There's an often-told joke in Washington about how every time a senator looks in the mirror, he sees a president staring back. Perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it contains a kernel of truth. At one time or another, most senators have visions of occupying the White House.

Even so, it's rarely a direct route. Though many have tried, only two sitting senators have been elected president: Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy. In total, fifteen presidents have been members of the Senate at some point in their careers, with six (the ones listed in bold) having served as vice president:

• James Monroe

• John Quincy Adams

• Andrew Jackson

• Martin Van Buren

• William Henry Harrison

• John Tyler

• Franklin Pierce

• James Buchanan

• Andrew Johnson

• Benjamin Harrison

• Warren G. Harding

• Harry S. Truman

• John F. Kennedy

• Lyndon B. Johnson

• Richard M. Nixon

While ten senators became presidents in the nineteenth century, only five did so in the twentieth century. In recent years, the governor's mansion has replaced the Senate as the most reliable path to the White House. Voters seem to be placing less emphasis on legislative experience and more on executive experience, which the Senate does not provide.