John Francis "Jack" Reed (born November 12, 1949) is the senior United States senator from Rhode Island and a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to his election, Reed was a three-term member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district from January 3, 1991 to January 3, 1997. In the 1996 U.S. Senate election, Reed was elected to succeed Claiborne Pell, with over 63% of the vote. He was subsequently re-elected in 2002 and again in 2008.