As of 2017, there have been eight African-American senators since the caucus's founding. The six black senators, all Democrats, who are or have been members of the Congressional Black Caucus are Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, elected in 2013, and Senator Kamala Harris of California, elected in 2016, both currently serving; former Senators Carol Moseley Braun (1993–1999) Barack Obama (2005–2008) and Roland Burris (2008–2010), all of Illinois; and former Senator Mo Cowan (2013) of Massachusetts. Burris was appointed by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in December 2008 to fill Obama's seat for the remaining two years of his Senate term after Obama was elected President of the United States. Cowan was appointed to temporarily serve until a special election after John Kerry vacated his Senate seat to become Secretary of State.
Senator Edward Brooke, a Republican who represented Massachusetts in the 60s and 70s, was not a member of the CBC. In 2013, Senator Tim Scott, Republican of South Carolina, also chose not to join the CBC after being appointed to fill Jim DeMint's Senate seat.
