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List of United States senators from Rhode Island

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Current delegation

Rhode Island ratified the 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

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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
Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. The next election will be in 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
Elected in 1946.
Resigned to become 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

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References

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  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.
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