List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania
This is a chronological listing of the United States Senators from Pennsylvania.
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 Pennsylvania General Assembly, and before 1935, their terms began March 4.
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 3 Class 3 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently 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 | # | |
1 | William Maclay |
Anti-Administration | March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791 |
Elected in 1788. Lost re-election. |
1 | 1st Congress | 1 | Elected in 1788. Retired. |
March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1795 |
Pro- Administration |
Robert Morris |
1 |
Vacant | March 4, 1791 – December 1, 1793 |
2 | 2nd Congress | |||||||||
2 | Albert Gallatin |
Anti-Administration | February 28, 1793 – February 28, 1794 |
Elected in early 1793. Election voided for failure to meet the residency requirements for eligibility to the office. |
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3rd Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 1, 1794 – April 23, 1794 |
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3 | James Ross |
Federalist | April 24, 1794 – March 3, 1803 |
Elected to finish Gallatin's term | ||||||||
4th Congress | 2 | Elected in 1795. Retired. |
March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1801 |
Federalist | William Bingham |
2 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1797. Retired. |
3 | 5th Congress | ||||||||||
6th Congress | ||||||||||||
7th Congress | 3 | Elected in 1801. Resigned to become Supervisor of Revenue for Pennsylvania. |
March 4, 1801 – June 30, 1801 |
Democratic- Republican |
J. Peter G. Muhlenberg |
3 | ||||||
June 30, 1801 – December 17, 1801 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Muhlenberg's term. Retired. |
December 17, 1801 – March 3, 1807 |
Democratic- Republican |
George Logan |
4 | ||||||||
4 | Samuel Maclay | Democratic- Republican |
March 4, 1803 – January 4, 1809 |
Elected in 1802. Resigned, believing he would lose re-election. |
4 | 8th Congress | ||||||
9th Congress | ||||||||||||
10th Congress | 4 | Elected in 1806. Retired. |
March 4, 1807 – March 3, 1813 |
Democratic- Republican |
Andrew Gregg |
5 | ||||||
Vacant | January 4, 1809 – January 9, 1809 |
Vacant | ||||||||||
5 | Michael Leib |
Democratic- Republican |
January 9, 1809 – February 14, 1814 |
Elected to finish Maclay's term, having already won election to the next term. | ||||||||
Elected in 1808. Resigned to become Postmaster of Philadelphia. |
5 | 11th Congress | ||||||||||
12th Congress | ||||||||||||
13th Congress | 5 | Elected in 1812. Retired. |
March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1819 |
Democratic- Republican |
Abner Lacock |
6 | ||||||
Vacant | February 14, 1814 – February 24, 1814 |
Vacant | ||||||||||
6 | Jonathan Roberts |
Democratic- Republican |
February 24, 1814 – March 3, 1821 |
Elected to finish Leib's term | ||||||||
Re-elected in late 1814. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
6 | 14th Congress | ||||||||||
15th Congress | ||||||||||||
16th Congress | 6 | Elected in 1818. Retired. |
March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1825 |
Democratic- Republican |
Walter Lowrie |
7 | ||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1821 – December 10, 1821 |
Legislature failed to elect | 7 | 17th Congress | ||||||||
7 | William Findlay |
Democratic- Republican |
December 10, 1821 – March 3, 1827 |
Elected late in 1821. Retired. |
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Jacksonian Republican |
18th Congress | Crawford Republican |
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Jacksonian | 19th Congress | 7 | Elected in 1825. Lost re-election. |
March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1831 |
Anti-Jacksonian | William Marks |
8 | |||||
8 | Isaac D. Barnard |
Jacksonian | March 4, 1827 – December 6, 1831 |
Elected in 1826. Resigned to due ill health. |
8 | 20th Congress | Adams | |||||
21st Congress | Anti-Jacksonian | |||||||||||
22nd Congress | 8 | Elected in 1830. Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Russia. |
March 4, 1831 – June 30, 1834 |
Jacksonian | William Wilkins |
9 | ||||||
Vacant | December 6, 1831 – December 13, 1831 |
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9 | George Mifflin Dallas |
Jacksonian | December 13, 1831 – March 3, 1833 |
Elected to finish Barnard's term. Retired. |
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Vacant | March 4, 1833 – December 7, 1833 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 9 | 23rd Congress | ||||||||
10 | Samuel McKean |
Jacksonian | December 7, 1833 – March 3, 1839 |
Elected late in 1833. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
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June 30, 1834 – December 6, 1834 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Wilkins's term. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
December 6, 1834 – March 5, 1845 |
Jacksonian | James Buchanan |
10 | ||||||||
24th Congress | ||||||||||||
Democratic | 25th Congress | 9 | Re-elected in 1836. | Democratic | ||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1839 – January 14, 1840 |
Legislature failed to elect | 10 | 26th Congress | ||||||||
11 | Daniel Sturgeon |
Democratic | January 14, 1840 – March 3, 1851 |
Elected late in 1840. | ||||||||
27th Congress | ||||||||||||
28th Congress | 10 | Re-elected in 1843. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. |
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Re-elected in 1845. Retired. |
11 | 29th Congress | ||||||||||
March 5, 1845 – March 13, 1845 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected in 1845. Retired. |
March 13, 1845 – March 3, 1849 |
Democratic | 100px Simon Cameron |
11 | ||||||||
30th Congress | ||||||||||||
31st Congress | 11 | Elected in 1849. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1855 |
Whig | James Cooper |
12 | ||||||
12 | 100px Richard Brodhead |
Democratic | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1857 |
Elected in 1851. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
12 | 32nd Congress | ||||||
33rd Congress | ||||||||||||
34th Congress | 12 | Legislature failed to elect in 1856 | March 4, 1855 – January 14, 1856 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Elected late in 1856. Retired. |
January 14, 1856 – March 3, 1861 |
Democratic | William Bigler |
13 | ||||||||
13 | 100px Simon Cameron |
Republican | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861 |
Elected in 1857. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of War. |
13 | 35th Congress | ||||||
36th Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1861 – March 14, 1861 |
37th Congress | 13 | Elected in 1861. Lost re-election. |
March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1867 |
Republican | Edgar Cowan |
14 | ||||
14 | David Wilmot |
Republican | March 14, 1861 – March 3, 1863 |
Elected in 1861 to finish Cameron's term. Retired. |
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15 | Charles R. Buckalew |
Democratic | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869 |
Elected in 1863. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
14 | 38th Congress | ||||||
39th Congress | ||||||||||||
40th Congress | 14 | Elected in 1867. | March 4, 1867 – March 12, 1877 |
Republican | 100px Simon Cameron |
15 | ||||||
16 | John Scott |
Republican | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875 |
Elected in 1869. Retired. |
15 | 41st Congress | ||||||
42nd Congress | ||||||||||||
43rd Congress | 15 | Re-elected in 1873. Resigned. |
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17 | William A. Wallace |
Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1881 |
Elected in early 1875. Lost re-election. |
16 | 44th Congress | ||||||
45th Congress | ||||||||||||
March 12, 1877 – March 20, 1877 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected in 1877 to finish his father's term | March 20, 1877 – March 3, 1897 |
Republican | J. Donald Cameron |
16 | ||||||||
46th Congress | 16 | Re-elected in 1879. | ||||||||||
18 | John I. Mitchell |
Republican | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1887 |
Elected in early 1881. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
17 | 47th Congress | ||||||
48th Congress | ||||||||||||
49th Congress | 17 | Re-elected in 1885. | ||||||||||
19 | Matthew S. Quay |
Republican | March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1899 |
Elected in early 1887. | 18 | 50th Congress | ||||||
51st Congress | ||||||||||||
52nd Congress | 18 | Re-elected in 1891. [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
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Re-elected in early 1893. Legislature failed to re-elect. |
19 | 53rd Congress | ||||||||||
54th Congress | ||||||||||||
55th Congress | 19 | Elected in 1897. | March 4, 1897 – December 31, 1921 |
Republican | Boies Penrose |
17 | ||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1899 – January 16, 1901 |
Quay was appointed to continue the term, but the Senate declared him not entitled to the seat | 20 | 56th Congress | ||||||||
Matthew S. Quay |
Republican | January 16, 1901 – May 28, 1904 |
Elected late in 1901. Died. |
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57th Congress | ||||||||||||
58th Congress | 20 | Re-elected in 1903. | ||||||||||
20 | Philander C. Knox |
Republican | June 10, 1904 – March 3, 1909 |
Appointed to continue Quay's term. Elected to finish Quay's term. |
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Re-elected in early 1905. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. |
21 | 59th Congress | ||||||||||
60th Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1909 – March 17, 1909 |
61st Congress | 21 | Re-elected in 1909. | ||||||||
21 | George T. Oliver |
Republican | March 17, 1909 – March 3, 1917 |
Elected to finish Knox's term | ||||||||
Re-elected in early 1911. Retired. |
22 | 62nd Congress | ||||||||||
63rd Congress | ||||||||||||
64th Congress | 22 | Re-elected in 1914. | ||||||||||
22 | Philander C. Knox |
Republican | March 4, 1917 – October 12, 1921 |
Elected in 1916. Died. |
23 | 65th Congress | ||||||
66th Congress | ||||||||||||
67th Congress | 23 | Re-elected in 1920. Died. |
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Vacant | October 12, 1921 – October 24, 1921 |
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23 | William E. Crow |
Republican | October 24, 1921 – August 2, 1922 |
Appointed to continue Knox's term. Died. |
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December 31, 1921 – January 9, 1922 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Penrose's term. Elected to finish Penrose's term. Lost renomination. |
January 9, 1922 – March 3, 1927 |
Republican | George Wharton Pepper |
18 | ||||||||
Vacant | August 2, 1922 – August 8, 1922 |
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24 | David A. Reed |
Republican | August 8, 1922 – January 3, 1935 |
Appointed to continue Knox's term. Elected to finish Knox's term. |
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Elected in 1922. | 24 | 68th Congress | ||||||||||
69th Congress | ||||||||||||
70th Congress | 24 | Elected in 1926. Senate refused to seat due to allegations of corruption surrounding the election. |
March 4, 1927 – December 6, 1929 |
Republican | William S. Vare |
19 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1928. Lost re-election. |
25 | 71st Congress | ||||||||||
December 6, 1929 – December 11, 1929 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Vare's term. Lost nomination to finish Vare's term. |
December 11, 1929 – December 1, 1930 |
Republican | Joseph R. Grundy |
20 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Vare's term | December 2, 1930 – January 3, 1945 |
Republican | James J. Davis |
21 | ||||||||
72nd Congress | ||||||||||||
73rd Congress | 25 | Re-elected in 1932. | ||||||||||
25 | Joseph F. Guffey |
Democratic | January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1947 |
Elected in 1934. | 26 | 74th Congress | ||||||
75th Congress | ||||||||||||
76th Congress | 26 | Re-elected in 1938. Lost re-election. |
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Re-elected in 1940. Lost re-election. |
27 | 77th Congress | ||||||||||
78th Congress | ||||||||||||
79th Congress | 27 | Elected in 1944. Lost re-election. |
January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1951 |
Democratic | Francis J. Myers |
22 | ||||||
26 | Edward Martin |
Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1959 |
Elected in 1946. | 28 | 80th Congress | ||||||
81st Congress | ||||||||||||
82nd Congress | 28 | Elected in 1950. Lost re-election. |
January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1957 |
Republican | 100px James H. Duff |
23 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1952. Retired. |
29 | 83rd Congress | ||||||||||
84th Congress | ||||||||||||
85th Congress | 29 | Elected in 1956. | January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1969 |
Democratic | Joseph S. Clark |
24 | ||||||
27 | Hugh Scott |
Republican | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1977 |
Elected in 1958. | 30 | 86th Congress | ||||||
87th Congress | ||||||||||||
88th Congress | 30 | Re-elected in 1962. Lost re-election. |
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Re-elected in 1964. | 31 | 89th Congress | ||||||||||
90th Congress | ||||||||||||
91st Congress | 31 | Elected in 1968. | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1981 |
Republican | Richard S. Schweiker |
25 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1970. Retired. |
32 | 92nd Congress | ||||||||||
93rd Congress | ||||||||||||
94th Congress | 32 | Re-elected in 1974. Did not run for re-election. |
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28 | John Heinz |
Republican | January 3, 1977 – April 4, 1991 |
Elected in 1976. | 33 | 95th Congress | ||||||
96th Congress | ||||||||||||
97th Congress | 33 | Elected in 1980. | January 3, 1981 – January 3, 2011 |
Republican | Arlen Specter |
26 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1982. | 34 | 98th Congress | ||||||||||
99th Congress | ||||||||||||
100th Congress | 34 | Re-elected in 1986. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1988. Died. |
35 | 101st Congress | ||||||||||
102nd Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | April 4, 1991 – May 9, 1991 |
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29 | Harris Wofford |
Democratic | May 9, 1991 – January 3, 1995 |
Appointed to continue Heinz's term. Elected to finish Heinz's term. Lost re-election. |
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103rd Congress | 35 | Re-elected in 1992. | ||||||||||
30 | Rick Santorum |
Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007 |
Elected in 1994. | 36 | 104th Congress | ||||||
105th Congress | ||||||||||||
106th Congress | 36 | Re-elected in 1998. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 2000. Lost re-election. |
37 | 107th Congress | ||||||||||
108th Congress | ||||||||||||
109th Congress | 37 | Re-elected in 2004. Lost renomination. |
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31 | Bob Casey, Jr. |
Democratic | January 3, 2007 – Present |
Elected in 2006. | 38 | 110th Congress | ||||||
111th Congress | ||||||||||||
Democratic | ||||||||||||
112th Congress | 38 | Elected in 2010. | January 3, 2011 – Present |
Republican | Pat Toomey |
27 | ||||||
Re-elected in 2012. | 39 | 113th Congress | ||||||||||
114th Congress | ||||||||||||
115th Congress | 39 | To be determined in the 2016 election. | ||||||||||
To be determined in the 2018 election. | 40 | 116th Congress | ||||||||||
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 1 | Class 3 |
Living former U.S. Senators from Pennsylvania
As of August 2015[update], there are two former Senators from Pennsylvania who are living, both from Class 1.
Senator | Term of office | Class | Date of birth (and age) |
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Harris Wofford | 1991–1995 | 1 | April 9, 1926 |
Rick Santorum | 1995–2007 | 1 | May 10, 1958 |