List of United States Senators from Iowa
Iowa was admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846. Its current Senators are Republicans Charles Grassley, who has served since 1981, and Joni Ernst, who has served since 2015.
List of Senators
Class 2 Class 1 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that were elected for two U.S. Congresses in the first elections of 1848, and then the seat was contested every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. The seat in recent years have been contested in 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2014. The next election will be in 2020. |
C o n g r e s s |
Class 3 Class 3 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that were elected for one United States Congress in the first elections of 1848, and then the seat was contested every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. The seat in recent years have been contested in 1998, 2004, and 2010. The next election will be in 2016. | ||||||||||
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# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T e r m |
T e r m |
Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Vacant | December 28, 1846 – December 7, 1848 |
Legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[1] | — | 29th Congress | — | Legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[1] | December 28, 1846 – December 7, 1848 |
Vacant | ||||
30th Congress | ||||||||||||
1 | George W. Jones |
Democratic | December 7, 1848 – March 3, 1859 |
Elected in 1848. | 1 | 1 | Elected in 1848. | December 7, 1848 – February 22, 1855 |
Democratic | Augustus C. Dodge |
1 | |
31st Congress | 2 | Re-elected in 1849. Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Spain, having lost re-election. | ||||||||||
32nd Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1852. Lost renomination. |
2 | 33rd Congress | ||||||||||
February 22, 1855 – March 3, 1855 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
34th Congress | 3 | Elected in 1855. Elected invalidated, as the Iowa Senate had not participated in it. |
March 4, 1855 – January 5, 1857 |
Free Soil | James Harlan |
2 | ||||||
January 5, 1857 – January 29, 1857 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Re-elected to finish his vacant term. | January 29, 1857 – May 15, 1865 |
Republican | James Harlan | |||||||||
35th Congress | ||||||||||||
2 | James W. Grimes |
Republican | March 4, 1859 – December 6, 1869 |
Elected in 1858. | 3 | 36th Congress | ||||||
37th Congress | 4 | Re-elected in 1860. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior. | ||||||||||
38th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1864. Resigned due to ill health. |
4 | 39th Congress | ||||||||||
May 15, 1865 – January 13, 1866 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Harlan's term. Retired. |
January 13, 1866 – March 3, 1867 |
Republican | Samuel J. Kirkwood |
3 | ||||||||
40th Congress | 5 | Elected in 1866 or 1867. Lost re-election. |
March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1873 |
Republican | James Harlan |
4 | ||||||
41st Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | December 6, 1869 – January 18, 1870 | |||||||||||
3 | James B. Howell |
Republican | January 18, 1870 – March 3, 1871 |
Elected to finish Grimes's term. Retired. | ||||||||
4 | George G. Wright |
Republican | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1877 |
Elected in 1870. Retired. |
5 | 42nd Congress | ||||||
43rd Congress | 6 | Elected in 1872. | March 4, 1873 – August 4, 1908 |
Republican | William B. Allison |
5 | ||||||
44th Congress | ||||||||||||
5 | Samuel J. Kirkwood |
Republican | March 4, 1877 – March 7, 1881 |
Elected in 1876. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior. |
6 | 45th Congress | ||||||
46th Congress | 7 | Re-elected in 1878. | ||||||||||
47th Congress | ||||||||||||
6 | James W. McDill |
Republican | March 8, 1881 – March 3, 1883 |
Appointed to continue Kirkwood's term. Elected in 1882 to finish Kirkwood's term.[2] Retired. | ||||||||
7 | James F. Wilson |
Republican | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1895 |
Elected in 1882. | 7 | 48th Congress | ||||||
49th Congress | 8 | Re-elected in 1884. | ||||||||||
50th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1888. Retired. |
8 | 51st Congress | ||||||||||
52nd Congress | 9 | Re-elected in 1890. | ||||||||||
53rd Congress | ||||||||||||
8 | John H. Gear |
Republican | March 4, 1895 – July 14, 1900 |
Elected in 1894. Died. |
9 | 54th Congress | ||||||
55th Congress | 10 | Re-elected in 1896. | ||||||||||
56th Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | July 14, 1900 – August 22, 1900 | |||||||||||
9 | Jonathan P. Dolliver |
Republican | August 22, 1900 – October 15, 1910 |
Appointed to finish Gear's term. | ||||||||
Elected to full term in 1900 | 10 | 57th Congress | ||||||||||
58th Congress | 11 | Re-elected in 1902. Died. | ||||||||||
59th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1906. Died. |
11 | 60th Congress | ||||||||||
August 4, 1908 – November 24, 1908 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to finish Allison's term. | November 24, 1908 – July 30, 1926 |
Republican | Albert B. Cummins |
6 | ||||||||
61st Congress | 12 | Elected to full term in 1908 | ||||||||||
Vacant | October 15, 1910 – November 12, 1910 | |||||||||||
10 | Lafayette Young |
Republican | November 12, 1910 – April 11, 1911 |
Appointed to continue Dolliver's term. Lost election to finish Dolliver's term. | ||||||||
11 | William S. Kenyon |
Republican | April 12, 1911 – February 24, 1922 |
Elected to finish Dolliver's term. | ||||||||
62nd Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1912. | 12 | 63rd Congress | ||||||||||
64th Congress | 13 | Re-elected in 1914. | ||||||||||
65th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1918. Resigned to become Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals. |
13 | 66th Congress | ||||||||||
67th Congress | 14 | Re-elected in 1920. Lost renomination, then died. | ||||||||||
12 | Charles A. Rawson |
Republican | February 24, 1922 – December 1, 1922 |
Appointed to continue Kenyon's term. Retired when successor elected. | ||||||||
13 | Smith W. Brookhart |
Republican | December 1, 1922 – April 12, 1926 |
Elected to finish Kenyon's term. | ||||||||
68th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1924. Lost election challenge. |
14 | 69th Congress | ||||||||||
14 | Daniel F. Steck |
Democratic | April 12, 1926 – March 3, 1931 |
Successfully challenged predecessor's election Lost re-election. | ||||||||
July 30, 1926 – August 7, 1926 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Cummins's term. Elected to finish Cummins's term. Retired. |
August 7, 1926 – March 3, 1927 |
Republican | David W. Stewart |
7 | ||||||||
70th Congress | 15 | Elected in 1926. Lost renomination and then lost re-election as an Independent. |
March 4, 1927 – March 3, 1933 |
Republican | Smith W. Brookhart |
8 | ||||||
71st Congress | ||||||||||||
15 | Lester J. Dickinson |
Republican | March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1937 |
Elected in 1930. Lost re-election. |
15 | 72nd Congress | ||||||
73rd Congress | 16 | Elected in 1932. Died. |
March 4, 1933 – July 16, 1936 |
Democratic | Richard L. Murphy |
9 | ||||||
74th Congress | ||||||||||||
July 16, 1936 – November 3, 1936 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Murphy's term. | November 3, 1936 – January 3, 1945 |
Democratic | Guy Gillette |
10 | ||||||||
Vacant | January 3, 1937 – January 15, 1937 |
Successor failed to qualify until term as Governor ended. | 16 | 75th Congress | ||||||||
16 | Clyde L. Herring |
Democratic | January 15, 1937 – January 3, 1943 |
Elected in 1936. Lost re-election. | ||||||||
76th Congress | 17 | Re-elected in 1938. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
77th Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | January 3, 1943 – January 14, 1943 |
17 | 78th Congress | |||||||||
17 | George A. Wilson |
Republican | January 14, 1943 – January 3, 1949 |
Elected in 1942 but waited to finish gubernatorial term. Lost re-election. | ||||||||
79th Congress | 18 | Elected in 1944. | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1969 |
Republican | Bourke B. Hickenlooper |
11 | ||||||
80th Congress | ||||||||||||
18 | Guy Gillette |
Democratic | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1955 |
Elected in 1948. Lost re-election. |
18 | 81st Congress | ||||||
82nd Congress | 19 | Re-elected in 1950. | ||||||||||
83rd Congress | ||||||||||||
19 | Thomas E. Martin |
Republican | January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1961 |
Elected in 1954. Retired. |
19 | 84th Congress | ||||||
85th Congress | 20 | Re-elected in 1956. | ||||||||||
86th Congress | ||||||||||||
20 | Jack Miller |
Republican | January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1973 |
Elected in 1960. | 20 | 87th Congress | ||||||
88th Congress | 21 | Re-elected in 1962 Retired. | ||||||||||
89th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1966. Lost re-election. |
21 | 90th Congress | ||||||||||
91st Congress | 22 | Elected in 1968. Retired. |
January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1975 |
Democratic | Harold Hughes |
12 | ||||||
92nd Congress | ||||||||||||
21 | Dick Clark |
Democratic | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979 |
Elected in 1972. Lost re-election. |
22 | 93rd Congress | ||||||
94th Congress | 23 | Elected in 1974. Lost re-election. |
January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981 |
Democratic | John Culver |
13 | ||||||
95th Congress | ||||||||||||
22 | Roger Jepsen |
Republican | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1985 |
Elected in 1978. Lost re-election. |
23 | 96th Congress | ||||||
97th Congress | 24 | Elected in 1980. | January 3, 1981 – Present |
Republican | Chuck Grassley |
14 | ||||||
98th Congress | ||||||||||||
23 | Tom Harkin |
Democratic | January 3, 1985 – January 3, 2015 |
Elected in 1984. | 24 | 99th Congress | ||||||
100th Congress | 25 | Re-elected in 1986. | ||||||||||
101st Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1990. | 25 | 102nd Congress | ||||||||||
103rd Congress | 26 | Re-elected in 1992. | ||||||||||
104th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1996. | 26 | 105th Congress | ||||||||||
106th Congress | 27 | Re-elected in 1998. | ||||||||||
107th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2002. | 27 | 108th Congress | ||||||||||
109th Congress | 28 | Re-elected in 2004. | ||||||||||
110th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2008 Retired. |
28 | 111th Congress | ||||||||||
112th Congress | 29 | Re-elected in 2010. | ||||||||||
113th Congress | ||||||||||||
24 | Joni Ernst |
Republican | January 3, 2015 – Present |
Elected in 2014. | 29 | 114th Congress | ||||||
115th Congress | 30 | To be determined in the 2016 election. | ||||||||||
116th Congress | ||||||||||||
To be determined in the 2020 election. | 30 | 117th Congress | ||||||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T e r m |
T e r m |
Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Class 2 | Class 3 |
Living former U.S. Senators from Iowa
As of April 2015, there are four living former U.S. Senators from Iowa who are, one from Class 2 and three from Class 3.
Senator | Term of office | Class | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|---|
Dick Clark | 1973–1979 | 2 | September 14, 1928 |
John Culver | 1975–1981 | 3 | August 8, 1932 |
Roger Jepsen | 1979–1985 | 2 | December 23, 1928 |
Tom Harkin | 1985–2015 | 2 | November 19, 1939 |
See also
References
- Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa.
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