List of United States senators from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania ratified the United States Constitution on December 12, 1787 and elects its U.S. senators to Class 1 and Class 3. Officeholders 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; before 1935, their terms began March 4. The state's current U.S. senators are Democrat Bob Casey Jr. (since 2007) and Republican Pat Toomey (since 2011), making it one of seven states to have a split United States Senate delegation. Arlen Specter was Pennsylvania's longest-serving senator (1981–2011).
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 | William Maclay |
Anti-Admin. | March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791 |
Elected in 1788. Lost re-election. |
1 | 1st | 1 | Elected in 1788. Retired. |
March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1795 |
Pro- Admin. |
Robert Morris |
1 |
Vacant | March 4, 1791 – December 1, 1793 |
Legislature failed to elect due to a disagreement on election procedure. | 2 | 2nd | ||||||||
2 | Albert Gallatin |
Anti-Admin. | December 2, 1793 – February 28, 1794 |
Elected to finish the vacant term. Election voided for failure to meet the residency requirements for eligibility to the office. | ||||||||
3rd | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 1, 1794 – April 23, 1794 |
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3 | James Ross |
Pro- Admin. |
April 24, 1794 – March 3, 1803 |
Elected to finish Gallatin's term. | ||||||||
Federalist | 4th | 2 | Elected in 1795. Retired. |
March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1801 |
Federalist | William Bingham |
2 | |||||
Re-elected in 1797. Retired. |
3 | 5th | ||||||||||
6th | ||||||||||||
7th | 3 | Elected in 1801. Resigned to become Supervisor of Revenue of 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 | ||||||
9th | ||||||||||||
10th | 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 January 9, 1809 to finish Maclay's term, having already won election to the next term.[1] | ||||||||
Elected on December 13, 1808.[2] Resigned to become Postmaster of Philadelphia. |
5 | 11th | ||||||||||
12th | ||||||||||||
13th | 5 | Elected on December 8, 1812.[3] Retired. |
March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1819 |
Democratic- Republican |
Abner Lacock |
6 | ||||||
Vacant | February 14, 1814 – February 24, 1814 |
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6 | Jonathan Roberts |
Democratic- Republican |
February 24, 1814 – March 3, 1821 |
Elected to finish Leib's term. | ||||||||
Re-elected in late 1814. | 6 | 14th | ||||||||||
15th | ||||||||||||
16th | 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 | ||||||||
7 | William Findlay |
Democratic- Republican |
December 10, 1821 – March 3, 1827 |
Elected late in 1821. Retired. | ||||||||
18th | ||||||||||||
Jacksonian | 19th | 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 | ||||||
21st | ||||||||||||
22nd | 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 M. Dallas |
Jacksonian | December 13, 1831 – March 3, 1833 |
Elected to finish Barnard's term. Retired. | ||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1833 – December 7, 1833 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 9 | 23rd | ||||||||
10 | Samuel McKean |
Jacksonian | December 7, 1833 – March 3, 1839 |
Elected late in 1833. | ||||||||
June 30, 1834 – December 6, 1834 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Wilkins's term. | December 6, 1834 – March 5, 1845 |
Jacksonian | James Buchanan |
10 | ||||||||
24th | ||||||||||||
Democratic | 25th | 9 | Re-elected in 1836. | Democratic | ||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1839 – January 14, 1840 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 10 | 26th | ||||||||
11 | Daniel Sturgeon |
Democratic | January 14, 1840 – March 3, 1851 |
Elected late in 1840. | ||||||||
27th | ||||||||||||
28th | 10 | Re-elected in 1843. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1845. Retired. |
11 | 29th | ||||||||||
March 5, 1845 – March 13, 1845 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected in 1845. Retired. |
March 13, 1845 – March 3, 1849 |
Democratic | Simon Cameron |
11 | ||||||||
30th | ||||||||||||
31st | 11 | Elected in 1849. | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1855 |
Whig | James Cooper |
12 | ||||||
12 | Richard Brodhead |
Democratic | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1857 |
Elected in 1851. | 12 | 32nd | ||||||
33rd | ||||||||||||
34th | 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 | Simon Cameron |
Republican | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861 |
Elected in 1857. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of War. |
13 | 35th | ||||||
36th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1861 – March 14, 1861 |
37th | 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. | ||||||||
15 | Charles R. Buckalew |
Democratic | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869 |
Elected in 1863. | 14 | 38th | ||||||
39th | ||||||||||||
40th | 14 | Elected in 1867. | March 4, 1867 – March 12, 1877 |
Republican | Simon Cameron |
15 | ||||||
16 | John Scott |
Republican | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875 |
Elected in 1869. Retired. |
15 | 41st | ||||||
42nd | ||||||||||||
43rd | 15 | Re-elected in 1873. Resigned. | ||||||||||
17 | William A. Wallace |
Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1881 |
Elected in early 1875. Lost re-election. |
16 | 44th | ||||||
45th | ||||||||||||
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 | 16 | Re-elected in 1879. | ||||||||||
18 | John I. Mitchell |
Republican | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1887 |
Elected in early 1881. | 17 | 47th | ||||||
48th | ||||||||||||
49th | 17 | Re-elected in 1885. | ||||||||||
19 | Matthew S. Quay |
Republican | March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1899 |
Elected in early 1887. | 18 | 50th | ||||||
51st | ||||||||||||
52nd | 18 | Re-elected in 1891. Retired. | ||||||||||
Re-elected January 17, 1893. Legislature failed to re-elect. |
19 | 53rd | ||||||||||
54th | ||||||||||||
55th | 19 | Elected January 19, 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 | ||||||||
Matthew S. Quay |
Republican | January 16, 1901 – May 28, 1904 |
Elected late in 1901. Died. | |||||||||
57th | ||||||||||||
58th | 20 | Re-elected on January 20, 1903. | ||||||||||
20 | Philander C. Knox |
Republican | June 10, 1904 – March 3, 1909 |
Appointed to continue Quay's term. Elected on January 17, 1905 to finish Quay's term.[4] | ||||||||
Re-elected on January 18, 1905.[5] Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. |
21 | 59th | ||||||||||
60th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1909 – March 17, 1909 |
61st | 21 | Re-elected January 19, 1909. | ||||||||
21 | George T. Oliver |
Republican | March 17, 1909 – March 3, 1917 |
Elected to finish Knox's term | ||||||||
Re-elected January 11, 1911. Retired. |
22 | 62nd | ||||||||||
63rd | ||||||||||||
64th | 22 | Re-elected in 1914. | ||||||||||
22 | Philander C. Knox |
Republican | March 4, 1917 – October 12, 1921 |
Elected in 1916. Died. |
23 | 65th | ||||||
66th | ||||||||||||
67th | 23 | Re-elected in 1920. Died. | ||||||||||
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. | ||||||||
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. | ||||||||
Elected in 1922. | 24 | 68th | ||||||||||
69th | ||||||||||||
70th | 24 | William S. Vare (R) was elected in 1926, but the Governor refused to certify the election and the Senate refused to qualify him. He was formally unseated December 9, 1929. | March 4, 1927 – December 9, 1929 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1928. Lost re-election. |
25 | 71st | ||||||||||
Appointed to continue Vare's term. Lost nomination to finish Vare's term. |
December 11, 1929 – December 1, 1930 |
Republican | Joseph R. Grundy |
19 | ||||||||
Elected November 4, 1930 to finish Vare's term | December 2, 1930 – January 3, 1945 |
Republican | James J. Davis |
20 | ||||||||
72nd | ||||||||||||
73rd | 25 | Re-elected in 1932. | ||||||||||
25 | Joseph F. Guffey |
Democratic | January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1947 |
Elected in 1934. | 26 | 74th | ||||||
75th | ||||||||||||
76th | 26 | Re-elected in 1938. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1940. Lost re-election. |
27 | 77th | ||||||||||
78th | ||||||||||||
79th | 27 | Elected in 1944. Lost re-election. |
January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1951 |
Democratic | Francis J. Myers |
21 | ||||||
26 | Edward Martin |
Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1959 |
Elected in 1946. | 28 | 80th | ||||||
81st | ||||||||||||
82nd | 28 | Elected in 1950. Lost re-election. |
January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1957 |
Republican | James H. Duff |
22 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1952. Retired. |
29 | 83rd | ||||||||||
84th | ||||||||||||
85th | 29 | Elected in 1956. | January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1969 |
Democratic | Joseph S. Clark |
23 | ||||||
27 | Hugh Scott |
Republican | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1977 |
Elected in 1958. | 30 | 86th | ||||||
87th | ||||||||||||
88th | 30 | Re-elected in 1962. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1964. | 31 | 89th | ||||||||||
90th | ||||||||||||
91st | 31 | Elected in 1968. | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1981 |
Republican | Richard S. Schweiker |
24 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1970. Retired. |
32 | 92nd | ||||||||||
93rd | ||||||||||||
94th | 32 | Re-elected in 1974. Retired. | ||||||||||
28 | John Heinz |
Republican | January 3, 1977 – April 4, 1991 |
Elected in 1976. | 33 | 95th | ||||||
96th | ||||||||||||
97th | 33 | Elected in 1980. | January 3, 1981 – April 28, 2009 |
Republican | Arlen Specter |
25 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1982. | 34 | 98th | ||||||||||
99th | ||||||||||||
100th | 34 | Re-elected in 1986. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1988. Died. |
35 | 101st | ||||||||||
102nd | ||||||||||||
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. | ||||||||
103rd | 35 | Re-elected in 1992. | ||||||||||
30 | Rick Santorum |
Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007 |
Elected in 1994. | 36 | 104th | ||||||
105th | ||||||||||||
106th | 36 | Re-elected in 1998. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 2000. Lost re-election. |
37 | 107th | ||||||||||
108th | ||||||||||||
109th | 37 | Re-elected in 2004. Lost renomination. | ||||||||||
31 | Bob Casey Jr. |
Democratic | January 3, 2007 – Present |
Elected in 2006. | 38 | 110th | ||||||
111th | ||||||||||||
April 28, 2009 – January 3, 2011 |
Democratic | |||||||||||
112th | 38 | Elected in 2010. | January 3, 2011 – Present |
Republican | Pat Toomey |
26 | ||||||
Re-elected in 2012. | 39 | 113th | ||||||||||
114th | ||||||||||||
115th | 39 | Re-elected in 2016. Retiring at end of term. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 2018. | 40 | 116th | ||||||||||
117th | ||||||||||||
118th | 41 | 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 U.S. senator from Pennsylvania. The most recent senator to die was Harris Wofford (served 1991–1995) on January 21, 2019. The most recently serving senator to die was Arlen Specter (served 1981–2011) on October 14, 2012.
Senator | Term of office | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
Rick Santorum | 1995–2007 | May 10, 1958 |
Superlatives[]
Longest service[]
Senator | First served | Last served | Length of service |
---|---|---|---|
Arlen Specter | January 3, 1981 | January 3, 2011 | 30 years, 0 days (10,957 days) |
Boies Penrose | March 4, 1897 | December 21, 1921 | 24 years, 292 days (9,057 days) |
J. Donald Cameron | March 20, 1877 | March 3, 1897 | 19 years, 348 days (7,288 days) |
Hugh Scott | January 3, 1959 | January 3, 1977 | 18 years, 0 days (6,575 days) |
Simon Cameron | March 13, 1845 | March 3, 1849 | Combined total: 17 years, 363 days (6,573 days) |
March 4, 1857 | March 3, 1861 | ||
March 4, 1867 | March 12, 1877 |
Shortest service[]
Senator | First served | Last served | Length of service |
---|---|---|---|
Albert Gallatin | December 2, 1793 | February 28, 1794 | 2 months, 3 weeks and 5 days (88 days) |
Peter Muhlenberg | March 4, 1801 | June 30, 1801 | 3 months, 3 weeks and 5 days (118 days) |
William E. Crow | October 24, 1921 | August 2, 1922 | 9 months, 1 week and 2 days (282 days) |
Joseph R. Grundy | December 11, 1929 | December 1, 1930 | 11 months, 2 weeks and 6 days (355 days) |
George M. Dallas | December 13, 1831 | March 3, 1833 | 1 year, 2 months, 2 weeks and 4 days (446 days) |
Youngest at beginning of service[]
Senator | Date of birth | First served | Age |
---|---|---|---|
James Ross | July 12, 1762 | April 24, 1794 | 31 years, 9 months and 12 days |
Albert Gallatin | January 19, 1761 | December 2, 1793 | 32 years, 10 months and 13 days |
Walter Lowrie | December 10, 1784 | March 4, 1819 | 34 years, 2 months and 22 days |
Isaac D. Barnard | July 18, 1791 | March 4, 1827 | 35 years, 7 months and 14 days |
Boies Penrose | November 1, 1860 | March 4, 1897 | 36 years, 4 months and 3 days |
Oldest at end of service[]
Senator | Date of birth | Last served | Age |
---|---|---|---|
Arlen Specter | February 12, 1930 | January 3, 2011 | 80 years, 10 months and 22 days |
Edward Martin | September 18, 1879 | January 3, 1959 | 79 years, 3 months and 16 days |
Simon Cameron | March 8, 1799 | March 12, 1877 | 78 years and 4 days |
Hugh Scott | November 11, 1900 | January 3, 1977 | 76 years, 1 month and 23 days |
Joseph F. Guffey | December 29, 1870 | January 3, 1947 | 76 years and 5 days |
Notes[]
- ^ "Pennsylvania 1809 U.S. Senate, Special". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 3, 2018., citing Journal of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1808. 174-176.
- ^ "U.S. Senate Election - 13 December 1808" (PDF). Wilkes University. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- ^ "Pennsylvania 1812 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 23, 2018., citing Journal of the Pennsylvania State Senate, 1812. 41-43.
- ^ Byrd, p. 159.
- ^ The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1906. New York: The Press Publishing Co. New York World. 1905. p. 108.
References[]
- 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.
See also[]
- List of United States Senate elections in Pennsylvania
- United States congressional delegations from Pennsylvania
- List of United States representatives from Pennsylvania
External links[]
- Members of Congress from Pennsylvania, govtrack.us
- U.S. Senate members from Pennsylvania, civil.services
- United States senators from Pennsylvania
- Lists of Pennsylvania politicians
- Lists of United States senators by state