Since when did this American businessman, politician, and the junior United States Senator serve in the Senate who currently occupies the Candy Desk?
Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph Toomey (born November 17, 1961) is an American businessman, politician, and the junior United States Senator from Pennsylvania, in office since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Toomey served as the United States Representative for Pennsylvania 's 15 congressional district for three terms, from 1999 to 2005, but he did not seek a fourth term in compliance with a term limits pledge he had made while running for office in 1998.
Al Franken Alan Stuart "Al" Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American writer, comedian, and politician. Since 2009, he has been the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a writer and performer on the television comedy show "Saturday Night Live". After decades as a comedic actor and writer, he became a prominent liberal political activist. Franken was first elected to the United States Senate in 2008 in a razor-thin victory over incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman, and then won re-election in 2014 over Republican challenger Mike McFadden. Franken is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), an affiliate of the Democratic Party.