Richard Shelby (D) – Senior Senator from Alabama

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Originally elected to the Senate as a Democrat, Shelby switched to the Republican Party in 1994 when it gained the majority in Congress.

Jeff Sessions (R) – Junior Senator from Alabama

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The Senator was born on Christmas Eve in Selma, Alabama.

Lisa Murkowski (R) – Senior Senator from Alaska

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The Senator holds two firsts: as the only woman to be elected to Congress from her state, and as the first Senator born in Alaska. She also immediately succeeded her father as senator.

Mark Begich (D) – Junior Senator from Alaska

Photo by: Paul Morigi/Getty Images

Begich is the only U.S. Senator without a college degree. Begich has taken continuing education classes at University of Alaska Anchorage without graduating.

John McCain (R) – Senior Senator from Arizona

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Four generations of John S. McCains have graduated from the US Naval Academy, most recently the senator’s son John Sidney IV (“Jack”) in 2009.

Jon Kyl – (R) Junior Senator from Arizona

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His 2006 re-election campaign ended up being the most expensive in the state’s history, with Kyl raising $15 million dollars and his opponent real-estate developer Jim Pederson pouring his own money in to raise his campaign funds to almost that amount.

Blanche Lincoln (D) – Senior Senator from Arkansas

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She was elected to office under two names. First to the U.S. House of Representatives as Blanche Lambert, and then after her marriage, to the Senate as Blanche Lincoln. When she got elected to the the Senate she was the youngest woman to do so – at 38.

Mark Pryor (D) – Junior Senator from Arkansas

In January 2009, he was the youngest senator – for 19 days. He was the oldest senator to hold the title, at 45 years old. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 12: Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Product Safety and Insurance Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AK) testifies before the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on Capitol Hill September 12, 2007 in Washington, DC. The subcommittee held a hearing about the government and business reaction to the recent recall of millions of toys produced by Mattel and other companies in China.

Dianne Feinstein (D) – Senior Senator from California

The senator is featured in archival footage shown in the Academy Award winning film “Milk”. The 1978 footage shows Feinstein announcing at a press conference that San Francisco mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated by Dan White. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 28: U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) testifies during a hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee September 28, 2010 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The hearing was to examine the nation's pipeline safety in the wake of the pipeline explosion in San Bruno, California on September 9, 2010.

Barbara Boxer (D) – Junior Senator from California

She has made cameo appearances as herself in several television shows, including Murphy Brown, Gilmore Girls and Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as a cameo (as herself) in the 2000 film Traffic. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 25: U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) looks on during a news conference afte touring the Stion production facility on October 25, 2010 in San Jose, California. With one week to go before the election, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer continues to campaign throughout the state of California in hopes of keeping her senate seat by defeating her republican challenger and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina.

Mark Udall (D) Senior Senator from Colorado Senator

Udall is an avid mountaineer and has climbed all 54 mountains in Colorado with peaks more than 14,000 feet high.(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - JANUARY 15: U.S. Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) speaks during the confirmation hearing for U.S. Interior Secretary-designate and incumbent U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Capitol Hill January 15, 2009 in Washington, DC. Sen. Salazar, a member of the committee, was the first member from the committee who has been nominated for the position.

Michael Bennet (D) – Junior Senator from Colorado

He was born in New Delhi while his father, Douglas J. Bennet, was serving as an aide to Chester Bowles, then the U.S. ambassador to India. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

DENVER - NOVEMBER 03: Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Michael Bennet addresses the media to claim victory in the midterm elections in Denver's City Park on November 3, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. Bennet claimed victory over Republican Candidate Ken Buck, although Buck has not conceded.

Joe Lieberman (D) – Junior Senator from Connecticut

Before he was the first Jewish candidate on a major American political party presidential ticket, Joe walked to the senior prom rather than drive to it on a Saturday, in violation of Sabbath laws. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 01: U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill February 1, 2011 in Washington, DC. Lieberman and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) discussed the release of a report that says that less than one percent of the 4,000-mile U.S.-Canada border is monitored by U.S. border officials.

Chris Dodd (D) – Senior Senator from Connecticut

Sen. Dodd and former President Bill Clinton are long-time golfing buddies. Clinton even tried to convince Dodd to run for president in 2000. (Photo by Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) speaks during the wake for R. Sargent Shriver at Holy Trinity Catholic Church January 21, 2011 in Washington, DC. Shriver, first director of the Peace Corps and brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy, died on January 18 at the age of 95.

Tom Carper (D) – Senior Senator from Delaware

Sen. Carper (center) commutes everyday from his home in Wilmington, DE to Capitol Hill.(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 08: Sen.Tom Carper (D-DE)(C), speaks while flanked by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)(R), and Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)(L), during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, on February 8, 2011 in Washington, DC. The news conference was held to discuss a proposal that would provide the president with an enhanced rescission line-item veto authority.

Ted Kaufman (D) – Junior Senator from Delaware

Kaufman began a Senate tradition – called the “Senate’s Champion of Civil Service” by the Washington Post, he honors a different federal employee each week on the Senate floor for his or her dedication to public service. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 27: Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Chairman Ted Kaufman delivers opening remarks during a hearing on Capitol Hill October 27, 2010 in Washington, DC. The committee questioned U.S. Treasury Department Homeownership Preservation Office Chief Phyllis Caldwell about the Obama Administration's stated goal of helping three to four millions homeowners avoid foreclosure while the program has helped only 467,000 permanent modifications in the last 18 months. According to the committee seven million homeowners are still in the process of foreclosure.

Bill Nelson (D) – Senior Senator from Florida

In 1986, he became the second sitting member of the United States Congress to fly in space, as a Payload Specialist on the Space Shuttle Columbia. (Photo by Chris Usher/CBS via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - JUNE 6: In this photo provided by CBS, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) talks about the latest developments with containing Gulf Oil Spill with CBS News' Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer (not pictured) on the set of Face the Nation June 6, 2010 in Washington, DC. Nelson is concerned is that Florida travel and fishing businesses are already suffering.

George LeMieux (R) – Junior Senator from Florida

He has his own YouTube channel, which hosts his show The LeMieux report, which talks about economic and political issues in Florida. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 21: Sen. George LeMieux (R-FL) holds a copy of the Senate's health care legislation while speaking at a news conference regarding the bill on Capitol Hill on November 21, 2009 in Washington, DC. The Senate is expected to cast a procedural vote on the measure later today.

Saxby Chambliss (R) – Senior Senator from Georgia

Chambliss and Georgia’s junior senator, Johnny Isakson (R), met at the University of Georgia more than 40 years ago and dated a pair of Phi Mu sorority sisters they later married.(Photo by Dave Martin/Getty Images)

ATLANTA - DECEMBER 2: U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) talks with supporters at the Republican Victory Celebration on December 2, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. Chambliss is in a runoff against Democratic challenger Jim Martin.

Daniel Inouye (D) – Senior Senator from Hawaii

The most member of the Senate. Also holds the position of President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian-American politician in American history. (Photo credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

US Senator Daniel Inouye, D-HI, introduces retired US General Eric Shenseki during a full committee hearing on Shenseki's nomination to be Veterans Affairs Secretary on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, January 14, 2009.

Daniel Akaka (D) – Junior Senator from Hawaii

He is the first native Hawaiian in the Senate, and the only current member of the Senate with Chinese ancestry. His middle name is Hawaiian – Kahikina which means “the east” or “the arrival.”(Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, awaits the start of the confirmation hearing for Gen. Eric Shinseki to head the Department of Veterans Affairs on January 14, 2009 in Washington, DC. The retired four-star general received praise from both sides of the aisle and is widely expected to be confirmed.

Michael Crapo (R) – Senior Senator from Idaho

Crapo became the first Mormon senator in a state where one-quarter of residents are members of the church of Latter Day Saints.(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 07: Sen. Michael Crapo (R-ID) participates in a news conference on Capitol Hill on October 7, 2009 in Washington, DC. Senator Jim Bunning introduced an amendment that would require that the legislative language and a final and complete cost analysis by the Congressional Budget Office be made publicly available on the Finance Committee's website.

Jim Risch (R)- Junior Senator from Idaho

The senator has spent most of his career in public office. He’s run for office 32 times and lost only twice.(Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Newly elected Republican Senator Jim Risch, of Idaho poses for a photo in the office of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell November 17, 2008 at the US Capitol, in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN

Dick Durbin (D) – Senior Senator from Illinois

He was the first United States Senator to support the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama.(Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 2: Senate Majority Whip Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) speaks during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill February 2, 2011 in Washington, DC. The committee held the hearing to discuss the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, which was passed last year to reform healthcare and was a major issue during the 2010 midterm elections.

Roland Burris (D) – Junior Senator from Illinois

Burris has built a mausoleum for himself in Oak Woods Cemetery on Chicago’s South Side. His tombstone proclaims, “Trail Blazer,” and includes a list of his accomplishments, with space left for future ones.(Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 18: during a press conference on Capitol Hill November 18, 2010 in Washington, DC. Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and others joined to speak about repealing the US military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which prohibits homosexuals from openly serving.