the.com/senator
a six-year job title earned by convincing strangers you understand their problems
means A member of a senate — a legislative body — typically elected to help make a country's or state's laws.
from From Latin senator, 'an old man,' rooted in senex, 'old.' Rome's senate was literally a council of elders — graybeards trusted with wisdom — so the word carries the assumption, charitable or not, that age and authority travel together. The same senex gives us 'senile' and 'senior,' two relatives that don't always sit comfortably at the same table.
- origin
- from Latin senex, meaning old man
- term length
- six years, longest in U.S. government
- minimum age
- must be at least thirty years old
- roman roots
- Rome's Senate ruled for nearly five centuries
- the count
- exactly two per state, regardless of population
bernie sanders — u.s. senator from vermont since 1991, ran for president twice
kyrsten sinema — u.s. senator from arizona since 2019, tied key votes on biden legislation
mitch mcconnell — u.s. senator from kentucky since 1985, senate majority leader 2015-2021