Tim Kaine ’83 will continue serving in the U.S. Senate after losing his bid to become the first Harvard Law School graduate elected vice president and he’ll be joined by several other alumni on Capitol Hill.
In the House, S. Raja Krishnamoorthi ’00 (D-IL) District 8, will become only the second member of Congress born in India, according to Roll Call. Josh Gottheimer ’04 (D-NJ) District 5 defeated incumbent Scott Garrett and Anthony Brown ’92 (D-MD) District 4 won an open seat two years after losing in the Democratic primary for governor.
Two alumni won reelection in the Senate: Michael D. Crapo ’77 (R-ID) and Charles E. Schumer ’74 (D-NY), who has announced plans to run to succeed Harry Reid (D-NV) as the Senate Democratic Leader. Russ Feingold ’79 (D-Wisc.) lost his bid to return to the Senate, where he previously represented Wisconsin from 1993 to 2011 while Independent Margaret Stock ’92 lost to Alaska’s incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski.
Several HLS alumni won their U.S. House re-election races: Joaquin Castro ’00 (D-TX) District 20, Jim Cooper ’80 (D-TN) District 5, Ron DeSantis ’05 (R-FL) District 6, Joseph Kennedy III ’09 (D-MA) District 4, Sander Levin ’57 (D-MI) District 9, Mike Pompeo ’94 (R-KS) District 4, John Sarbanes ’88 (D-MD) District 4, Adam Schiff ’85 (D-Calif.) District 28, Terri Sewell ’92 (D-AL) District 7, Brad Sherman ’79 (D-Calif.) District 30 and Juan Vargas ’91 (D-CA), District 51.
Four other alumni unsuccessfully attempted to unseat House incumbents: Democrat David Calone ’99 in New York, Independent Shawn O’Connor ’07 in New Hampshire, and Republican Philip Rosenthal ’96 in New York.
Along with those listed above, four other HLS alumni serving in the U.S. Senate were not up for re-election this year: Tom Cotton ’02 (R-AR.), Ted Cruz ’95, (R-Texas), Jack Reed ’82 (D-RI), and Mark Warner ’80 (D-VA). Former Harvard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) also serves in the Senate.