(born 1947) Born in South Dakota, Democrat Tom Daschle was first elected to the United States Congress in 1978 by only 139 votes. He served four terms in the House of Representatives before winning his current Senate seat in 1986. In the Senate, Daschle quickly got involved in the Democratic Party leadership, acting for six years as co-chair of the Democratic Policy Committee before assuming his leadership position in the 104th Congress. In the Senate’s history only Lyndon Baines Johnson had spent fewer years in the Senate before winning such a post. Daschle also serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee.