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

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 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 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	Elected in 1803. Died.	4				8th Congress
Vacant			October 14, 1804 – October 29, 1804
3	Benjamin Howland	Democratic- Republican	October 29, 1804 – March 3, 1809	Elected to finish Potter's term. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
		9th Congress				4	Elected in 1805. 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	Elected in 1809. Died.	5				11th Congress
Vacant			June 4, 1809 – June 26, 1809
5	Christopher G. Champlin	Federalist	June 26, 1809 – October 12, 1811	Elected 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 to finish Champlin's term.
		13th Congress
		Re-elected in 1815.		6	14th Congress
					15th Congress	6	Elected in 1817. Died.	March 4, 1817 – December 25, 1820	Federalist	James Burrill, Jr.	8
					16th Congress
								December 25, 1820 – January 9, 1821	Vacant
							Elected 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	Elected in 1820 or 1821. 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 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	Elected in 1838 or 1839. 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	Whig	February 18, 1842 – January 17, 1844	Elected 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 to finish Sprague's term. Retired.
12	Albert C. Greene	Whig	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1851	Elected in 1844 or 1845. Retired.	11				29th Congress
		30th Congress				11	Elected in 1846 or 1847. [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	Elected in 1850 or 1851. 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 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 1875.	16				44th Congress
		45th Congress				16	Re-elected in 1876.
		46th Congress
		Re-elected in 1881. Died.		17	47th Congress
Vacant			September 13, 1881 – October 5, 1881
18	Nelson W. Aldrich	Republican	October 5, 1881 – March 3, 1911						Elected 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 to finish Anthony's term.	January 20, 1885 – April 9, 1889	Republican	Jonathan Chace	15
		49th Congress
		Re-elected in 1887.		18				50th Congress
					51st Congress	18		Re-elected in 1889. Resigned.
							Elected to fill vacancy. Retired.	April 10, 1889 – March 3, 1895	Republican	Nathan F. Dixon, III	16
					52nd Congress
		Re-elected in 1893.		19	53rd Congress
					54th Congress	19	Elected in 1895.	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1907	Republican	George P. Wetmore	17
					55th Congress
		Re-elected in 1899.		20	56th Congress
					57th Congress	20	Re-elected in 1901 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
					58th Congress
		Re-elected in 1905. Retired.		21	59th Congress
					60th Congress	21	Legislature failed to elect	March 4, 1907 – January 22, 1908	Vacant
							Elected to fill vacancy	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 in 1912.	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 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.					?				116th Congress
						117th Congress	?	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

As of April 2015, there is one Senator who is living, from Class 1.

Senator	Term of office	Class	Date of birth (and age)
Lincoln Chafee	1999–2007	1	March 26, 1953

See also

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

External links

• Congressional Biographical Directory