Senators, also known as Galactic Senators, were individual representatives from the numerous planets across the galaxy, participating in the Senate of the Galactic Republic. While some senators genuinely aimed to foster progress, others were deeply entrenched in corruption, pursuing only their own selfish interests. These senators often relied on aides, whose professional trajectories were closely intertwined with the senators they served, unless they managed to find alternative employment. Many senators voiced their endorsement and support for Sheev Palpatine's declaration that transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire at the conclusion of the Clone Wars. Subsequently, these senators transitioned into becoming members of the Imperial Senate.
After the Imperial Senate had been around for fourteen years, the senators' influence waned as the Emperor's planetary governors and Moffs assumed greater control over their respective planets and systems. A few years down the line, the Emperor made the decision to dissolve the Imperial Senate.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance realized their ambition and brought back the Republic, now known as the New Republic. As one of its initial actions in the extensive undertaking of reinstating democracy to the galaxy, the Republic revived the Galactic Senate.
The attire of a senator often mirrored the traditions of their homeworld, while also projecting authority during negotiations. Many senators proudly displayed the traditional garments of their people, while others exploited their position and substantial office budget to acquire extravagant clothing. These individuals opted for the most exquisite imported materials, fashioned into elaborate designs by Coruscant's most celebrated fashion authorities. Astute senatorial aides would emulate their senator's sartorial choices for official functions, while others prioritized cultivating an imposing image.
In the final decades of the Galactic Republic, the Republic's various member worlds, sectors, and commercial organizations, including the Trade Federation, were represented by senators at the Galactic Senate on Coruscant. During the Invasion of Naboo, Sheev Palpatine held the position of senator for Naboo and the wider Chommell sector, while Lott Dod represented the Federation. Their responsibilities included representing their homeworlds, mediating galactic disputes, and engaging in debates and voting on legislative proposals and motions. However, the Senate's operations had become increasingly paralyzed over the Republic's existence. A significant problem arose with corporate senators, who actively exploited the system for corporate gain or to obstruct proposals that threatened their company's interests and profitability. Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum expressed a dislike for senators representing corporations rather than planets, but this viewpoint had become outdated and needed to be kept secret. Despite the interference of such senators, most beings in the galaxy believed that senators from employers deserved a place in the Senate.
By the time of the Separatist Crisis, the Senate consisted of at least two thousand senators. Several Loyalist senators, including the Naboo senator Padmé Amidala, the Alderaanian senator Bail Organa, and the Ryloth senator Orn Free Taa, established the Loyalist Committee to advise Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. During the Galactic Republic era, the position had no term limit. Following the creation of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, many prominent senators, such as Toonbuck Toora and Rogwa Wodrata, chose to support the Republic's new adversary. During the Clone Wars between the Republic and Confederacy, the Confederacy established a rival Separatist Senate on the planet Raxus Secundus. Some notable Separatist senators included the Onderonian Mina Bonteri and her son Lux Bonteri, Prime Minister Bec Lawise, and Voe Atell. Towards the end of the conflict, several concerned Republic senators, including Amidala, Organa, and Mon Mothma, formed the Delegation of 2,000 to critique Palpatine's management of the war and urge him to return his emergency powers to the Galactic Senate.
After the Proclamation of the New Order, the Galactic Senate was reorganized into the Imperial Senate of the Galactic Empire. While many senators welcomed the establishment of the Empire as a conclusion to the devastation and carnage of the Clone Wars, others, such as Amidala and Organa, were dissatisfied with the New Order. After Palpatine declared himself Emperor, the Imperial Senate's authority was gradually diminished. By the fourteenth year of the Age of the Empire, Imperial senators possessed less influence than planetary governors.
The Emperor maintained the Senate to persuade its member worlds that they still had a role in the new government. Secretly, the Emperor intended to abolish the Senate once the Death Star was complete, allowing him to govern the Empire through fear. Some senators, such as the Thrad senator Nadea Tural, continued to attend Senate sessions, believing that the Empire enacted legislation that had been voted into law. However, the Emperor frequently failed to implement legislation proposed by the Senate. Other notable senators included Bail Organa's adopted daughter, Leia Organa, and the "Senator-in-exile," Gall Trayvis.
Following the theft of the Death Star plans, Darth Vader arrested Princess Leia for assisting the Rebel Alliance. Emperor Palpatine promptly dissolved the Imperial Senate. Additionally, Tural and several other dissenting senators were imprisoned at the Arrth-Eno Prison Complex on Coruscant. The Alliance attempted to rescue the imprisoned senators, but the Emperor devised a successful plot to kill the senators and Rebel spies. Official Imperial propaganda asserted that the rebels had bombed the prison to prevent these senators from receiving a trial.
Following the Battle of Endor, the New Republic, the successor government established by the Alliance to Restore the Republic, re-established the Galactic Senate on Chandrila. Their responsibilities included representing their homeworlds, debating and voting on legislation and motions, and investigating intrasystem disputes and criminal factions that threatened the New Republic. New Republic senatorial protocol also categorized senators into two primary groups: senior senator and junior senator.
Approximately twenty-four years after the events on Endor, two dominant senatorial factions emerged within the Galactic Senate: the Centrists, who advocated for a more centralized galactic government and military, and the Populists, who aimed to preserve significant autonomy for member worlds. The rivalry and differing philosophies between these factions resulted in gridlock within the Senate, leading to considerable inaction on the part of the New Republic. In response to this gridlock, the Centrists proposed the creation of a new position called First Senator, which would wield substantial authority over the economy and military. Notable New Republic senators included Leia Organa, the Gatalenta senator Tai-Lin Garr, the Arkanis senator Lady Carise Sindian, and the Riosan senator Ransolm Casterfo. Prior to the destruction of the Hosnian system, several New Republic senators, including Lady Carise and Erudo Ro-Kiintor, were secretly collaborating with the First Order, a remnant of the Old Empire.
In 29 ABY, Centrist systems seceded from the New Republic, openly establishing the political foundation of the First Order. The New Republic, along with its Senate, collapsed in 34 ABY when the First Order deployed Starkiller Base; the superweapon obliterated the Hosnian system, causing any surviving senators to disband the remnants of the New Republic Defense Fleet to safeguard their homeworlds. One senator who survived was Hamato Xiono, who was away from the planet with his family when Hosnian Prime was destroyed.