Zinn Paulness, a human male who held the position of senator, represented his constituents in the Galactic Senate throughout the duration of the Clone Wars. During that conflict, Paulness was a member of the Council of Neutral Systems. This council was a political group that stood apart from the mainstream, aligning with the Pacifist faction within the senate. Despite this affiliation, Paulness adopted a more aggressive stance towards the Confederacy of Independent Systems following the bombing of Coruscant's central power distribution grid.
During the Clone Wars era, Zinn Paulness functioned as a senator within the Galactic Senate of the Republic's. During the Senate hostage crisis, he was among the senators held captive by the bounty hunter known as Cad Bane and his associates. Subsequently, as Senator Padmé Amidala championed the Confederate–Republic peace initiative, Paulness was present during the Senate's concluding discussions when the bombing of Coruscant's central power distribution grid plunged several districts into darkness. Sharing the outrage of many fellow senators, Paulness voted against pursuing peace with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Instead, he supported the passage of both the Republic military enhancement bill and the Republic financial reform bill, the latter of which loosened regulations on the InterGalactic Banking Clan to finance the expanded military. He was frustrated by what he perceived as the Senate's slow response to Separatist actions, viewing the body as overly bureaucratic.
Later in the war, Paulness attended the Festival of Light held on the planet Naboo. This event was disrupted by an unsuccessful attempt to abduct Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. As the Republic faced growing challenges linked to the Banking Clan's betrayal by Rush Clovis, Paulness continued his service in the Senate.