In the last row of the Senate chamber, there is a desk that is always stocked with candy. It is on the Republican side, next to the chamber’s busy entrance. The tradition dates back to 1965 when California Senator George Murphy, who had a sweet tooth, kept candy on his desk for himself and other members. When Murphy’s term ended, other senators followed the custom.
When George Murphy departed the Senate in 1971, he left behind the tradition of the candy desk, but that’s just a small part of his legacy. Today, when senators reach into that well-stocked drawer, they might remember Senator Murphy—a one-time song-and-dance man whose political activism helped to promote a post-war resurgence of the Republican Party and set the stage for one of the party’s most influential leaders. There was a lot more to George Murphy than his sweet tooth.
The candy desk is not a specific desk in the Senate Chamber, but rather a specific seating within the chamber, and any desk that the senator seated in that position chooses to use becomes the candy desk. The desk’s location has remained static since at least the 97th Congress (1981–1983). It is next to the eastern door to the senate chamber. Most senators enter the chamber through this door, which is adjacent to elevators leading to one of the stops on the United States Capitol subway system.
The desk is the first desk on the right, or Republican, side, and is in the last row of desks. Traditionally, the candy desk is always on the Republican side of the Senate Chamber and is used by a Republican senator. Since 2015, the desk has been occupied by Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey.
Picture Credit : Google
