Q&A on the News

I know that in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives the Democrats sit on the left and Republicans on the right. But how are those seats assigned? By seniority? – Frank Manfre, Grayson

Seating differs between the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Assigned seating in the House was abolished in 1913, when benches replaced the traditional desks, according to house.gov. Since then, members may sit wherever they like — although some informally choose the same seat. If you are looking at the Speaker of the House from the back of the chamber, the Democrats sit on the left side of the aisle and the Republicans sit on the right.

The Senate is more formal. It still uses desks — 48 of which date back to 1819 and all 100 of which are historic in their own right. Members are assigned a desk based on seniority, with a few exceptions. For example, the Daniel Webster Desk is always given to the senior senator from New Hampshire, according to senate.gov. The Jefferson Davis Desk always goes to the senior senator from Mississippi, and the Henry Clay Desk seats the senior senator from Kentucky.

The most junior members tend to be seated in the far right and far left back corners of the chamber, and one freshman Republican inherits the “candy desk,” which must be kept full of sweets for members, according to senate.gov. As senators move up in rank or seniority, they may move to a desk that is closer to the front and center of the chamber. From the back of the Senate facing forward, Democrats sit on the left side and Republicans sit on the right side.