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 Democrat John Kerry and Republican Scott Brown.
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[edit] 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. Kirk stated he would not run in the special election.[7]
[edit] Class 1
Class 1 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that were elected for only one U.S. Congress in the first election of 1788/1789, and then the seat was contested again for the 2nd, 5th, and every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. Those seats in recent years have been contested in 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2012, with a special election taking place in 2010.
# | Senator | Party | Years | Congress | Term | Electoral history |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tristram Dalton | Pro- Administration |
March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791 |
1 | 1 | Elected in 1789 Lost re-election |
2 | George Cabot | Pro- Administration |
March 4, 1791 – June 9, 1796 |
2 | 2 | Elected in 1791 Resigned |
Federalist | 3 | |||||
4 | ||||||
3 | Benjamin Goodhue | Federalist | June 11, 1796 – November 8, 1800 |
4 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Cabot's term | |
5 | 3 | Re-elected in 1797 Resigned |
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6 | ||||||
4 | Jonathan Mason | Federalist | November 14, 1800 – March 3, 1803 |
6 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Goodhue's term | |
7 | ||||||
5 | John Quincy Adams | Federalist | March 4, 1803 – June 8, 1808 |
8 | 4 | Elected in 1802 Resigned |
9 | ||||||
10 | ||||||
6 | James Lloyd | Federalist | June 9, 1808 – May 1, 1813 |
10 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Adams's term | |
11 | 5 | Re-elected in 1809 Resigned |
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12 | ||||||
13 | ||||||
7 | Christopher Gore | Federalist | May 5, 1813 – May 30, 1816 |
13 (Continued) |
Appointed to finish Lloyd's term | |
14 | 6 | Elected to full term in 1815 Resigned |
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Vacant | June 1, 1816 – June 11, 1816 |
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8 | Eli P. Ashmun | Federalist | June 12, 1816 – May 10, 1818 |
14 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Gore's term Resigned |
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15 | ||||||
Vacant | May 11, 1818 – June 4, 1818 |
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9 | Prentiss Mellen | Federalist | June 5, 1818 – May 15, 1820 |
15 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Ashmun's term Resigned to become Chief Justice of Maine |
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16 | ||||||
Vacant | May 16, 1820 – June 11, 1820 |
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10 | Elijah H. Mills | Federalist | June 12, 1820 – March 3, 1827 |
16 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Mellen's term | |
17 | 7 | Re-elected in 1820 Lost re-election in 1826 |
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Adams-Clay Federalist |
18 | |||||
Adams | 19 | |||||
Vacant | March 4, 1827 – December 17, 1827 |
20 | 8 | |||
11 | Daniel Webster | Adams | June 8, 1827 – February 22, 1841 |
20 (Continued) |
Elected late in 1827 Pres |
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21 | ||||||
Anti- Jacksonian |
22 | |||||
23 | 9 | Re-elected in 1833 | ||||
24 | ||||||
Whig | 25 | |||||
26 | 10 | Re-elected in 1839 Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State |
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12 | Rufus Choate | Whig | February 23, 1841 – March 3, 1845 |
Elected to finish Webster's term Retired |
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27 | ||||||
28 | ||||||
13 | Daniel Webster | Whig | March 4, 1845 – July 22, 1850 |
29 | 11 | Elected in 1845 Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State again |
30 | ||||||
31 | ||||||
Vacant | July 23, 1850 – July 29, 1850 |
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14 | Robert Charles Winthrop | Whig | July 30, 1850 – February 1, 1851 |
Appointed to continue Webster's term Lost election to finish Webster's term |
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15 | Robert Rantoul, Jr. | Democratic | February 1, 1851 – March 3, 1851 |
31 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Webster's term Retired |
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Vacant | March 4, 1851 – April 24, 1851 |
32 | 12 | 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. | ||
16 | Charles Sumner | Free Soil | April 24, 1851 – March 11, 1874 |
32 (Continued) |
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33 | ||||||
Opposition | 34 | |||||
Republican | 35 | 13 | Re-elected in 1857 | |||
36 | ||||||
37 | ||||||
38 | 14 | Re-elected in 1863 | ||||
39 | ||||||
40 | ||||||
41 | 15 | Re-elected in 1869 Died |
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42 | ||||||
43 | ||||||
Vacant | March 12, 1874 – April 16, 1874 |
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17 | William B. Washburn | Republican | April 17, 1874 – March 3, 1875 |
43 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Sumner's term Retired |
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18 | Henry L. Dawes | Republican | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1893 |
44 | 16 | Elected in 1875 |
45 | ||||||
46 | ||||||
47 | 17 | Re-elected in 1881 | ||||
48 | ||||||
49 | ||||||
50 | 18 | Re-elected in 1887 Retired |
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51 | ||||||
52 | ||||||
19 | Henry Cabot Lodge | Republican | March 4, 1893 – November 9, 1924 |
53 | 19 | Elected in 1893 |
54 | ||||||
55 | ||||||
56 | 20 | Re-elected in 1898 | ||||
57 | ||||||
58 | ||||||
59 | 21 | Re-elected in 1904 | ||||
60 | ||||||
61 | ||||||
62 | 22 | Re-elected in 1910 | ||||
63 | ||||||
64 | ||||||
65 | 23 | Re-elected in 1916 | ||||
66 | ||||||
67 | ||||||
68 | 24 | Re-elected in 1922 Died |
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Vacant | November 10, 1924 – November 12, 1924 |
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20 | William M. Butler | Republican | November 13, 1924 – December 6, 1926 |
68 (Continued) |
Appointed to continue Lodge's term Lost election to finish Lodge's term |
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69 | ||||||
21 | David I. Walsh | Democratic | December 6, 1926 – January 3, 1947 |
Elected to finish Lodge's term | ||
70 | ||||||
71 | 25 | Re-elected in 1928 | ||||
72 | ||||||
73 | ||||||
74 | 26 | Re-elected in 1934 | ||||
75 | ||||||
76 | ||||||
77 | 27 | Re-elected in 1940 Lost re-election |
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78 | ||||||
79 | ||||||
22 | Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. | Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1953 |
80 | 28 | Elected in 1946 Lost re-election |
81 | ||||||
82 | ||||||
23 | John F. Kennedy | Democratic | January 3, 1953 – December 22, 1960 |
83 | 29 | Elected in 1952 |
84 | ||||||
85 | ||||||
86 | 30 | Re-elected in 1958 Resigned to become U.S. President |
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Vacant | December 23, 1960 – December 27, 1960 |
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24 | Benjamin Smith | Democratic | December 27, 1960 – November 7, 1962 |
86 (Continued) |
Appointed to continue John Kennedy's term Retired |
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87 | ||||||
25 | Ted Kennedy | Democratic | November 7, 1962 – August 25, 2009 |
Elected to finish his brother's term | ||
88 | ||||||
89 | 31 | Re-elected in 1964 | ||||
90 | ||||||
91 | ||||||
92 | 32 | Re-elected in 1970 | ||||
93 | ||||||
94 | ||||||
95 | 33 | Re-elected in 1976 | ||||
96 | ||||||
97 | ||||||
98 | 34 | Re-elected in 1982 | ||||
99 | ||||||
100 | ||||||
101 | 35 | Re-elected in 1988 | ||||
102 | ||||||
103 | ||||||
104 | 36 | Re-elected in 1994 | ||||
105 | ||||||
106 | ||||||
107 | 37 | Re-elected in 2000 | ||||
108 | ||||||
109 | ||||||
110 | 38 | Re-elected in 2006 Died |
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111 | ||||||
Vacant | August 26, 2009 – September 24, 2009 |
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26 | Paul G. Kirk | Democratic | September 24, 2009 – February 4, 2010 |
Appointed to continue Ted Kennedy's term Retired |
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27 | Scott Brown | Republican | February 4, 2010 – Present |
111 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Ted Kennedy's term | |
112 | ||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years | Congress | Term | Electoral history |
[edit] 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 in 1788 and whose seats in recent years are contested in 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2014.
# | Senator | Party | Years | Congress | Term | Electoral history |
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1 | Caleb Strong | Pro- Administration |
March 4, 1789 – June 1, 1796 |
1 | 1 | Elected in 1789 |
2 | ||||||
Federalist | 3 | 2 | Re-elected in 1793 Resigned |
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4 | ||||||
Vacant | June 2, 1796 – June 10, 1796 |
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2 | Theodore Sedgwick | Federalist | June 11, 1796 – March 3, 1799 |
4 (Continued) |
Elected in 1796 Retired to run the U.S. House of Representatives |
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5 | ||||||
3 | Samuel Dexter | Federalist | March 4, 1799 – May 30, 1800 |
6 | 3 | Elected in 1799 Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of War |
Vacant | June 1, 1800 – June 5, 1800 |
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4 | Dwight Foster | Federalist | June 6, 1800 – March 2, 1803 |
6 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Dexter's term Resigned |
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7 | ||||||
5 | Timothy Pickering | Federalist | March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1811 |
8 | Elected to finish Foster's term | |
9 | 4 | Re-elected in 1804 Lost re-election |
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10 | ||||||
11 | ||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1811 – June 28, 1811 |
12 | 5 | |||
6 | Joseph Bradley Varnum | Democratic- Republican |
June 29, 1811 – March 3, 1817 |
12 (Continued) |
Elected to finish term | |
13 | ||||||
14 | ||||||
7 | Harrison Gray Otis | Federalist | March 4, 1817 – May 30, 1822 |
15 | 6 | Elected in 1817 Resigned |
16 | ||||||
17 | ||||||
8 | James Lloyd | Federalist | June 5, 1822 – May 23, 1826 |
17 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Otis's term | |
Adams-Clay Federalist |
18 | 7 | Re-elected in 1824 Resigned |
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Adams | 19 | |||||
9 | Nathaniel Silsbee | Adams | May 31, 1826 – March 3, 1835 |
Elected to finish Lloyd's term | ||
20 | ||||||
Anti- Jacksonian |
21 | 8 | Re-elected in 1830 Retired |
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22 | ||||||
23 | ||||||
10 | John Davis | Anti- Jacksonian |
March 4, 1835 – January 5, 1841 |
24 | 9 | Elected in 1835 Resigned to become Governor of Massachusetts |
Whig | 25 | |||||
26 | ||||||
11 | Isaac C. Bates | Whig | January 13, 1841 – March 16, 1845 |
Appointed to finish Davis's term | ||
27 | 10 | Elected to full term in 1841 Died |
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28 | ||||||
29 | ||||||
12 | John Davis | Whig | March 24, 1845 – March 3, 1853 |
Elected to finish Bates's term | ||
30 | 11 | Re-elected in 1847 Retired |
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31 | ||||||
32 | ||||||
13 | Edward Everett | Whig | March 4, 1853 – June 1, 1854 |
33 | 12 | Elected Resigned |
14 | Julius Rockwell | Whig | June 3, 1854 – January 31, 1855 |
Appointed to continue Rockwell's term Successor was elected |
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15 | Henry Wilson | Free Soil | January 31, 1855 – March 3, 1873 |
Elected to finish Rockwell's term | ||
Know-nothing | 34 | |||||
Opposition | ||||||
Republican | 35 | |||||
36 | 13 | Re-elected in 1859 | ||||
37 | ||||||
38 | ||||||
39 | 14 | Re-elected in 1865 | ||||
40 | ||||||
41 | ||||||
42 | 15 | Re-elected in 1871 Resigned to become U.S. Vice President |
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Vacant | March 3, 1873 – March 17, 1873 |
43 | ||||
16 | George S. Boutwell | Republican | March 17, 1873 – March 3, 1877 |
43 (Continued) |
Elected to finish Wilson's term | |
44 | ||||||
17 | George Frisbie Hoar | Republican | March 4, 1877 – September 30, 1904 |
45 | 16 | Elected in 1877 |
46 | ||||||
47 | ||||||
48 | 17 | Re-elected in 1883 | ||||
49 | ||||||
50 | ||||||
51 | 18 | Re-elected in 1889 | ||||
52 | ||||||
53 | ||||||
54 | 19 | Re-elected in 1895 | ||||
55 | ||||||
56 | ||||||
57 | 20 | Re-elected in 1901 Died |
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58 | ||||||
18 | Winthrop Murray Crane | Republican | October 12, 1904 – March 3, 1913 |
Appointed to continue Hoar's term Elected to finish Hoar's term |
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59 | ||||||
60 | 21 | Re-elected in 1907 Retired |
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61 | ||||||
62 | ||||||
19 | John W. Weeks | Republican | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919 |
63 | 22 | Elected in 1912 Lost re-election |
64 | ||||||
65 | ||||||
20 | David I. Walsh | Democratic | March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1925 |
66 | 23 | Elected in 1918 Lost re-election |
67 | ||||||
68 | ||||||
21 | Frederick H. Gillett | Republican | March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1931 |
69 | 24 | Elected in 1924 Retired |
70 | ||||||
71 | ||||||
22 | Marcus A. Coolidge | Democratic | March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1937 |
72 | 25 | Elected in 1930 Retired |
73 | ||||||
74 | ||||||
23 | Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. | Republican | January 3, 1937 – February 3, 1944 |
75 | 26 | Elected in 1936 |
76 | ||||||
77 | ||||||
78 | 27 | Re-elected in 1942 Resigned to return to active duty in the U.S. Army |
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Vacant | February 4, 1944 – February 7, 1944 |
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24 | Sinclair Weeks | Republican | February 8, 1944 – December 19, 1944 |
Appointed to continue Lodge's term Retired & resigned early |
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Vacant | December 20, 1944 – January 3, 1945 |
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25 | Leverett Saltonstall | Republican | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1967 |
79 | Elected to finish Lodge's term | |
80 | ||||||
81 | 28 | Re-elected in 1948 | ||||
82 | ||||||
83 | ||||||
84 | 29 | Re-elected in 1954 | ||||
85 | ||||||
86 | ||||||
87 | 30 | Re-elected in 1960 Retired |
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88 | ||||||
89 | ||||||
26 | Edward Brooke | Republican | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1979 |
90 | 31 | Elected in 1966 |
91 | ||||||
92 | ||||||
93 | 32 | Re-elected in 1972 Lost re-election |
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94 | ||||||
95 | ||||||
27 | Paul Tsongas | Democratic | January 3, 1979 – January 2, 1985 |
96 | 33 | Elected in 1978 Retired, then resigned early to give successor preferential seniority |
97 | ||||||
98 | ||||||
28 | John Kerry | Democratic | January 2, 1985 – Present |
Appointed early to finish Tsongas's term, having already been elected to the next term | ||
99 | 34 | Elected in 1984 | ||||
100 | ||||||
101 | ||||||
102 | 35 | Re-elected in 1990 | ||||
103 | ||||||
104 | ||||||
105 | 36 | Re-elected in 1996 | ||||
106 | ||||||
107 | ||||||
108 | 37 | Re-elected in 2002 | ||||
109 | ||||||
110 | ||||||
111 | 38 | Re-elected in 2008 | ||||
112 | ||||||
113 | ||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years | Congress | Term | Electoral history |
[edit] References
- ^ Belluck, Pam (June 25, 2004). "Massachusetts Politicians Fight Over a Kerry Victory". New York times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE2D91F39F936A15755C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
- ^ Zezima, Katie (July 2, 2004). "National Briefing: Massachusetts: Senate Approves Interim-Appointment Bill". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E1D61138F931A35754C0A9629C8B63. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
- ^ Greenberger, Scott S. (July 31, 2004). "Romney veto overridden: Governor can no longer fill vacancies in the US Senate". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/07/31/romney_veto_overridden/?page=full. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
- ^ Anderson, Rob (July 16, 2004). "Devil in the Details: After Kerry, The Deluge". The American Prospect. http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=devil_in_the_details_071604. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
- ^ "Chapter 236 of the Acts of 2004". Acts of 2004 (Session Laws). The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. July 30, 2004. http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw04/sl040236.htm. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
- ^ Viser, Matt (September 23, 2009). "Legislature gives final approval to bill to fill Kennedy seat". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/09/victoria_kenned_2.html. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
- ^ "Paul Kirk officially appointed state’s interim senator". September 25, 2009. http://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1200032&srvc=home&position=comment. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
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