The 119th Congress Breaks Many Barriers, but Lacks Representation in Top Staff Hires

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 11, 2024

Contact:
Kennedy Fortner, kennedy.fortner@jointcenter.org

WASHINGTON – The members of the 119th Congress will achieve historic milestones, but so far they fall short in hiring top staffers who represent America’s diverse racial makeup.

There are 1602 top positions (chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications directors) in the personal offices of new and returning members of the 119th Congress. As of Dec. 6, U.S. senators filled 269 top staff positions and U.S. House members filled 1,057, leaving 276 positions to fill.

While the members of the 119th Congress are the most diverse to date, the racial makeup of its top staff does not reflect the diversity of the United States. According to the Joint Center’s midterm hiring campaign microsite, which went live in Nov. 2024 and features several interactive tracking tools, including monitoring top staff hires of all new and returning members, 82.8 percent of the positions have already been filled (1,326 of 1,602) as of Dec. 6, 2024. Of the top staff hired by new and returning members so far, 19.7 percent are people of color, and 5.4 percent are African American. With people of color accounting for 41.1 percent of the U.S. population (African Americans are 13.6 percent), the low percentages are concerning.

“Before the 119th Congress, only three Black women had ever served in the Senate, and never simultaneously. That's set to change in the next Congress when Maryland’s Angela Alsobrooks and Delaware’s Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester are sworn in on Jan. 3. Their victories double the number of Black women elected to the U.S. Senate from two to four. While these milestones are extremely commendable, the diversity within top staff positions across the U.S. Congress still falls short of reflecting the diversity of our nation,” said Dr. LaShonda Brenson, senior and lead researcher on the midterm hiring campaign. “Only 19.7 percent of congressional top staff are people of color, compared to 41.1 percent of people of color in the U.S. population, which is deeply concerning. Additionally, the number of former staffers who become members of Congress is continuously increasing, which highlights the critical need for diverse top staff to help build a pipeline of candidates who reflect America's diversity. Not only do we need a diverse candidate pool among top staffers, but their perspectives will also help represent the full needs of  members' constituents and help eliminate the barriers faced by people of color in this country.”

Newly-Elected House Members 

Newly-elected House members have filled 23 out of 195 top staff positions (11.8 percent of the total) as of Dec. 6. Of the roles already filled, the percentage of people of color in top staff roles (17.4 percent) continues to lag behind the national population (41.1 percent people of color), and is lower than the top staff of newly-elected House members in the 118th Congress (23.1 percent people of color), and the top staff of the entire House in 2022 (18.0 percent people of color). There are 172 top staff positions (88.2 percent of the total) remain to be filled; 92 are Democratic, and 80 are Republican.

Newly-Elected Senators 

Newly-elected senators filled 14 out of 36 top staff positions as of Dec. 6. Of the roles already filled, top staffers of color account for 14.3 percent, which is lower than the percentage of top staffers of color in the entire U.S. Senate in Oct. 2023 (15.8 percent) and higher than the hiring by newly-elected senators in the last Congress (8.3 percent). Twenty-two top staff positions (61.1 percent of the total) remain to be filled; nine are Democratic, and 13 are Republican.

Returning House Members

Of the 1,034 top staff positions filled by returning House members, the percentage of top staffers of color (20.4 percent) continues to lag behind the national population (41.1 percent people of color), but is slightly higher than the top staff of the entire House in 2022 (18.0 percent people of color).

House Democrats: Of the 503 positions already filled, people of color account for 34.2 percent of top staff hired by returning House Democrats. By comparison, people of color accounted for 29.5 percent of top staff employed by returning House Democrats of the previous Congress. Forty top staff positions in the personal offices of returning House Democratic members remain to be filled.

House Republicans: Of the 531 positions already filled, people of color account for 7.3 percent of top staff hired by returning House Republicans. By comparison, people of color accounted for 7.6 percent of staff employed by returning House Republicans of the previous Congress. Thirty-three top staff positions in the offices of returning House Republican members remain to be filled.

Returning Senators 

Of the 255 top staff positions filled by returning senators, the percentage of people of color in top staff roles (17.3 percent) continues to lag the national population (41.1 percent people of color), but is higher than the top staff of the entire Senate in 2022 (14.0 percent people of color).

Senate Democrats: Of the 122 positions already filled, people of color account for 29.5 percent of top staff hired by returning Senate Democrats. By comparison, people of color accounted for 21.3 percent of top staff employed by returning Senate Democrats of the 118th Congress. One top staff position in the personal offices of returning Senate Democratic members remains to be filled.

Senate Republicans: Of the 133 positions already filled, people of color account for 6.0 percent of top staff hired by returning Senate Republicans. By comparison, people of color accounted for 5.7 percent of staff employed by returning Senate Republicans of the 118th Congress. Eight top staff positions in the personal offices of returning Senate Republican members remain to be filled.

Diversity Must Be a Priority in Filling the Remaining Spots

Diversity among top staff of the freshmen members of the 119th Congress lags behind the national population (41.1 percent people of color). Further, if none of the 276 remaining open-top staff positions are filled by people of color, racial diversity among top staff of newly-elected and returning members will fall from 20.3 percent to 16.5 percent in the House, and will drop from 17.1 percent to 15.3 percent in the Senate. Newly-elected and returning members must continue to prioritize racial diversity in filling their remaining 245 House and 31 Senate open top staff positions.

*Our analysis reflects the 534 voting members of Congress as of Dec. 6, 2024, not including Florida House District 1. Independent members of Congress are counted with the party they caucus with.

Background

In November, the Joint Center launched its midterm hiring campaign, which includes a microsite featuring interactive tracking tools, reports, an explainer video, coalition letters, and a list of ways concerned citizens and members of Congress can get involved. The microsite allows users to learn how each new and returning member of Congress is faring when it comes to hiring diverse top staff (chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communications directors) in their Washington, DC office. The Joint Center regularly updates tracker data.

The Joint Center also sent letters signed by nearly 70 national organizations and diversity stakeholders to new and returning members of Congress to advocate for increasing diversity among top and mid-level congressional staffers.

To view detailed data on top staff of color hired by newly-elected and returning members, click here.

To understand the problem of a lack of Hill staff diversity, why it matters, and solutions, click here.

Please check the press release section of our website for future updates.

About the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America’s Black think tank, provides compelling and actionable policy solutions to eradicate persistent and evolving barriers to the full freedom of Black people in America. We are the trusted forum for leading experts and scholars to participate in major public policy debates and promote ideas that advance Black communities. We use evidence-based research, analysis, convenings, and strategic communications to support Black communities and a network of allies.