List of United States senators from Maryland
This is a list of United States senators from Maryland, which ratified the United States Constitution April 28, 1788, becoming the seventh state to do so.[1] To provide for continuity of government, the framers divided senators into staggered classes that serve six-year terms, and Maryland's senators are in the first and third classes.[2] Before the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1913, which allowed for direct election of senators, Maryland's senators were chosen by the Maryland General Assembly, which ratified the amendment on April 1, 2010. Until the assembly appointed George L. Wellington of Cumberland in 1897, senators in class 3 were chosen from the Eastern Shore while senators in class 1 were chosen from the remainder of the state. Barbara Mikulski was Maryland's longest-serving senator (1987–2017).
List of senators[]
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 3 Class 3 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 1998, 2004, 2010, and 2016. The next election will be in 2022. | ||||||||||
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# | Senator | Party | Dates in office | Electoral history | T | T | Electoral history | Dates in office | Party | Senator | # | |
1 | ![]() Charles Carroll |
Pro- Admin. |
March 4, 1789 – November 30, 1792 |
Elected in 1788. | 1 | 1st | 1 | Elected in 1788. | March 4, 1789 – December 10, 1797 |
Pro- Admin. |
John Henry | 1 |
Re-elected in 1791. Resigned to remain in the Maryland Senate. |
2 | 2nd | ||||||||||
Vacant | November 30, 1792 – January 10, 1793 |
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2 | ![]() Richard Potts |
Pro- Admin. |
January 10, 1793 – October 24, 1796 |
Elected to finish Carroll's term. Resigned. | ||||||||
3rd | ||||||||||||
4th | 2 | Re-elected in 1795. Resigned to become Governor of Maryland. | ||||||||||
Vacant | October 24, 1796 – November 30, 1796 |
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3 | ![]() John Eager Howard |
Federalist | November 30, 1796 – March 3, 1803 |
Elected to finish Potts's term. | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1796. Lost re-election. |
3 | 5th | ||||||||||
Elected to finish Henry's term. Resigned. |
December 11, 1797 – December 1, 1800 |
Federalist | James Lloyd | 2 | ||||||||
6th | ||||||||||||
December 1, 1800 – December 12, 1800 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Lloyd's term. | December 12, 1800 – November 19, 1801 |
Federalist | ![]() William Hindman |
3 | ||||||||
7th | 3 | Appointed to fill the vacancy after the Legislature failed to elect. Retired when successor elected. | ||||||||||
Elected to finish term. Resigned to become Governor of Maryland. |
November 19, 1801 – November 12, 1806 |
Democratic-Republican | ![]() Robert Wright |
4 | ||||||||
4 | ![]() Samuel Smith |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1815 |
Elected November 17, 1802.[3] | 4 | 8th | ||||||
9th | ||||||||||||
November 12, 1806 – November 25, 1806 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Wright's term. | November 25, 1806 – March 3, 1813 |
Democratic-Republican | ![]() Philip Reed |
5 | ||||||||
10th | 4 | Re-elected in 1806. | ||||||||||
Re-elected November 14, 1809.[4] [data unknown/missing] |
5 | 11th | ||||||||||
12th | ||||||||||||
13th | 5 | Legislature failed to elect. | March 3, 1813 – May 21, 1813 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Elected in 1813 to finish term. [data unknown/missing] |
May 21, 1813 – March 3, 1819 |
Federalist | Robert Henry Goldsborough | 6 | ||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1815 – January 29, 1816 |
Legislature failed to elect | 6 | 14th | ||||||||
5 | ![]() Robert Goodloe Harper |
Federalist | January 29, 1816 – December 6, 1816 |
Elected to finish term. Resigned. | ||||||||
Vacant | December 6, 1816 – December 20, 1816 |
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6 | ![]() Alexander Contee Hanson |
Federalist | December 20, 1816 – April 23, 1819 |
Elected to finish Harper's term. Died. | ||||||||
15th | ||||||||||||
16th | 6 | Legislature did not elect until after the term began. | March 4, 1819 – December 20, 1819 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Vacant | April 23, 1819 – December 21, 1819 |
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7 | ![]() William Pinkney |
Democratic-Republican | December 20, 1819 – February 25, 1822 |
Elected December 14, 1819 to finish Hanson's term and qualified December 21, 1819. | Elected late December 14, 1819, and qualified December 21, 1819. | December 21, 1819 – January 14, 1826 |
Democratic-Republican | ![]() Edward Lloyd |
7 | |||
Re-elected in 1821. Died. |
7 | 17th | ||||||||||
Vacant | February 25, 1822 – December 17, 1822 |
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8 | ![]() Samuel Smith |
Democratic-Republican | December 17, 1822 – March 3, 1833 |
Elected to finish Pinkney's term. | ||||||||
18th | ||||||||||||
Jacksonian | 19th | 7 | Re-elected in 1825. Resigned. |
Jacksonian | ||||||||
January 14, 1826 – January 24, 1826 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Lloyd's term. | January 24, 1826 – December 20, 1834 |
Anti- Jacksonian |
![]() Ezekiel F. Chambers |
8 | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1827. | 8 | 20th | ||||||||||
21st | ||||||||||||
22nd | 8 | Re-elected in 1831. Resigned to become judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals. | ||||||||||
9 | ![]() Joseph Kent |
Anti- Jacksonian |
March 4, 1833 – November 24, 1837 |
Elected in 1833. Died. |
9 | 23rd | ||||||
December 20, 1834 – January 13, 1835 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Chambers's term. Died. |
January 13, 1835 – October 5, 1836 |
Anti- Jacksonian |
Robert Henry Goldsborough | 9 | ||||||||
24th | ||||||||||||
October 5, 1836 – December 31, 1836 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Goldsborough's term. | December 31, 1836 – October 24, 1840 |
Anti- Jacksonian |
John S. Spence | 10 | ||||||||
Whig | 25th | 9 | Re-elected in 1837. Died. |
Whig | ||||||||
Vacant | November 24, 1837 – January 4, 1838 |
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10 | William Duhurst Merrick | Whig | January 4, 1838 – March 3, 1845 |
Elected to finish Kent's term. | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1839. [data unknown/missing] |
10 | 26th | ||||||||||
October 24, 1840 – January 5, 1841 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Spence's term. [data unknown/missing] |
January 5, 1841 – March 3, 1843 |
Whig | ![]() John Leeds Kerr |
11 | ||||||||
27th | ||||||||||||
28th | 10 | Elected in 1843. | March 4, 1843 – December 20, 1862 |
Whig | ![]() James Pearce |
12 | ||||||
11 | ![]() Reverdy Johnson |
Whig | March 4, 1845 – March 7, 1849 |
Election year unknown. Resigned to become U.S. Attorney General. |
11 | 29th | ||||||
30th | ||||||||||||
31st | 11 | Re-elected in 1849. | ||||||||||
Vacant | March 7, 1849 – December 6, 1849 |
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12 | ![]() David Stewart |
Whig | December 6, 1849 – January 12, 1850 |
Appointed to continue Johnson's term. Retired when successor elected. | ||||||||
13 | ![]() Thomas Pratt |
Whig | January 12, 1850 – March 3, 1857 |
Elected to finish Johnson's term. | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1851. | 12 | 32nd | ||||||||||
33rd | ||||||||||||
34th | 12 | Re-elected in 1855. | ||||||||||
14 | ![]() Anthony Kennedy |
American | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1863 |
Election year unknown. [data unknown/missing] |
13 | 35th | Democratic | |||||
36th | ||||||||||||
Unionist | 37th | 13 | Re-elected in 1861. Died. | |||||||||
December 20, 1862 – December 29, 1862 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Pearce's term. Elected in 1864 to finish Pearce's term. Died. |
December 29, 1862 – February 14, 1865 |
Unionist | ![]() Thomas Holliday Hicks |
13 | ||||||||
15 | ![]() Reverdy Johnson |
Unionist | March 4, 1863 – July 10, 1868 |
Election year unknown. Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. |
14 | 38th | Unconditional Unionist | |||||
February 14, 1865 – March 9, 1865 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Democratic | 39th | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Hicks's term. [data unknown/missing] |
March 9, 1865 – March 3, 1867 |
Unconditional Unionist | ![]() John Creswell |
14 | ||||||||
40th | 14 | Senator-elect Philip F. Thomas failed to qualify. Senate deemed him a person "who had given aid and comfort" to the Confederate cause. | March 4, 1867 – March 7, 1868 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Elected to finish Thomas's term. [data unknown/missing] |
March 7, 1868 – March 3, 1873 |
Democratic | ![]() George Vickers |
15 | ||||||||
Vacant | July 10, 1868 – July 13, 1868 |
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16 | ![]() William Pinkney Whyte |
Democratic | July 13, 1868 – March 3, 1869 |
Appointed to finish Johnson's term. Retired. | ||||||||
17 | ![]() William Thomas Hamilton |
Democratic | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875 |
Election year unknown. Retired to run for Governor. |
15 | 41st | ||||||
42nd | ||||||||||||
43rd | 15 | Election year unknown. [data unknown/missing] |
March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1879 |
Democratic | ![]() George R. Dennis |
16 | ||||||
18 | ![]() William Pinkney Whyte |
Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1881 |
Elected in 1874. Retired. |
16 | 44th | ||||||
45th | ||||||||||||
46th | 16 | Elected January 18, 1878.[5] [data unknown/missing] |
March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1885 |
Democratic | ![]() James Black Groome |
17 | ||||||
19 | ![]() Arthur Pue Gorman |
Democratic | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1899 |
Elected in 1880. | 17 | 47th | ||||||
48th | ||||||||||||
49th | 17 | Elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1890. Died. |
March 4, 1885 – February 24, 1891 |
Democratic | ![]() Ephraim Wilson |
18 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1886. | 18 | 50th | ||||||||||
51st | ||||||||||||
February 24, 1891 – November 19, 1891 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
52nd | 18 | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Wilson's term. Elected January 21, 1892 to finish Wilson's term.[6] Unknown if retired or lost re-election. |
November 19, 1891 – March 3, 1897 |
Democratic | ![]() Charles Hopper Gibson |
19 | ||||||||
Elected in 1892. Lost re-election. |
19 | 53rd | ||||||||||
54th | ||||||||||||
55th | 19 | Elected January 22, 1896.[7] Retired. |
March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1903 |
Republican | ![]() George L. Wellington |
20 | ||||||
20 | ![]() Louis E. McComas |
Republican | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1905 |
Elected in 1898. Retired to become judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals. |
20 | 56th | ||||||
57th | ||||||||||||
58th | 20 | Elected January 15, 1902.[8] Died. |
March 4, 1903 – June 4, 1906 |
Democratic | ![]() Arthur Pue Gorman |
21 | ||||||
21 | ![]() Isidor Rayner |
Democratic | March 4, 1905 – November 25, 1912 |
Elected in 1904. | 21 | 59th | ||||||
June 4, 1906 – June 8, 1906 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Gorman's term. Elected January 15, 1908 to finish Gorman's term.[6] Died. |
June 8, 1906 – March 17, 1908 |
Democratic | ![]() William Pinkney Whyte |
22 | ||||||||
60th | ||||||||||||
March 17, 1908 – March 25, 1908 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Whyte's term, having already been elected to the next term. | March 25, 1908 – March 3, 1921 |
Democratic | ![]() John Walter Smith |
23 | ||||||||
61st | 21 | Elected January 15, 1908. | ||||||||||
Re-elected January 18, 1910. Died. |
22 | 62nd | ||||||||||
Vacant | November 25, 1912 – November 29, 1912 |
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22 | ![]() William P. Jackson |
Republican | November 29, 1912 – January 28, 1914 |
Appointed to continue Rayner's term. Retired when successor elected. | ||||||||
63rd | ||||||||||||
23 | ![]() Blair Lee |
Democratic | January 28, 1914 – March 3, 1917 |
Elected November 4, 1913 to finish Rayner's term. Lost re-election. | ||||||||
64th | 22 | Re-elected in 1914. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
24 | ![]() Joseph I. France |
Republican | March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1923 |
Elected in 1916. Lost re-election. |
23 | 65th | ||||||
66th | ||||||||||||
67th | 23 | Elected in 1920. Lost re-election. |
March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1927 |
Republican | ![]() Ovington Weller |
24 | ||||||
25 | ![]() William Cabell Bruce |
Democratic | March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1929 |
Elected in 1922. Lost re-election. |
24 | 68th | ||||||
69th | ||||||||||||
70th | 24 | Elected in 1926. | March 4, 1927 – January 3, 1951 |
Democratic | ![]() Millard E. Tydings |
25 | ||||||
26 | ![]() Phillips Lee Goldsborough |
Republican | March 4, 1929 – January 3, 1935 |
Elected in 1928. Retired to run for Governor. |
25 | 71st | ||||||
72nd | ||||||||||||
73rd | 25 | Re-elected in 1932. | ||||||||||
27 | ![]() George L. P. Radcliffe |
Democratic | January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1947 |
Elected in 1934. | 26 | 74th | ||||||
75th | ||||||||||||
76th | 26 | Re-elected in 1938. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1940. Lost renomination. |
27 | 77th | ||||||||||
78th | ||||||||||||
79th | 27 | Re-elected in 1944. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
28 | ![]() Herbert O'Conor |
Democratic | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1953 |
Elected in 1946. Retired. |
28 | 80th | ||||||
81st | ||||||||||||
82nd | 28 | Elected in 1950. | January 3, 1951 – January 2, 1963 |
Republican | ![]() John Marshall Butler |
26 | ||||||
29 | ![]() James Glenn Beall |
Republican | January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1965 |
Elected in 1952. | 29 | 83rd | ||||||
84th | ||||||||||||
85th | 29 | Re-elected in 1956. Retired. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1958. Lost re-election. |
30 | 86th | ||||||||||
87th | ||||||||||||
88th | 30 | Elected in 1962. Lost re-election. |
January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1969 |
Democratic | ![]() Daniel B. Brewster |
27 | ||||||
30 | ![]() Joseph Tydings |
Democratic | January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1971 |
Elected in 1964. Lost re-election. |
31 | 89th | ||||||
90th | ||||||||||||
91st | 31 | Elected in 1968. | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1987 |
Republican | ![]() Charles Mathias |
28 | ||||||
31 | ![]() J. Glenn Beall Jr. |
Republican | January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1977 |
Elected in 1970. Lost re-election. |
32 | 92nd | ||||||
93rd | ||||||||||||
94th | 32 | Re-elected in 1974. | ||||||||||
32 | ![]() Paul Sarbanes |
Democratic | January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2007 |
Elected in 1976. | 33 | 95th | ||||||
96th | ||||||||||||
97th | 33 | Re-elected in 1980. Retired. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1982. | 34 | 98th | ||||||||||
99th | ||||||||||||
100th | 34 | Elected in 1986. | January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2017 |
Democratic | ![]() Barbara Mikulski |
29 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1988. | 35 | 101st | ||||||||||
102nd | ||||||||||||
103rd | 35 | Re-elected in 1992. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1994. | 36 | 104th | ||||||||||
105th | ||||||||||||
106th | 36 | Re-elected in 1998. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 2000. Retired. |
37 | 107th | ||||||||||
108th | ||||||||||||
109th | 37 | Re-elected in 2004. | ||||||||||
33 | ![]() Ben Cardin |
Democratic | January 3, 2007 – Present |
Elected in 2006. | 38 | 110th | ||||||
111th | ||||||||||||
112th | 38 | Re-elected in 2010. Retired.[9] | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 2012. | 39 | 113th | ||||||||||
114th | ||||||||||||
115th | 39 | Elected in 2016. | January 3, 2017 – Present |
Democratic | ![]() Chris Van Hollen |
30 | ||||||
Re-elected in 2018. | 40 | 116th | ||||||||||
117th | ||||||||||||
118th | 40 | To be determined in the 2022 election. | ||||||||||
To be determined in the 2024 election. | 41 | 119th | ||||||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T | T | Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Class 1 | Class 3 |
Living former senators[]
As of August 2021, there is one living former senator from Maryland. The most recent and most recently serving senator to die was Paul Sarbanes (served 1977–2007) on December 6, 2020.
Senator | Term of office | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
Barbara Mikulski | 1987–2017 | July 20, 1936 |
Superlatives[]
Longest service[]
Senator | First served | Last served | Length of service |
---|---|---|---|
Barbara Mikulski | January 3, 1987 | January 3, 2017 | 30 years, 0 days (10,958 days) |
Paul Sarbanes | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 2007 | 30 years, 0 days (10,957 days) |
Millard Tydings | March 4, 1927 | January 3, 1951 | 23 years, 305 days (8,706 days) |
Samuel Smith | March 4, 1803 | March 3, 1815 | Combined total: 22 years, 2 months, 3 weeks (8,112 days) |
December 17, 1822 | March 3, 1833 | ||
Arthur Pue Gorman | March 4, 1881 | March 3, 1899 | Combined total: 21 years, 92 days (7,757 days) |
March 4, 1903 | June 4, 1906 |
Shortest service[]
Senator | First served | Last served | Length of service |
---|---|---|---|
David Stewart | December 6, 1849 | January 12, 1850 | 1 month and 6 days (37 days) |
Robert Goodloe Harper | January 29, 1816 | December 6, 1816 | 10 months and 1 week (312 days) |
William Hindman | December 12, 1800 | November 19, 1801 | 11 months and 1 week (342 days) |
William Purnell Jackson | November 29, 1912 | January 28, 1914 | 1 year, 1 month, 4 weeks and 2 days (425 days) |
John Creswell | March 9, 1865 | March 3, 1867 | 1 year, 11 months, 3 weeks and 1 day (724 days) |
Youngest at beginning of service[]
Senator | Date of birth | First served | Age |
---|---|---|---|
Alexander Contee Hanson | February 27, 1786 | December 20, 1816 | 30 years, 9 months and 23 days |
Robert Henry Goldsborough | January 4, 1779 | May 21, 1813 | 34 years, 4 months and 17 days |
John Creswell | November 18, 1828 | March 9, 1865 | 36 years, 3 months and 19 days |
Joseph Tydings | May 4, 1928 | January 3, 1965 | 36 years, 7 months and 30 days |
Millard Tydings | April 6, 1890 | March 4, 1927 | 36 years, 10 months and 26 days |
Oldest at end of service[]
Senator | Date of birth | Last served | Age |
---|---|---|---|
William Pinkney Whyte | August 9, 1824 | March 17, 1908 | 83 years, 7 months and 8 days |
Samuel Smith | July 27, 1752 | March 3, 1833 | 80 years, 7 months and 4 days |
Barbara Mikulski | July 20, 1936 | January 3, 2017 | 80 years, 5 months and 14 days |
Ben Cardin | October 5, 1943 | Present | 77 years, 10 months and 26 days |
John Walter Smith | February 5, 1845 | March 3, 1921 | 76 years and 26 days |
References[]
- ^ "Maryland Historical Chronology, 1700-1799". Maryland State Archives. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
- ^ "The Senate and the United States Constitution". United States senate Historical Office. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
- ^ "Maryland 1802 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 30, 2018., citing Votes and Proceedings of the Maryland State Senate, 1802. 10.
- ^ "Maryland 1809 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 18, 2018., citing The Hornet (Fredericktown, Md.). November 29, 1809.
- ^ https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=114843
- ^ Jump up to: a b Byrd, p. 121.
- ^ "WELLINGTON IS ELECTED". The New York Times. January 23, 1896. p. 5.
- ^ "Ratified Mr. German's Election". The New York Times. January 16, 1902. p. 3.
- ^ Gaudiano, Nicole (March 2, 2015). "Longtime Sen. Barbara Mikulski to retire". USA Today.
- Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992. United States Senate Historical Office (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
See also[]
- United States congressional delegations from Maryland
- List of United States representatives from Maryland
- United States senators from Maryland
- Lists of Maryland politicians
- Lists of United States senators by state