Washington was admitted to the Union on November 11, 1889, and elects its United States senators to class 1 and class 3. Its current U.S. senators are Democrats Patty Murray (since 1993) and Maria Cantwell (since 2001) making it one of only four states alongside Minnesota, Nevada and New Hampshire to have two female U.S. senators. Warren Magnuson was Washington's longest-serving senator (1944–1981).