Ranking member

In United States politics, a ranking member is the second-most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the majority party.

Another usage refers to the most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party. This second usage, often used by the media, should properly be referred to as the ranking minority member. On many committees the ranking minority member, along with the chairman, serve as ex officio members of all of the committee's subcommittees.

When party control of a legislative chamber changes, a committee's ranking minority member is likely, though not assured, to become the next chairman of the committee, and vice versa.

Congressional usage

Four Senate committees refer to the ranking minority member as Vice Chairman. The following committees follow the Chairman/Vice Chairman structure for the majority and minority parties.