Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.WASHINGTON — On Capitol Hill, seniority influences everything from the assignment of prime parking spaces to who gets the choicest offices.
It also helps determine whether a lawmaker lands on the most powerful committees or ends up toiling in legislative backwaters.
But what happens when a former senator comes back after a long break in service? After all, that's what former U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey might attempt.
Kerrey is mulling whether to run for the Nebraska Senate seat now held by retiring Sen. Ben Nelson, a fellow Democrat.
Talk about Kerrey's potential seniority might seem premature, considering he hasn't even decided whether to run.
If he does run, he'll face an uphill battle. Nebraska is widely considered a prime opportunity for Republicans to pick up a Senate seat this fall.
Still, seniority and committee assignments are a consideration for any would-be candidate and could become a factor for voters as they weigh who would be their most effective advocate on Capitol Hill.
Kerrey represented Nebraska in the Senate from 1989 to 2001 but don't think that means he would leapfrog ahead of senators with less than 12 years of service if he returned.
His official seniority date would be the same as the other freshman members taking the oath of office in January 2013. He would, however, have an edge over freshmen who were new to Capitol Hill.
Senate rules take into account a series of tiebreakers when determining seniority, and previous Senate service is at the top of the list — coming even before credit for having been president.
Former governors also get a tiebreaker edge in seniority, though that's weighted less than former Senate service.
Beyond official seniority, however, leaders from both parties have some flexibility in determining who lands on which committees.
Whether Democratic leaders have promised anything to Kerrey in trying to get him to run isn't clear. Kerrey declined to comment on the topic, saying it was too early to discuss.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has helped recruit candidates in red states in the past, and he's one of the top Democrats in the Senate leadership. Schumer also declined comment on Kerrey's potential seniority.
Nelson told The World-Herald that before he made the decision to run, he talked to Senate Democrats about the seats he later held on the Agriculture and Armed Services Committees. He said that talk is always contingent on a seat opening up on a particular committee, but the awareness that he would be next in line factored into his decision.
“It made it easier for me to decide to run, knowing that I could get on Armed Services — if not right away, that I would be the next person to get on,” Nelson said. “That obviously makes a difference.”
Similarly, Nelson talked to leadership about securing a coveted spot on the Appropriations Committee when he was deciding whether to seek re-election in 2006. He ran, won, and received a spot on the panel.
If the Democrats lose seats in the Senate, that will mean fewer committee seats to go around, but Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report said a number of incumbent Democrats will retire, which will open up spaces.
“Of course, sitting members usually get first pick of new committee spots, which is why you don't see many freshmen on Finance,” she said. “However, because this is a leadership call, they could allow Kerrey to leapfrog over other Democrats for the seat (or seats) he wants.”
In Kerrey's case, the question might be just how much the Senate Democrats want him back.
“Depending on how badly leadership wants someone to run,” Nelson said, “they're more likely to make a commitment.”
Contact the writer:
202-630-4823, joe.morton@owh.com
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