuyler Colfax Republican Indiana 9
39th December 4, 1865
–
March 4, 1867
40th March 4, 1867
–
March 3, 1869[lower-alpha 6]
40th[lower-alpha 7] March 3–4, 1869 Theodore Medad Pomeroy - Brady-Handy.jpg Theodore M. Pomeroy Republican New York 24
41st March 4, 1869
–
March 4, 1871		 James G. Blaine - Brady-Handy.jpg James G. Blaine Republican Maine 3
42nd March 4, 1871
–
March 4, 1873
43rd March 4, 1873
–
March 4, 1875
44th December 6, 1875
–
August 19, 1876[lower-alpha 8]		 Michael C. Kerr - Brady-Handy.jpg Michael C. Kerr Democratic Indiana 3
44th[lower-alpha 7] December 4, 1876
–
March 4, 1877		 Samuel J. Randall - Brady-Handy.jpg Samuel J. Randall Democratic Pennsylvania 3
45th October 15, 1877
–
March 4, 1879
46th March 18, 1879
–
March 4, 1881
47th December 5, 1881
–
March 4, 1883		 J. Warren Keifer - Brady-Handy.jpg J. Warren Keifer Republican Ohio 8
48th December 3, 1883
–
March 4, 1885		 John Griffin Carlisle, Brady-Handy photo portrait, ca1870-1880.jpg John G. Carlisle Democratic Kentucky 6
49th December 7, 1885
–
March 4, 1887
50th December 5, 1887
–
March 4, 1889
51st December 2, 1889
–
March 4, 1891		 Thomas Brackett Reed by John Singer Sargent.jpg Thomas Brackett Reed Republican Maine 1
52nd December 8, 1891
–
March 4, 1893		 CharlesFrederickCrisp.jpg Charles Frederick Crisp Democratic Georgia 3
53rd August 7, 1893
–
March 4, 1895
54th December 2, 1895
–
March 4, 1897		 Thomas Brackett Reed by John Singer Sargent.jpg Thomas Brackett Reed Republican Maine 1
55th March 15, 1897
–
March 4, 1899
56th December 4, 1899
–
March 4, 1901		 DavidBremmerHenderson.jpg David B. Henderson Republican Iowa 3
57th December 2, 1901
–
March 4, 1903
58th November 9, 1903
–
March 4, 1905		 SpeakerCannon.png Joseph Gurney Cannon Republican Illinois 18
59th December 4, 1905
–
March 4, 1907
60th December 2, 1907
–
March 4, 1909
61st March 15, 1909
–
March 4, 1911
62nd April 4, 1911
–
March 4, 1913		 James Beauchamp Clark.jpg Champ Clark Democratic Missouri 9
63rd April 7, 1913
–
March 4, 1915
64th December 6, 1915
–
March 4, 1917
65th April 2, 1917
–
March 4, 1919
66th May 19, 1919
–
March 4, 1921		 150px Frederick H. Gillett Republican Massachusetts 2
67th April 11, 1921
–
March 4, 1923
68th December 5, 1923[lower-alpha 5]
–
March 4, 1925
69th December 7, 1925
–
March 4, 1927		 Nick Longworth Portrait.JPG Nicholas Longworth Republican Ohio 1
70th December 5, 1927
–
March 4, 1929
71st April 15, 1929
–
March 4, 1931
72nd December 7, 1931
–
March 4, 1933		 John n garner.jpg John Nance Garner Democratic Texas 15
73rd March 9, 1933
–
August 19, 1934[lower-alpha 8]		 SpeakerRainey.png Henry Thomas Rainey Democratic Illinois 20
74th January 3, 1935
–
June 4, 1936[lower-alpha 8]		 Joseph Byrns.jpg Jo Byrns Democratic Tennessee 5
74th[lower-alpha 7] June 4, 1936
–
January 3, 1937		 SpeakerBankhead.png William B. Bankhead Democratic Alabama 7
75th January 5, 1937
–
January 3, 1939
76th January 3, 1939
–
September 15, 1940[lower-alpha 8]
76th[lower-alpha 7] September 16, 1940
–
January 3, 1941		 Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn.jpg Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas 4
77th January 3, 1941
–
January 3, 1943
78th January 6, 1943
–
January 3, 1945
79th January 3, 1945
–
January 3, 1947
80th January 3, 1947
–
January 3, 1949		 SPEAKER JWMartin.jpg Joseph W. Martin Jr. Republican Massachusetts 14
81st January 3, 1949
–
January 3, 1951		 Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn.jpg Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas 4
82nd January 3, 1951
–
January 3, 1953
83rd January 3, 1953
–
January 3, 1955		 SPEAKER JWMartin.jpg Joseph W. Martin Jr. Republican Massachusetts 14
84th January 3, 1955
–
January 3, 1957		 Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn.jpg Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas 4
85th January 3, 1957
–
January 3, 1959
86th January 7, 1959
–
January 3, 1961
87th January 3, 1961
–
November 16, 1961[lower-alpha 8]
87th[lower-alpha 7] January 10, 1962
–
January 3, 1963		 Speaker John McCormack.jpg John W. McCormack Democratic Massachusetts 12
88th January 9, 1963
–
January 3, 1965		 Massachusetts 9
89th January 4, 1965
–
January 3, 1967
90th January 10, 1967
–
January 3, 1969
91st January 3, 1969
–
January 3, 1971
92nd January 21, 1971
–
January 3, 1973		 Speaker Albert - portrait.jpg Carl Albert Democratic Oklahoma 3
93rd January 3, 1973
–
January 3, 1975
94th January 14, 1975
–
January 3, 1977
95th January 4, 1977
–
January 3, 1979		 SpeakerO'Neill.jpg Tip O'Neill Democratic Massachusetts 8
96th January 15, 1979
–
January 3, 1981
97th January 5, 1981
–
January 3, 1983
98th January 3, 1983
–
January 3, 1985
99th January 3, 1985
–
January 3, 1987
100th January 6, 1987
–
January 3, 1989		 SpeakerWright.jpg Jim Wright Democratic Texas 12
101st January 3, 1989
–
June 6, 1989[lower-alpha 6]
101st[lower-alpha 7] June 6, 1989
–
January 3, 1991		 SpeakerFoley.jpg Tom Foley Democratic Washington 5
102nd January 3, 1991
–
January 3, 1993
103rd January 5, 1993
–
January 3, 1995
104th January 4, 1995
–
January 3, 1997		 150px Newt Gingrich Republican Georgia 6
105th January 7, 1997
–
January 3, 1999[lower-alpha 6]
106th January 6, 1999
–
January 3, 2001		 SpeakerHastert.jpg Dennis Hastert Republican Illinois 14
107th January 3, 2001
–
January 3, 2003
108th January 7, 2003
–
January 3, 2005
109th January 3, 2005
–
January 3, 2007
110th January 4, 2007
–
January 3, 2009		 150px Nancy Pelosi Democratic California 8
111th January 6, 2009
–
January 3, 2011
112th January 5, 2011
–
January 3, 2013		 Official 2019 portrait of John Boehner, former Speaker of the House from 2011-2015 John Boehner Republican Ohio 8
113th January 3, 2013
–
January 3, 2015
114th January 6, 2015
–
October 29, 2015[lower-alpha 6]
114th[lower-alpha 7] October 29, 2015
–
January 3, 2017		 150px Paul Ryan Republican Wisconsin 1
115th January 3, 2017
–
January 3, 2019
116th January 3, 2019
–
January 3, 2021		 150px Nancy Pelosi Democratic California 12
117th January 3, 2021
–
present
References:[5][6]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 During James K. Polk's tenure as speaker the Jacksonian bloc amalgamated into the modern Democratic Party.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 John Taylor served as speaker twice in the 1820s; initially he was as a member of the Democratic–Republican Party, and later, when the party began to fracture, he sided with its pro–Adams faction.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Frederick Muhlenberg served as speaker twice in the 1790s, before political factions coalesced into formal parties; initially he identified with the pro–administration faction, but later he aligned himself with the anti–administration faction.
  4. ↑ The district listed is the district the speaker represented at the time they were in office, which may be different in different Congresses due to redistricting.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 Multi-ballot election.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Resigned from office and from Congress.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 Intra-term special election.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Died in office.

Timeline

Template:Timeline US Speaker Horizontal

Speakers by time in office

The length of time given below is based on the difference between dates; if counted by number of calendar days all the figures would be one greater. Also, as many speakers were elected multiple times, and to terms that were, in several instances, not consecutive, the length of time given for each speaker measures their cumulative length of incumbency as speaker. Further, time after adjournment of one Congress but before the convening of the next Congress is not counted. For example, Nathaniel Macon was speaker in both the 8th and 9th Congresses, but the eight-month gap between the two Congresses is not counted toward his service. The exact dates of service for each individual speaker is shown in the Term of service column of the above table.

Official seal of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Sam Rayburn, longest serving speaker of the House,
17 years, 53 days (cumulative)
File:Tip O'Neill 1978 (retouched).jpg
Tip O'Neill, longest uninterrupted tenure of office,
9 years, 350 days
Theodore M. Pomeroy, shortest tenure of office, 1 day
Rank Name Time in office TE Year(s) in which elected
1 Sam Rayburn 17 years, 53 days 10 1940; 1941; 1943; 1945; 1949; 1951; 1955; 1957; 1959; 1961
2 Henry Clay 10 years, 196 days 6 1811; 1813; 1815; 1817; 1819; 1823
3 Tip O'Neill 9 years, 350 days 5 1977; 1979; 1981; 1983; 1985
4 John W. McCormack 8 years, 344 days 5 1962; 1963; 1965; 1967; 1969
5 Dennis Hastert Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 4 1999; 2001; 2003; 2005
6 Nancy Pelosi Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 4 2007; 2009; 2019; 2021
7 Champ Clark 6 years, 357 days 4 1911; 1913; 1915; 1917
8 Carl Albert 5 years, 337 days 3 1971; 1973; 1975
9 Joseph Gurney Cannon 5 years, 285 days 4 1903; 1905; 1907; 1909
10 Tom Foley Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 3 1989; 1991; 1993
11 James G. Blaine 5 years, 93 days 3 1869; 1871; 1873
12 Frederick H. Gillett 4 years, 341 days 3 1919; 1921; 1923
13 John Boehner 4 years, 297 days 3 2011; 2013; 2015
14 Schuyler Colfax 4 years, 176 days 3 1863; 1865; 1867
15 Thomas Brackett Reed 4 years, 172 days 3 1889; 1895; 1897
16 Nicholas Longworth 4 years, 133 days 3 1925; 1927; 1929
17 William B. Bankhead Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 3 1936; 1937; 1939
18 Andrew Stevenson 4 years, 83 days 4 1827; 1829; 1831; 1833
19 Joseph W. Martin Jr. 4 years 2 1947; 1953
20 Newt Gingrich Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 2 1995; 1997
21 Nathaniel Macon 3 years, 317 days 3 1801; 1803; 1805
22 John G. Carlisle 3 years, 267 days 3 1883; 1885; 1887
23 Samuel J. Randall 3 years, 215 days 3 1876; 1877; 1879
24 Paul Ryan Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 2 2015; 2017
25 Frederick Muhlenberg 3 years, 64 days 2 1789; 1793
26 Joseph Bradley Varnum 3 years, 49 days 2 1807; 1809
27 Jonathan Dayton 3 years, 14 days 2 1795; 1797
28 Charles Frederick Crisp 2 years, 295 days 2 1891; 1893
29 James K. Polk 2 years, 268 days 2 1835; 1837
30
(tie)		 Linn Boyd 2 years, 182 days 2 1851; 1853
David B. Henderson 2 years, 182 days 2 1899; 1901
32 Jim Wright Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 2 1987; 1989
33 John White Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1841
34 Galusha A. Grow Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1861
35 John W. Taylor 1 year, 198 days 2 1820; 1825
36 Henry Thomas Rainey Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1933
37 Joseph W. Byrns Sr. Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1935
38 Jonathan Trumbull Jr. Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1791
39 John Wesley Davis Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1845
40 Theodore Sedgwick Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1799
41
(tie)		 Philip P. Barbour Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1821
John Winston Jones Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1843
43 J. Warren Keifer Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1881
44 Robert Charles Winthrop Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1847
45
(tie)		 James Lawrence Orr Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1857
John Nance Garner Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1931
47 Robert M. T. Hunter Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1839
48 Howell Cobb Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1849
49 Langdon Cheves Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1814
50 William Pennington Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1860
51 Nathaniel P. Banks Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1856
52 John Bell Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1834
53 Michael C. Kerr Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1875
54 Theodore M. Pomeroy Script error: The function "age_generic" does not exist. 1 1869

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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Further reading

External links

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