List of United States Senators from Rhode Island

This a list of United States Senators from Rhode Island. Rhode Island ratified the Constitution on May 29, 1790, and its senators belong to Class 1 and Class 2. Rhode Island's current senators are Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse.

List of Senators[edit]

Class 1 Class 1 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2012. The next election will be in 2018.						C o n g r e s s	Class 2 Class 2 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2014. The next election will be in 2020.
#	Senator	Party	Years in office	Electoral history	T e r m		T e r m	Electoral history	Years in office	Party	Senator	#
1	Theodore Foster	Pro- Administration	June 7, 1790 – March 3, 1803	Elected in 1790.	1	1st Congress	1	Elected in 1790. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]	June 7, 1790 – March 3, 1793	Anti-Administration	Joseph Stanton, Jr.	1
				Re-elected in 1791.	2	2nd Congress
						3rd Congress	2	Elected in 1793. Resigned.	March 4, 1793 – October 1797	Pro-Administration	William Bradford	2
		Federalist				4th Congress				Federalist
									October 1797 – November 13, 1797	Vacant
								Elected in 1797 to finish Bradford's term.	November 13, 1797 – March 5, 1801	Federalist	Ray Greene	3
				Re-elected in 1797. Retired.	3	5th Congress
						6th Congress	3	Re-elected in 1799. Resigned.
									March 5, 1801 – May 6, 1801	Vacant
								Elected in 1801 to finish Greene's term. Lost re-election.	May 6, 1801 – March 3, 1805	Democratic- Republican	Christopher Ellery	4
						7th Congress
2	Samuel J. Potter	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1803 – October 14, 1804	Election date unknown. Died.	4	8th Congress
Vacant			October 14, 1804 – October 29, 1804
3	Benjamin Howland	Democratic- Republican	October 29, 1804 – March 3, 1809	Elected in 1804 to finish Potter's term. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
						9th Congress	4	Election date unknown. Resigned.	March 4, 1805 – September 1807	Democratic- Republican	James Fenner	5
						10th Congress
									September 1807 – October 26, 1807	Vacant
								[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]	October 26, 1807 – March 3, 1811	Democratic- Republican	Elisha Mathewson	6
4	Francis Malbone	Federalist	March 4, 1809 – June 4, 1809	Election date unknown. Died.	5	11th Congress
Vacant			June 4, 1809 – June 26, 1809
5	Christopher G. Champlin	Federalist	June 26, 1809 – October 12, 1811	Elected in 1809 to finish Malbone's term. Resigned.
						12th Congress	5	Elected in 1811. Retired.	March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1817	Democratic- Republican	Jeremiah B. Howell	7
Vacant			October 12, 1811 – October 28, 1811
6	William Hunter	Federalist	October 28, 1811 – March 3, 1821	Elected in 1811 to finish Champlin's term.
						13th Congress
				Re-elected in 1814.	6	14th Congress
						15th Congress	6	Election date unknown. Died.	March 4, 1817 – December 25, 1820	Federalist	James Burrill, Jr.	8
						16th Congress
									December 25, 1820 – January 9, 1821	Vacant
								Elected in 1821 to finish Burrill's term.	January 9, 1821 – March 3, 1841	Democratic- Republican	Nehemiah R. Knight	9
7	James DeWolf	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1821 – October 31, 1825	Election date unknown. Resigned.	7	17th Congress
		Crawford Democratic- Republican				18th Congress	7	Re-elected in 1823.		Crawford Democratic- Republican
		Anti-Jacksonian				19th Congress				Anti-Jacksonian
8	Asher Robbins	Anti-Jacksonian	October 31, 1825 – March 3, 1839	Elected in 1825 to finish DeWolf's term.
		Adams		Re-elected in 1827.	8	20th Congress				Adams
		Anti-Jacksonian				21st Congress	8	Re-elected in 1829.		Anti-Jacksonian
						22nd Congress
				Re-elected in 1833. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]	9	23rd Congress
						24th Congress	9	Re-elected in 1835. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
						25th Congress				Whig
9	Nathan F. Dixon I	Whig	March 4, 1839 – January 29, 1842	Election date unknown. Died.	10	26th Congress
						27th Congress	10	Elected in 1841. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1847	Whig	James F. Simmons	10
Vacant			January 29, 1842 – February 18, 1842
10	William Sprague III	Whig	February 18, 1842 – January 17, 1844	Elected in 1842 to finish Dixon's term. Resigned.
						28th Congress
Vacant			January 17, 1844 – January 25, 1844
11	John B. Francis	Law and Order	January 25, 1844 – March 3, 1845	Elected in 1844 to finish Sprague's term. Retired.
12	Albert C. Greene	Whig	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1851	Election date unknown. Retired.	11	29th Congress
						30th Congress	11	Election date unknown. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]	March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1853	Whig	John Hopkins Clarke	11
						31st Congress
13	Charles T. James	Democratic	March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1857	Election date unknown. Retired.	12	32nd Congress
						33rd Congress	12		March 4, 1853 – July 20, 1853	Vacant
								Elected late. Retired.	July 20, 1853 – March 3, 1859	Democratic	Philip Allen	12
						34th Congress
14	James F. Simmons	Republican	March 4, 1857 – August 15, 1862	Elected in 1856. Resigned.	13	35th Congress
						36th Congress	13	Elected in 1858.	March 4, 1859 – September 2, 1884	Republican	Henry B. Anthony	13
						37th Congress
Vacant			August 15, 1862 – December 1, 1862
15	Samuel G. Arnold	Republican	December 1, 1862 – March 3, 1863	Elected in 1862 to finish Simmons's term. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
16	William Sprague IV	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1875	Elected in 1862.	14	38th Congress
						39th Congress	14	Re-elected in 1864.
						40th Congress
				Re-elected in 1868. Retired.	15	41st Congress
						42nd Congress	15	Re-elected in 1870.
						43rd Congress
17	Ambrose Burnside	Republican	March 4, 1875 – September 13, 1881	Elected in 1874.	16	44th Congress
						45th Congress	16	Re-elected in 1876.
						46th Congress
				Re-elected in 1880. Died.	17	47th Congress
Vacant			September 13, 1881 – October 5, 1881
18	Nelson W. Aldrich	Republican	October 5, 1881 – March 3, 1911	Elected in 1881 to finish Burnside's term.
						48th Congress	17	Re-elected in 1882. Died.
									September 2, 1884 – November 19, 1884	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Anthony's term.	November 19, 1884 – January 20, 1885	Republican	William P. Sheffield	14
								Elected in 1885 to finish Anthony's term.	January 20, 1885 – April 9, 1889	Republican	Jonathan Chace	15
						49th Congress
				Re-elected in 1886.	18	50th Congress
						51st Congress	18	Re-elected in 1888. Resigned.
								Elected in 1889 to finish Chace's term. Retired.	April 10, 1889 – March 3, 1895	Republican	Nathan F. Dixon, III	16
						52nd Congress
				Re-elected in 1892.	19	53rd Congress
						54th Congress	19	Elected in 1894.	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1907	Republican	George P. Wetmore	17
						55th Congress
				Re-elected in 1898.	20	56th Congress
						57th Congress	20	Re-elected in 1900.
						58th Congress
				Re-elected January 18, 1905.[1] Retired.	21	59th Congress
						60th Congress	21	Legislature failed to elect.	March 4, 1907 – January 22, 1908	Vacant
								Elected in 1908 to finish the vacant term. Retired.	January 22, 1908– March 3, 1913	Republican	George P. Wetmore
						61st Congress
19	Henry F. Lippitt	Republican	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1917	Elected in 1910. Lost re-election.	22	62nd Congress
						63rd Congress	22	Elected January 21, 1913.	March 4, 1913 – August 18, 1924	Republican	LeBaron B. Colt	18
						64th Congress
20	Peter G. Gerry	Democratic	March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1929	Elected in 1916.	23	65th Congress
						66th Congress	23	Re-elected in 1918. Died.
						67th Congress
				Re-elected in 1922. Lost re-election.	24	68th Congress
									August 18, 1924 – November 5, 1924	Vacant
								[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]	November 5, 1924 – January 3, 1937	Republican	Jesse H. Metcalf	19
						69th Congress	24	Elected in 1924.
						70th Congress
21	Felix Hebert	Republican	March 4, 1929 – January 3, 1935	Elected in 1928. Lost re-election.	25	71st Congress
						72nd Congress	25	Re-elected in 1930 Lost re-election in 1936
						73rd Congress
22	Peter G. Gerry	Democratic	January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1947	Elected in 1934.	26	74th Congress
						75th Congress	26	Elected in 1936.	January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1961	Democratic	Theodore F. Green	20
						76th Congress
				Re-elected in 1940. Retired.	27	77th Congress
						78th Congress	27	Re-elected in 1942.
						79th Congress
23	J. Howard McGrath	Democratic	January 3, 1947 – August 23, 1949	Elected in 1946. Resigned to become U.S. Attorney General.	28	80th Congress
						81st Congress	28	Re-elected in 1948.
24	Edward L. Leahy	Democratic	August 24, 1949 – December 10, 1950	Appointed to continue McGrath's term. Retired.
Vacant			December 10, 1950 – December 19, 1950
25	John O. Pastore	Democratic	December 19, 1950 – December 28, 1976	Elected in 1950 to finish McGrath's term.
						82nd Congress
				Re-elected in 1952.	29	83rd Congress
						84th Congress	29	Re-elected in 1954. Retired.
						85th Congress
				Re-elected in 1958.	30	86th Congress
						87th Congress	30	Elected in 1960.	January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1997	Democratic	Claiborne Pell	21
						88th Congress
				Re-elected in 1964.	31	89th Congress
						90th Congress	31	Re-elected in 1966.
						91st Congress
				Re-elected in 1970. Retired and resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.	32	92nd Congress
						93rd Congress	32	Re-elected in 1972.
						94th Congress
26	John Chafee	Republican	December 29, 1976 – October 24, 1999	Appointed to finish Pastore's term, having been elected to the next term.
				Elected in 1976.	33	95th Congress
						96th Congress	33	Re-elected in 1978.
						97th Congress
				Re-elected in 1982.	34	98th Congress
						99th Congress	34	Re-elected in 1984.
						100th Congress
				Re-elected in 1988.	35	101st Congress
						102nd Congress	35	Re-elected in 1990. Retired.
						103rd Congress
				Re-elected in 1994. Died.	36	104th Congress
						105th Congress	36	Elected in 1996.	January 3, 1997 – Present	Democratic	Jack Reed	22
						106th Congress
Vacant			October 24, 1999 – November 2, 1999
27	Lincoln Chafee	Republican	November 2, 1999 – January 3, 2007	Appointed to finish his father's term.
				Elected in 2000. Lost re-election.	37	107th Congress
						108th Congress	37	Re-elected in 2002.
						109th Congress
28	Sheldon Whitehouse	Democratic	January 3, 2007 – Present	Elected in 2006.	38	110th Congress
						111th Congress	38	Re-elected in 2008.
						112th Congress
				Re-elected in 2012.	39	113th Congress
						114th Congress	39	Re-elected in 2014.
						115th Congress
To be determined in the 2018 election.					40	116th Congress
						117th Congress	40	To be determined in the 2020 election.
#	Senator	Party	Years in office	Electoral history	T e r m		T e r m	Electoral history	Years in office	Party	Senator	#
Class 1							Class 2

Living former United States Senators from Rhode Island[edit]

As of October 2016^[update], there is one Senator who is living, from Class 1. The most recent senator to die was Claiborne Pell of Class 2 (1961-1997) on January 1, 2009. The most recent Class 1 senator to die was John O. Pastore (1950-1976) on July 15, 2000. The most recently serving Class 1 senator to die was John Chafee (1976-1999), who died in office on October 24, 1999.

See also[edit]

• List of United States Representatives from Rhode Island
• United States congressional delegations from Rhode Island

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Congressional Biographical Directory