Upper house
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(Redirected from State Senate)
The term upper house refers to one of two state legislative chambers in a bicameral legislature. An upper house, or state senate, is the upper deliberative body, or chamber, in states with a bicameral legislature. A state senate normally has fewer members — usually one-half to one-third as many members — than a state assembly or state house of representatives.
Overview
Upper houses have fewer members than lower houses, and members tend to have longer terms than lower house members. As of September 2025, upper houses also varied from state to state in a number of ways, including:
- Term length - two years, four years, or 2-4-4
- Session length - part time or full time
- Term limits - some states limited the number of terms members can serve, most did not
- Number of legislators - the number of upper house members per state varied from 20 to 67
- Salary - annual salaries varied from none at all to $142,000 per year
- Number of residents represented - out of all state senates, California's senators represented the most residents - 989,419 per senator, while North Dakota's senators represented the fewest - 16,589 residents per senator.
Comparison of state upper houses
| Chamber article | Members | Party control | Term Length | Term Limit | Session start date | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii State Senate | 25 | Democrat | 2-4-4 year system | None | January 15, 2025 | $60,180/year + per diem |
| Idaho State Senate | 35 | Republican | 2 years | None | January 6, 2025 | $16,684/year + per diem |
| Indiana State Senate | 50 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 8, 2025 | $32,070.24/year + per diem |
| Kentucky State Senate | 38 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 7, 2025 | $188.22/calendar day during session for legislators whose terms began before 2023. $203.28/calendar day for legislators whose terms began after 2023. + per diem |
| Louisiana State Senate | 39 | Republican | 4 years | 3 terms (12 years) | April 14, 2025 | $16,800/year; plus an additional $6,000/year as an unvouchered expense + per diem |
| Maine State Senate | 35 | Democrat | 2 years | 4 terms (8 years) | December 4, 2024 | $16,245.12 for the first regular session. $11,668.32 for the second regular session. + per diem |
| Nebraska State Senate (Unicameral) | 49 | Republican | 4 years | 2 terms (8 years) | January 8, 2025 | $12,000/year + per diem |
| Maryland State Senate | 47 | Democrat | 4 years | None | January 8, 2025 | $54,437/year + per diem |
| New Jersey State Senate | 40 | Democrat | 2-4-4 year system | None | January 14, 2025 | $49,000/year |
| New Mexico State Senate | 42 | Democrat | 4 years | None | January 21, 2025 | $0/year + per diem |
| North Carolina State Senate | 50 | Republican | 2 years | None | January 8, 2025 | $13,951/year + per diem and expenses |
| New York State Senate | 63 | Democrat | 2 years | None | January 8, 2025 | $142,000/year + per diem |
| North Dakota State Senate | 47 | Republican | 4 years | 2 terms (8 years) | January 7, 2025 | $592/month + per diem |
| South Dakota State Senate | 35 | Republican | 2 years | 4 terms (8 years) | January 14, 2025 | $13,436/year + per diem |
| Tennessee State Senate | 33 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 14, 2025 | $28,405.96/year + per diem |
| Texas State Senate | 31 | Republican | 2-4-4 year system | None | January 14, 2025 | $7,200/year + per diem |
| Utah State Senate | 29 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 21, 2025 | $293.55/legislative day + per diem |
| Washington State Senate | 49 | Democrat | 4 years | None | January 9, 2017 | $60,191/year for senators. $61,997/year for representatives. + per diem |
| Wisconsin State Senate | 33 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 6, 2025 | $57,408/year + per diem |
| Wyoming State Senate | 31 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 14, 2025 | $150/day + per diem |
| Alabama State Senate | 35 | Republican | 4 years | None | February 4, 2025 | $59,674.08/year |
| Arizona State Senate | 30 | Republican | 2 years | 4 terms (8 years) | January 13, 2025 | $24,000/year + per diem |
| Arkansas State Senate | 35 | Republican | 2-4-4 year system | 12 consecutive years; can return after a four-year break | January 13, 2025 | $44,356/year + per diem |
| California State Senate | 40 | Democrat | 4 years | 12 years[1][2] | December 2, 2024 | $128,215/year + per diem |
| Colorado State Senate | 35 | Democrat | 4 years | 2 terms (8 years) | January 8, 2025 | $43,977/year for legislators whose terms began in 2023. $41,449/year for legislators whose terms began in 2021. + per diem |
| Connecticut State Senate | 36 | Democrat | 2 years | None | January 8, 2025 | $40,000/year |
| Georgia State Senate | 56 | Republican | 2 years | None | January 13, 2025 | $17,342/year + per diem |
| Massachusetts State Senate | 40 | Democrat | 2 years | None | January 1, 2025 | $73,655.01/year |
| Michigan State Senate | 38 | Democrat | 4 years | 12 combined years in the Legislature | January 8, 2025 | $71,685/year + expenses |
| Minnesota State Senate | 67 | Democrat | 2-4-4 year system | None | January 14, 2025 | $51,750/year + per diem |
| Mississippi State Senate | 52 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 7, 2025 | $23,500/year + per diem |
| Missouri State Senate | 34 | Republican | 4 years | 2 terms (8 years) | January 8, 2025 | $41,070.14/year + per diem |
| Montana State Senate | 50 | Republican | 4 years | 2 terms (8 years) | January 6, 2025 | $104.86/legislative day + per diem |
| New Hampshire State Senate | 24 | Republican | 2 years | None | January 8, 2025 | $100/year |
| Ohio State Senate | 33 | Republican | 4 years | 2 terms (8 years) | January 6, 2025 | $71,099/year |
| Oregon State Senate | 30 | Democrat | 4 years | None | January 21, 2025 | $35,052/year + per diem |
| Pennsylvania State Senate | 50 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 7, 2025 | $106,422.33/year + per diem |
| Nevada State Senate | 21 | Democrat | 4 years | 3 terms (12 years) | February 3, 2025 | $130/legislative day + per diem |
| Alaska State Senate | 20 | Split | 4 years | None | January 21, 2025 | $84,000/year + per diem |
| Delaware State Senate | 21 | Democrat | 2-4-4 year system | None | January 14, 2025 | $45,291/year |
| Florida State Senate | 40 | Republican | 2-4-4 year system | 2 terms (8 years) | March 4, 2025 | $29,697/year + per diem |
| Illinois State Senate | 59 | Democrat | 2-4-4 year system[3] | None | January 8, 2025 | $89,250/year + per diem |
| Kansas State Senate | 40 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 13, 2025 | $86.66/session day + per diem |
| Oklahoma State Senate | 48 | Republican | 4 years | 12 year cumulative total, in either or both chambers | February 3, 2025 | $47,500/year + per diem |
| Rhode Island State Senate | 38 | Democrat | 2 years | None | January 7, 2025 | $19,037/year |
| Vermont State Senate | 30 | Democrat | 2 years | None | January 8, 2025 | $843.32/week during session + per diem |
| South Carolina State Senate | 46 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 14, 2025 | $10,400/year + per diem |
| Virginia State Senate | 40 | Democrat | 4 years | None | January 8, 2025 | $18,000/year for senators. $17,640/year for delegates. + per diem |
| Iowa State Senate | 50 | Republican | 4 years | None | January 13, 2025 | $25,000/year + per diem |
| West Virginia State Senate | 34 | Republican | 4 years | None | February 12, 2025 | $20,000/year + per diem |
| Alabama State Senate elections |
Footnotes
- ↑ According to the Chief Clerk of the California State Assembly, "Senators who were first elected to the State Legislature on or after the passage of Proposition 28 may serve 12 years in the Senate, or a combination of service in the Assembly and Senate as long as the combined terms do not exceed 12 years. Senators elected to the State Legislature prior to the passage of Proposition 28 are bound by two four-year terms in the State Senate and three two-year terms in the State Assembly established by the passage of Proposition 140, in 1990."
- ↑ California State Assembly Office of the Chief Clerk, "Elected Officials," accessed September 21, 2025
- ↑ Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970, senators are divided into three groups, each group having a two-year term at a different part of the decade between censuses, with the rest of the decade being taken up by two four-year terms. Depending on the election year, roughly ⅓, ⅔, or all of the senate seats may have terms ending.
