List of United States senators from Rhode Island

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Current delegation
Jack Reed (D)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D)

United States Constitution on May 29, 1790 and elects its U.S. senators to class 1 and class 2. The state's current U.S. senators are Democrats Jack Reed (since 1997) and Sheldon Whitehouse (since 2007). Claiborne Pell
was Rhode Island's longest-serving senator (1961–1997).

List of senators

Class 1

Class 1 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018. The next election will be in 2024.

C

Class 2

2026
.

# Senator Party Dates in office Electoral history T T Electoral history Dates in office Party Senator #
Vacant May 29, 1790 –
Jun 7, 1790 		Rhode Island did not elect its U.S. senators until Jun 7, 1790. 1 1st 1 Rhode Island did not elect its U.S. senators until Jun 7, 1790. May 29, 1790 –
Jun 7, 1790 		Vacant
1
Theodore Foster 		Pro-
Admin. 		Jun 7, 1790 –
Mar 3, 1803
Elected in 1790
.
Elected in 1790
. 		Jun 7, 1790 –
Mar 3, 1793
Anti-Admin.
 Joseph Stanton Jr. 1
Re-elected in 1791
. 		2 2nd
3rd 2
Elected in 1793
.
Resigned. 		Mar 4, 1793 –
Oct 1797 		Pro-Admin. William Bradford 2
Federalist 4th Federalist
Re-elected in 1797
.
Retired. 		3 5th
  Oct 1797 –
Nov 13, 1797 		Vacant
Elected in 1797 to finish Bradford's term
. 		Nov 13, 1797 –
Mar 5, 1801 		Federalist
Ray Greene 		3


6th 3
Re-elected in 1798
.
Resigned.
7th
  Mar 5, 1801 –
May 6, 1801 		Vacant
Elected in 1801 to finish Greene's term
.
Lost re-election. 		May 6, 1801 –
Mar 3, 1805 		Democratic-
Republican
Christopher Ellery 		4
2 Samuel J. Potter Democratic-
Republican 		Mar 4, 1803 –
Oct 14, 1804
Elected in 1802
.
Died. 		4 8th
Vacant Oct 14, 1804 –
Oct 29, 1804 		 
3 Benjamin Howland Democratic-
Republican 		Oct 29, 1804 –
Mar 3, 1809
Elected in 1804 to finish Potter's term
.
Retired.
9th 4
Elected in 1804
.
Resigned. 		Mar 4, 1805 –
Sep 1807 		Democratic-
Republican
James Fenner 		5
10th
  Sep 1807 –
Oct 26, 1807 		Vacant
Elected to finish Fenner's term
. 		Oct 26, 1807 –
Mar 3, 1811 		Democratic-
Republican
Elisha Mathewson 		6
4 Francis Malbone Federalist Mar 4, 1809 –
Jun 4, 1809
Elected in 1808.[1]
Died. 		5 11th
Vacant Jun 4, 1809 –
Jun 26, 1809 		 
5
Christopher G. Champlin 		Federalist Jun 26, 1809 –
Oct 12, 1811
Elected in 1809 to finish Malbone's term
.
Resigned.
12th 5
Elected in 1810
.
Retired. 		Mar 4, 1811 –
Mar 3, 1817 		Democratic-
Republican
Jeremiah B. Howell 		7
Vacant Oct 12, 1811 –
Oct 28, 1811 		 
6
William Hunter 		Federalist Oct 28, 1811 –
Mar 3, 1821
Elected in 1811 to finish Malbone's term
.
13th
Re-elected in 1814
. 		6 14th
15th 6
Elected in 1816
.
Died. 		Mar 4, 1817 –
Dec 25, 1820 		Federalist
James Burrill Jr. 		8
16th
  Dec 25, 1820 –
Jan 9, 1821 		Vacant
Elected in 1821 to finish Burrill's term
. 		Jan 9, 1821 –
Mar 3, 1841 		Democratic-
Republican
Nehemiah R. Knight 		9
7
James DeWolf 		Democratic-
Republican 		Mar 4, 1821 –
Oct 31, 1825 		Election date unknown.
Resigned. 		7 17th
18th 7
Re-elected in 1823
.
National
Republican 		19th National
Republican
8
Asher Robbins 		National
Republican 		Oct 31, 1825 –
Mar 3, 1839
Elected in 1825 to finish DeWolf's term
.
Re-elected in 1827
. 		8 20th
21st 8
Re-elected in 1829
.
22nd
Re-elected in 1833.
[data missing
] 		9 23rd
24th 9
Re-elected in 1835.
[data missing
]
Whig 25th Whig
9
Nathan F. Dixon I 		Whig Mar 4, 1839 –
Jan 29, 1842 		Election date unknown.
Died. 		10 26th
27th 10
Elected in 1841
.
Lost re-election. 		Mar 4, 1841 –
Mar 3, 1847 		Whig
James F. Simmons 		10
Vacant Jan 29, 1842 –
Feb 18, 1842 		 
10
William Sprague III 		Whig Feb 18, 1842 –
Jan 17, 1844
Elected in 1842 to finish Dixon's term
.
Resigned.
28th
Vacant Jan 17, 1844 –
Jan 25, 1844 		 
11
John Brown Francis 		Law and Order Jan 25, 1844 –
Mar 3, 1845
Elected in 1844 to finish Sprague's term
.
Retired.
12
Albert C. Greene 		Whig Mar 4, 1845 –
Mar 3, 1851 		Election date unknown.
Retired. 		11 29th
30th 11 Election date unknown.
[data missing] 		Mar 4, 1847 –
Mar 3, 1853 		Whig
John Hopkins Clarke 		11
31st
13
Charles T. James 		Democratic Mar 4, 1851 –
Mar 3, 1857 		Election date unknown.
Retired. 		12 32nd
33rd 12   Mar 4, 1853 –
Jul 20, 1853 		Vacant
Elected late
.
Retired. 		Jul 20, 1853 –
Mar 3, 1859 		Democratic
Philip Allen 		12
34th
14
James F. Simmons 		Republican Mar 4, 1857 –
Aug 15, 1862
Elected in 1856
.
Resigned. 		13 35th
36th 13
Elected in 1858
. 		Mar 4, 1859 –
Sep 2, 1884 		Republican
Henry B. Anthony 		13
37th
Vacant Aug 15, 1862 –
Dec 1, 1862 		 
15
Samuel G. Arnold 		Republican Dec 1, 1862 –
Mar 3, 1863
Elected in 1862 to finish Simmons's term.
[data missing
]
16
William Sprague IV 		Republican Mar 4, 1863 –
Mar 3, 1875
Elected in 1862
. 		14 38th
39th 14
Re-elected in 1864
.
40th
Re-elected in 1868
.
Retired. 		15 41st
42nd 15
Re-elected in 1870
.
43rd
17
Ambrose Burnside 		Republican Mar 4, 1875 –
Sep 13, 1881
Elected in 1874
. 		16 44th
45th 16
Re-elected in 1876
.
46th
Re-elected in 1880
.
Died. 		17 47th
Vacant Sep 13, 1881 –
Oct 5, 1881 		 
18
Nelson W. Aldrich 		Republican Oct 5, 1881 –
Mar 3, 1911
Elected in 1881 to finish Burnside's term
.
48th 17
Re-elected in 1882
.
Died.
  Sep 2, 1884 –
Nov 19, 1884 		Vacant
Appointed to continue Anthony's term. Nov 19, 1884 –
Jan 20, 1885 		Republican
William P. Sheffield 		14
Elected in 1885 to finish Anthony's term
. 		Jan 20, 1885 –
Apr 9, 1889 		Republican
Jonathan Chace 		15
49th
Re-elected in 1886
. 		18 50th
51st 18
Re-elected in 1888
.
Resigned.
Elected in 1889 to finish Chace's term
.
Retired. 		Apr 10, 1889 –
Mar 3, 1895 		Republican
Nathan F. Dixon III 		16
52nd
Re-elected in 1892
. 		19 53rd
54th 19
Elected in 1894
. 		Mar 4, 1895 –
Mar 3, 1907 		Republican
George P. Wetmore 		17
55th
Re-elected in 1898
. 		20 56th
57th 20
Re-elected in 1900
.
58th
Re-elected Jan 18, 1905.[2]
Retired. 		21 59th
60th 21 Legislature failed to elect. Mar 4, 1907 –
Jan 22, 1908 		Vacant
Elected in 1908 to finish the vacant term
.
Retired. 		Jan 22, 1908–
Mar 3, 1913 		Republican
George P. Wetmore
61st
19
Henry F. Lippitt 		Republican Mar 4, 1911 –
Mar 3, 1917
Elected in 1910
.
Lost re-election. 		22 62nd
63rd 22
Elected in 1913
. 		Mar 4, 1913 –
Aug 18, 1924 		Republican
LeBaron Bradford Colt
 18
64th
20
Peter G. Gerry 		Democratic Mar 4, 1917 –
Mar 3, 1929
Elected in 1916
. 		23 65th
66th 23
Re-elected in 1918
.
Died.
67th
Re-elected in 1922
.
Lost re-election. 		24 68th
  Aug 18, 1924 –
Nov 4, 1924 		Vacant
Elected in 1924 to finish Colt's term
. 		Nov 4, 1924 –
Jan 3, 1937 		Republican
Jesse H. Metcalf 		19
69th 24
Elected in 1924
.
70th
21
Felix Hebert 		Republican Mar 4, 1929 –
Jan 3, 1935
Elected in 1928
.
Lost re-election. 		25 71st
72nd 25
Re-elected in 1930
Lost re-election.
73rd
22
Peter G. Gerry 		Democratic Jan 3, 1935 –
Jan 3, 1947
Elected in 1934
. 		26 74th
75th 26
Elected in 1936
. 		Jan 3, 1937 –
Jan 3, 1961 		Democratic
Theodore F. Green 		20
76th
Re-elected in 1940
.
Retired. 		27 77th
78th 27
Re-elected in 1942
.
79th
23
J. Howard McGrath 		Democratic Jan 3, 1947 –
Aug 23, 1949
U.S. Attorney General
. 		28 80th
81st 28
Re-elected in 1948
.
24
Edward L. Leahy 		Democratic Aug 24, 1949 –
Dec 10, 1950 		Appointed to continue McGrath's term.
Retired.
Vacant Dec 10, 1950 –
Dec 19, 1950 		 
25
John Pastore 		Democratic Dec 19, 1950 –
Dec 28, 1976
Elected in 1950 to finish McGrath's term
.
82nd
Re-elected in 1952. 29 83rd
84th 29 Re-elected in 1954.
Retired.
85th
Re-elected in 1958. 30 86th
87th 30 Elected in 1960. Jan 3, 1961 –
Jan 3, 1997 		Democratic
Claiborne Pell 		21
88th
Re-elected in 1964. 31 89th
90th 31 Re-elected in 1966.
91st
Re-elected in 1970.
Retired and resigned early
to give successor preferential seniority. 		32 92nd
93rd 32 Re-elected in 1972.
94th
26
John Chafee 		Republican Dec 29, 1976 –
Oct 24, 1999 		Appointed to finish Pastore's term, having been elected to the next term.
Elected in 1976. 33 95th
96th 33 Re-elected in 1978.
97th
Re-elected in 1982. 34 98th
99th 34 Re-elected in 1984.
100th
Re-elected in 1988. 35 101st
102nd 35 Re-elected in 1990.
Retired.
103rd
Re-elected in 1994.
Announced retirement, then died. 		36 104th
105th 36 Elected in 1996. Jan 3, 1997 –
present 		Democratic
Jack Reed 		22
106th
Vacant Oct 24, 1999 –
Nov 2, 1999 		 
27
Lincoln Chafee 		Republican Nov 2, 1999 –
Jan 3, 2007 		Appointed to finish his father's term.
Elected in 2000 to a full term.
Lost re-election. 		37 107th
108th 37 Re-elected in 2002.
109th
28
Sheldon Whitehouse 		Democratic Jan 3, 2007 –
present 		Elected in 2006. 38 110th
111th 38 Re-elected in 2008.
112th
Re-elected in 2012. 39 113th
114th 39 Re-elected in 2014.
115th
Re-elected in 2018. 40 116th
117th 40 Re-elected in 2020.
118th
To be determined in the 2024 election. 41 119th
120th
 41 To be determined in the
2026 election
.
# Senator Party Years in office Electoral history T C T Electoral history Years in office Party Senator #
Class 1 Class 2

See also

References

  1. ^ "Rhode Island 1808 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing United States' Gazette (Philadelphia, PA). Jan 14, 1809.
  2. ^ The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1906. New York: The Press Publishing Co. New York World. 1905.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_United_States_senators_from_Rhode_Island&oldid=1198115078"