Senate Democratic staff become markedly more diverse amid Trump’s DEI pushback

A new survey shows that non-white representation among Senate Democratic staff has risen to 43%, a notable increase since the 2017 baseline.

According to the most recent annual survey, Senate Democratic offices now have 43% non-white staff, a rise from about 33% when the survey began in 2017. The demographic breakdown includes 16% Latino, 13% African American, 12% Asian American and Pacific Islander, 3% Middle Eastern or North African, and 2% Native American, Alaskan or Hawaiian, with 16% identifying as LGBTQ and 58% as female. Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer noted the contrast between this progress and President Donald Trump’s campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Senate Republicans do not publish comparable data. An independent study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found that Black and Latino staff remain underrepresented in senior committee positions, with the Senate Banking Committee being the most diverse and the Armed Services Committee the least. Senators Brian Schatz, Martin Heinrich and Alex Padilla lead in staff diversity within personal offices, while Senators Gary Peters, Peter Welch and Tina Smith have the lowest non-Caucasian representation.