List of United States Senators from Massachusetts

This is a chronological listing of the United States Senators from Massachusetts. United States Senators are popularly elected, for a six-year term, beginning January 3. Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Before 1914, they were chosen by the Massachusetts General Court, and before 1935, their terms began March 4. The current Senators are Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.

Mid-term vacancy appointment processes

Through the 20th century, mid-term vacancies were filled with the governor's appointee, with the appointment expiring at the next biennial state election. In 2004, the Democratic-controlled state legislature changed the vacancy-filling process, mandating that a special election occur, which removed the Governor's appointment power. This statute was enacted over the veto by the Governor, Mitt Romney. The leadership of the Massachusetts legislature at the time was concerned that the Republican governor Mitt Romney would appoint a Republican if Democratic Senator John Kerry were elected President of the United States in the 2004 election.^[1][2][3][4] Generally, the law requires a special election within 145 to 160 days from the date of the filing of a Senate resignation. The law contemplates resignations that become effective some period of time after the filing of the resignation, so long as the election occurs after effective date of the resignation.^[5]

While terminally ill with brain cancer, Ted Kennedy requested that the Massachusetts legislature change the law to allow an interim appointment. Kennedy died shortly thereafter, and the legislature quickly passed a bill providing for an interim appointment.^[6] On September 24, 2009, Governor Patrick signed the bill and appointed Paul G. Kirk, who had previously served as one of Kennedy's congressional aides and as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

List of Senators

Class 1 Class 1 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that were elected for only one Congress in the first elections of 1788/1789, and the seat was contested again for the 2nd, 5th, and every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. The seat in recent years has been contested in 2000, 2006, and 2012, with a special election in 2010. 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 were elected for the first two United States Congresses in the first election of 1788/1789, and the seat was next contested again for the 3rd, 6th, and every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. The seat in recent years has been contested in 2002, 2008, and 2014, with a special election taking place in 2013. 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	Tristram Dalton	Pro- Administration	March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791	Elected in 1789. Lost re-election.	1	1st Congress	1	Elected in 1789.	March 4, 1789 – June 1, 1796	Pro- Administration	Caleb Strong	1
2	George Cabot	Pro- Administration	March 4, 1791 – June 9, 1796	Elected in 1790. Resigned.	2	2nd Congress
		3rd Congress				2	Re-elected in 1793. Resigned.
		Federalist						4th Congress		Federalist
Vacant			June 9, 1796 – June 11, 1796	Vacant			Vacant		June 1, 1796 – June 11, 1796	Vacant
3	Benjamin Goodhue	Federalist	June 11, 1796 – November 8, 1800	Elected to finish Cabot's term.			Elected to finish Strong's term. Retired to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.		June 11, 1796 – March 3, 1799	Federalist	Theodore Sedgwick	2
		Also elected to full term in 1796. Resigned.		3	5th Congress
					6th Congress	3	Elected in 1799. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of War.	March 4, 1799 – May 30, 1800	Federalist	Samuel Dexter	3
							Vacant	May 31, 1800 – June 5, 1800	Vacant
							Elected to finish Dexter's term. Resigned.	June 6, 1800 – March 2, 1803	Federalist	Dwight Foster	4
Vacant			November 8, 1800 – November 14, 1800						Vacant
4	Jonathan Mason	Federalist	November 14, 1800 – March 3, 1803						Elected to finish Goodhue's term.
		7th Congress
					Vacant		March 2, 1803 – March 3, 1803	Vacant
5	John Quincy Adams	Federalist	March 4, 1803 – June 8, 1808	Elected in 1802. Resigned, having broken with the Federalist Party and lost re-election to the next term.	4		8th Congress	Elected to finish Foster's term.	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1811	Federalist	Timothy Pickering	5
		9th Congress				4	Re-elected in 1804. Lost re-election.
		10th Congress
6	James Lloyd		Federalist	June 9, 1808 – May 1, 1813				Elected to finish Adams's term, having already been elected to the next term.
		Elected to full term in 1808. Resigned.	5		11th Congress
					12th Congress	5	The State Senate deadlocked in the 1810 election.	March 4, 1811 – June 28, 1811	Vacant
							Elected after the spring 1811 state elections gave Democratic-Republicans control of the body.	June 29, 1811 – March 3, 1817	Democratic- Republican	Joseph Bradley Varnum	6
					13th Congress
Vacant				May 1, 1813 – May 5, 1813					Vacant
7	Christopher Gore	Federalist		May 5, 1813 – May 30, 1816					Appointed to finish Lloyd's term.
		Elected to full term in 1815. Resigned, unhappy with the politics of Washington and suffering from poor health.	6		14th Congress
Vacant				May 31, 1816 – June 11, 1816					Vacant
8	Eli P. Ashmun	Federalist		June 12, 1816 – May 10, 1818					Elected to finish Gore's term. Resigned.
		15th Congress			6	Elected in 1817. Resigned to run for Mayor of Boston.	March 4, 1817 – May 30, 1822	Federalist		Harrison Gray Otis	7
Vacant				May 11, 1818 – June 4, 1818				Vacant
9	Prentiss Mellen	Federalist		June 5, 1818 – May 15, 1820				Elected to finish Ashmun's term. Resigned to become Chief Justice of Maine.
		16th Congress
Vacant				May 16, 1820 – June 12, 1820				Vacant
10	Elijah H. Mills	Federalist		June 12, 1820 – March 3, 1827				Elected to finish Mellen's term.
		Re-elected in 1820 or 1821. Lost re-election in 1826.	7					17th Congress
						Vacant	May 30, 1822 – June 5, 1822		Vacant
						Elected to finish Otis's term.	June 5, 1822 – May 23, 1826		Federalist	James Lloyd	8
					Adams-Clay Federalist	18th Congress		7	Re-elected in 1822. Resigned.			Adams-Clay Federalist
					Anti- Jacksonian	19th Congress						Anti- Jacksonian
					Vacant		May 23, 1826 – May 31, 1826		Vacant
					Elected to finish Lloyd's term.		May 31, 1826 – March 3, 1835		Anti- Jacksonian	Nathaniel Silsbee	9
Vacant			March 4, 1827 – June 8, 1827	Vacant		8			20th Congress			Adams
11	Daniel Webster	Adams	June 8, 1827 – February 22, 1841	Elected late in 1827.
		21st Congress			8			Re-elected in 1828. Retired.	Anti- Jacksonian
		Anti- Jacksonian							22nd Congress
		Re-elected in 1833.		9		23rd Congress
					24th Congress	9	Elected in 1835. Resigned to become Governor of Massachusetts.	March 4, 1835 – January 5, 1841	Anti- Jacksonian	John Davis	10
					Whig				25th Congress			Whig
		Re-elected in 1839. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State.		10	26th Congress
							Vacant	January 5, 1841 – January 13, 1841	Vacant
							Elected to finish Davis's term.	January 13, 1841 – March 16, 1845	Whig	Isaac C. Bates	11
12	Rufus Choate	Whig	February 23, 1841 – March 3, 1845						Elected to finish Webster's term. Retired.
		27th Congress			10	Elected to full term in 1841. Died.
		28th Congress
13	Daniel Webster	Whig	March 4, 1845 – July 22, 1850	Elected in 1845. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State again.			11		29th Congress
		Vacant				March 16, 1845 – March 24, 1845		Vacant
		Elected to finish Bates's term.				March 24, 1845 – March 3, 1853		Whig	John Davis	12
		30th Congress			11			Re-elected in 1847. Retired.
		31st Congress
Vacant			July 23, 1850 – July 30, 1850	Vacant
14	Robert Charles Winthrop	Whig	July 30, 1850 – February 1, 1851	Appointed to continue Webster's term. Lost election to finish Webster's term.
15	Robert Rantoul, Jr.	Democratic	February 1, 1851 – March 3, 1851	Elected to finish Webster's term. Retired.
Vacant			March 4, 1851 – April 24, 1851	In 1851, Democrats gained control of the Massachusetts General Court in coalition with the Free Soilers. However, the legislature deadlocked on who should succeed Daniel Webster. Democrats refused to vote for Charles Sumner (the Free Soilers' choice). Sumner was eventually elected late.			12				32nd Congress
16	Charles Sumner	Free Soil	April 24, 1851 – March 11, 1874
		33rd Congress			12	Elected in 1853. Resigned.		March 4, 1853 – June 1, 1854	Whig	Edward Everett	13
						Vacant		June 1, 1854 – June 3, 1854	Vacant
						Appointed to continue Everett's term. Successor was elected.		June 3, 1854 – January 31, 1855	Whig	Julius Rockwell	14
						Elected to finish Everett's term.		January 31, 1855 – March 3, 1873	Free Soil	Henry Wilson	15
		34th Congress							Republican
		Republican		Re-elected in 1857.			13		35th Congress
		36th Congress			13	Re-elected in 1859.
		37th Congress
		Re-elected in 1863.		14			38th Congress
					39th Congress	14	Re-elected in 1865.
					40th Congress
		Re-elected in 1869. Died.		15	41st Congress
					42nd Congress	15	Re-elected in 1871. Resigned to become U.S. Vice President.
					43rd Congress		Vacant	March 3, 1873 – March 17, 1873	Vacant
							Elected to finish Wilson's term.	March 17, 1873 – March 3, 1877	Republican	George S. Boutwell	16
Vacant			March 12, 1874 – April 16, 1874						Vacant
17	William B. Washburn	Republican	April 17, 1874 – March 3, 1875						Elected to finish Sumner's term. Retired.
18	Henry L. Dawes	Republican	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1893	Elected in 1875.	16				44th Congress
		45th Congress				16	Elected in 1877.	March 4, 1877 – September 30, 1904	Republican	George Frisbie Hoar	17
		46th Congress
		Re-elected in 1881.		17	47th Congress
					48th Congress	17	Re-elected in 1883.
					49th Congress
		Re-elected in 1887. Retired.		18	50th Congress
					51st Congress	18	Re-elected in 1889.
					52nd Congress
19	Henry Cabot Lodge	Republican	March 4, 1893 – November 9, 1924	Elected in 1893.	19				53rd Congress
		54th Congress				19	Re-elected in 1895.
		55th Congress
		Re-elected in 1898.		20	56th Congress
					57th Congress	20	Re-elected in 1901. Died.
					58th Congress
							Vacant	September 30, 1904 – October 12, 1904	Vacant
							Appointed to continue Hoar's term. Elected to finish Hoar's term.	October 12, 1904 – March 3, 1913	Republican	Winthrop M. Crane	18
		Re-elected in 1904.		21	59th Congress
					60th Congress	21	Re-elected in 1907. Retired.
					61st Congress
		Re-elected in 1910.		22	62nd Congress
					63rd Congress	22	Elected in 1912. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919	Republican	John W. Weeks	19
					64th Congress
		Re-elected in 1916.		23	65th Congress
					66th Congress	23	Elected in 1918. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1925	Democratic	David I. Walsh	20
					67th Congress
		Re-elected in 1922. Died.		24	68th Congress
Vacant			November 9, 1924 – November 13, 1924						Vacant
20	William M. Butler	Republican	November 13, 1924 – December 6, 1926						Appointed to continue Lodge's term. Lost election to finish Lodge's term.
		69th Congress			24	Elected in 1924. Retired.	March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1931	Republican		Frederick H. Gillett	21
21	David I. Walsh		Democratic					December 6, 1926 – January 3, 1947	Elected to finish Lodge's term.
		70th Congress
		Re-elected in 1928.	25	71st Congress
				72nd Congress	25	Elected in 1930. Retired.	March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1937		Democratic	Marcus A. Coolidge	22
				73rd Congress
		Re-elected in 1934.	26	74th Congress
				75th Congress	26	Elected in 1936.	January 3, 1937 – February 3, 1944		Republican	Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.	23
				76th Congress
		Re-elected in 1940. Lost re-election.	27	77th Congress
				78th Congress	27	Re-elected in 1942. Resigned to return to active duty in the U.S. Army.
						Vacant	February 4, 1944 – February 7, 1944		Vacant
						Appointed to continue Lodge's term. Did not run for election to finish the term and resigned early.	February 8, 1944 – December 19, 1944		Republican	Sinclair Weeks	24
						Vacant	December 19, 1944 – January 3, 1945		Vacant
				79th Congress		Elected to finish Lodge's term.	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1967		Republican	Leverett Saltonstall	25
22	Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.	Republican	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1953	Elected in 1946. Lost re-election.				28	80th Congress
		81st Congress			28	Re-elected in 1948.
		82nd Congress
23	John F. Kennedy	Democratic	January 3, 1953 – December 22, 1960	Elected in 1952.				29	83rd Congress
		84th Congress			29	Re-elected in 1954.
		85th Congress
		Re-elected in 1958. Resigned to become U.S. President.		30				86th Congress
Vacant			December 22, 1960 – December 27, 1960						Vacant
24	Benjamin Smith	Democratic	December 27, 1960 – November 7, 1962						Appointed to continue John Kennedy's term. Did not run for election to finish the term.
		87th Congress			30	Re-elected in 1960. Retired.
25	. Ted Kennedy.		Democratic					November 7, 1962 – August 25, 2009	Elected to finish his brother's term.
		88th Congress
		Re-elected in 1964.	31	89th Congress
				90th Congress	31	Elected in 1966.	January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1979		Republican	Edward Brooke	26
				91st Congress
		Re-elected in 1970.	32	92nd Congress
				93rd Congress	32	Re-elected in 1972. Lost re-election.
				94th Congress
		Re-elected in 1976.	33	95th Congress
				96th Congress	33	Elected in 1978. Retired, then resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.	January 3, 1979 – January 2, 1985		Democratic	Paul Tsongas	27
				97th Congress
		Re-elected in 1982.	34	98th Congress
						Appointed early to finish Tsongas's term, having already been elected to the next term.	January 2, 1985 – February 1, 2013		Democratic	John Kerry	28
				99th Congress	34	Elected in 1984.
				100th Congress
		Re-elected in 1988.	35	101st Congress
				102nd Congress	35	Re-elected in 1990.
				103rd Congress
		Re-elected in 1994.	36	104th Congress
				105th Congress	36	Re-elected in 1996.
				106th Congress
		Re-elected in 2000.	37	107th Congress
				108th Congress	37	Re-elected in 2002.
				109th Congress
		Re-elected in 2006. Died.	38	110th Congress
				111th Congress	38	Re-elected in 2008. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State.
Vacant								August 25, 2009 – September 24, 2009	Vacant
26	Paul G. Kirk	Democratic						September 24, 2009 – February 4, 2010	Appointed to continue Ted Kennedy's term. Did not run for election to finish the term.[7]
27	Scott Brown	Republican						February 4, 2010 – January 3, 2013	Elected to finish Ted Kennedy's term. Lost re-election.
		112th Congress
28	Elizabeth Warren	Democratic	January 3, 2013 – Present	Elected in 2012.				39	113th Congress
		Appointed to continue Kerry's term. Did not run for election to finish the term.[8]				February 1, 2013 – July 16, 2013	Democratic			Mo Cowan	29
		Elected to finish Kerry's term.				July 16, 2013 – Present	Democratic			Ed Markey	30
		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 U.S. Senators from Massachusetts

As of April 2015, there are four living former U.S. Senators from Massachusetts, two from Class 1 and two from Class 2.

Senator	Term of office	Class	Date of birth (and age)
John Kerry	1985–2013	2	December 11, 1943
Paul G. Kirk	2009–2010	1	January 18, 1938
Scott Brown	2010–2013	1	September 12, 1959
Mo Cowan	2013	2	April 4, 1969

References

1. Belluck, Pam (June 25, 2004). "Massachusetts Politicians Fight Over a Kerry Victory". New York times. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
2. Zezima, Katie (July 2, 2004). "National Briefing: Massachusetts: Senate Approves Interim-Appointment Bill". New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
3. Greenberger, Scott S. (July 31, 2004). "Romney veto overridden: Governor can no longer fill vacancies in the US Senate". Boston Globe. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
4. Anderson, Rob (July 16, 2004). "Devil in the Details: After Kerry, The Deluge". The American Prospect. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
5. "Chapter 236 of the Acts of 2004". Acts of 2004 (Session Laws). The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. July 30, 2004. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
6. Viser, Matt (September 23, 2009). "Legislature gives final approval to bill to fill Kennedy seat". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
7. "Paul Kirk officially appointed state’s interim senator". September 25, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
8. Battenfeld, Joe; Chabot, Hillary; Cassidy, Chris (January 30, 2013). "Gov names adviser Mo Cowan to interim Senate post". Boston Herald. Retrieved January 30, 2013.