List of United States senators from South Carolina

Current delegation

Lindsey Graham (R)

Tim Scott (R)

South Carolina ratified the United States Constitution on May 23, 1788. Its Senate seats were declared vacant in July 1861 owing to its secession from the Union. They were again filled from July 1868. The state's current U.S. senators are Republicans Lindsey Graham, serving since 2003, and Tim Scott, serving since 2013.

List of senators[]

#	Senator	Party	Dates in office	Electoral history	T	C	T	Electoral history	Dates in office	Party	Senator	#
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.						C	Class 3 Class 3 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2004, 2010, 2014 (special election), and 2016. The next election will be in 2022.
1	Pierce Butler	Pro- Admin.	March 4, 1789 – October 25, 1796	Elected in 1789.	1	1st	1	Elected in 1789.	March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1795	Pro- Admin.	Ralph Izard	1
		Anti- Admin.		Elected in 1789.	1	2nd
		Anti- Admin.		Re-elected in 1793. Resigned.	2	3rd
		Democratic- Republican		Re-elected in 1793. Resigned.		4th	2	Elected during the 1794/95 cycle. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1801	Federalist	Jacob Read	2
Vacant			October 25, 1796 – December 8, 1796
2	John Hunter	Democratic- Republican	December 8, 1796 – November 26, 1798	Elected to finish Butler's term. Resigned.
2	John Hunter	Democratic- Republican	December 8, 1796 – November 26, 1798	Elected to finish Butler's term. Resigned.		5th
3	Charles Pinckney	Democratic- Republican	December 6, 1798 – June 6, 1801	Elected to finish Hunter's term.		5th
				Re-elected in 1799. Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Spain.	3	6th
						7th	3	Elected in 1800. Died.	March 4, 1801 – October 26, 1802	Democratic- Republican	John E. Colhoun	3
Vacant			June 6, 1801 – December 15, 1801
4	Thomas Sumter	Democratic- Republican	December 15, 1801 – December 16, 1810	Elected December 3, 1801 to finish Pinckney's term.
									October 26, 1802 – November 4, 1802	Vacant
								Elected to finish Colhoun's term. Resigned.	November 4, 1802 – November 21, 1804	Democratic- Republican	Pierce Butler	4
						8th		Elected to finish Colhoun's term. Resigned.	November 4, 1802 – November 21, 1804	Democratic- Republican	Pierce Butler	4
									November 21, 1804 – December 6, 1804	Vacant
								Elected to finish Butler's term.	December 6, 1804 – February 26, 1826	Democratic- Republican	John Gaillard	5
				Re-elected December 6, 1804. Resigned.	4	9th		Elected to finish Butler's term.
						10th	4	Re-elected in 1806.
						11th
Vacant			December 16, 1810 – December 31, 1810
5	John Taylor	Democratic- Republican	December 31, 1810 – November 1816	Elected to finish Sumter's term.
				Re-elected December 20, 1810. Resigned.	5	12th
						13th	5	Re-elected in 1812.
						14th
Vacant			November 1816 – December 4, 1816
6	William Smith	Democratic- Republican	December 4, 1816 – March 3, 1823	Elected to finish Taylor's term.
				Re-elected in 1816. Lost re-election.	6	15th
						16th	6	Re-elected in 1818.
						17th
7	Robert Y. Hayne	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1823 – December 13, 1832	Elected in 1822.	7	18th
		Jacksonian				19th	7	Re-elected in 1824. Died.		Jacksonian
									February 26, 1826 – March 8, 1826	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Gaillard's term.	March 8, 1826 – November 29, 1826	Jacksonian	William Harper	6
								Elected to finish Gaillard's term. Lost re-election.	November 29, 1826 – March 3, 1831	Jacksonian	William Smith	7
						20th
				Re-elected in 1828. Resigned to become South Carolina Governor.	8	21st
		Nullifier				22nd	8	Elected in 1830. Resigned due to ill health.	March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833	Nullifier	Stephen Decatur Miller	8
Vacant			December 13, 1832 – December 29, 1832
8	John C. Calhoun	Nullifier	December 29, 1832 – March 3, 1843	Elected to finish Hayne's term.
						23rd			March 3, 1833 – November 26, 1833	Vacant
						23rd		Elected to finish Miller's term.	November 26, 1833 – November 29, 1842	Nullifier	William C. Preston	9
				Re-elected in 1834.	9	24th		Elected to finish Miller's term.		Nullifier
		Democratic				25th	9	Re-elected in 1837.		Whig
						26th
				Re-elected in 1840. Resigned.	10	27th
									November 29, 1842 – December 23, 1842	Vacant
								Elected to finish Preston's term.	December 23, 1842 – August 17, 1846	Democratic	George McDuffie	10
9	Daniel Elliott Huger	Democratic	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845	Elected to finish Calhoun's term. Resigned.		28th	10	Re-elected during the 1842/43 cycle.
Vacant			March 3, 1845 – November 26, 1845			29th
10	John C. Calhoun	Democratic	November 26, 1845 – March 31, 1850	Re-elected to finish Huger's term.
									August 17, 1846 – December 4, 1846	Vacant
								Appointed to continue McDuffie's term. Elected to finish McDuffie's term.	December 4, 1846 – May 25, 1857	Democratic	Andrew Butler	11
				Re-elected in 1846. Died.	11	30th
				Re-elected in 1846. Died.		31st	11	Re-elected in 1848.
Vacant			March 31, 1850 – April 11, 1850
11	Franklin H. Elmore	Democratic	April 11, 1850 – May 29, 1850	Appointed to continue Calhoun's term. Died.
Vacant			May 29, 1850 – June 4, 1850
12	Robert Woodward Barnwell	Democratic	June 4, 1850 – December 8, 1850	Appointed to continue Elmore's term. Retired when his successor was elected.
Vacant			December 8, 1850 – December 18, 1850
13	Robert Rhett	Democratic	December 18, 1850 – May 7, 1852	Elected to finish Elmore's term. Resigned.
13	Robert Rhett	Democratic	December 18, 1850 – May 7, 1852	Elected to finish Elmore's term. Resigned.		32nd
Vacant			May 7, 1852 – May 10, 1852
14	William F. De Saussure	Democratic	May 10, 1852 – March 3, 1853	Appointed to continue Rhett's term. Elected November 29, 1852^[1]
15	Josiah J. Evans	Democratic	March 4, 1853 – May 6, 1858	Elected during the 1852/53 cycle. Died.	12	33rd
						34th	12	Re-elected in 1854. Died.
						35th		Re-elected in 1854. Died.
									May 25, 1857 – December 7, 1857	Vacant
								Elected to finish Butler's term. Withdrew.	December 7, 1857 – November 11, 1860	Democratic	James Henry Hammond	12
Vacant			May 6, 1858 – May 11, 1858
16	Arthur P. Hayne	Democratic	May 11, 1858 – December 2, 1858	Appointed to continue Evans' term. Retired when his successor was elected.
17	James Chesnut, Jr.	Democratic	December 3, 1858 – November 10, 1860	Elected to finish Evans' term.
17	James Chesnut, Jr.	Democratic	December 3, 1858 – November 10, 1860	Re-elected in 1858. Withdrew and was later expelled for his support of the Confederate States.	13	36th
Vacant			November 10, 1860 – July 15, 1868	Civil War and Reconstruction.
								Civil War and Reconstruction.	November 11, 1860 – July 16, 1868	Vacant
						37th	13
						38th
					14	39th
						40th	14
18	Thomas J. Robertson	Republican	July 15, 1868 – March 3, 1877	.
								.	July 16, 1868 – March 3, 1873	Republican	Frederick A. Sawyer	13
						41st
				Re-elected in 1870. Retired.	15	42nd
						43rd	15	Elected during the 1872/73 cycle.	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1879	Republican	John J. Patterson	14
						44th
19	Matthew Butler	Democratic	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1895	Elected in 1876.	16	45th
						46th	16	Elected in 1878.	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1891	Democratic	Wade Hampton III	15
						47th
				Re-elected in 1882.	17	48th
						49th	17	Re-elected in 1884. Lost re-election.
						50th
				Re-elected in 1888. Lost renomination.	18	51st
						52nd	18	Elected in 1890. Retired.	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1897	Democratic	John L. M. Irby	16
						53rd
20	Benjamin Tillman	Democratic	March 4, 1895 – July 3, 1918	Elected December 11, 1894.	19	54th
						55th	19	Elected January 26, 1897. Died.	March 4, 1897 – May 20, 1897	Democratic	Joseph H. Earle	17
									May 20, 1897 – May 27, 1897	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Earle's term. Elected January 26, 1898 to finish Earle's term.^[2] Retired.	May 27, 1897 – March 3, 1903	Democratic	John L. McLaurin	18
						56th
				Re-elected in 1901.	20	57th
						58th	20	Elected January 27, 1903.^[3] Died.	March 4, 1903 – February 20, 1908	Democratic	Asbury Latimer	19
						59th
				Re-elected January 22, 1907.^[4]	21	60th
									February 20, 1908 – March 6, 1908	Vacant
								Elected in 1908 to finish Latimer's term. Retired.	March 6, 1908 – March 3, 1909	Democratic	Frank B. Gary	20
						61st	21	Elected January 26, 1909.	March 4, 1909 – November 17, 1944	Democratic	Ellison D. Smith	21
						62nd
				Re-elected January 28, 1913. Died.	22	63rd
						64th	22	Re-elected in 1914.
						65th
Vacant			July 3, 1918 – July 6, 1918
21	Christie Benet	Democratic	July 6, 1918 – November 5, 1918	Appointed to continue Tillman's term. Lost election to finish Tillman's term.
22	William P. Pollock	Democratic	November 6, 1918 – March 3, 1919	Elected to finish Tillman's term. [data unknown/missing].
23	Nathaniel B. Dial	Democratic	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1925	Elected in 1918. Lost renomination.	23	66th
						67th	23	Re-elected in 1920.
						68th
24	Coleman Livingston Blease	Democratic	March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1931	Elected in 1924. Lost renomination.	24	69th
						70th	24	Re-elected in 1926.
						71st
25	James F. Byrnes	Democratic	March 4, 1931 – July 8, 1941	Elected in 1930.	25	72nd
						73rd	25	Re-elected in 1932.
						74th
				Re-elected in 1936. Resigned.	26	75th
						76th	26	Re-elected in 1938. Lost renomination before dying.
						77th
Vacant			July 8, 1941 – July 22, 1941
26	Alva M. Lumpkin	Democratic	July 22, 1941 – August 1, 1941	Appointed to continue Byrnes' term. Died.
27	Roger C. Peace	Democratic	August 5, 1941 – November 4, 1941	Appointed to continue Byrnes' term. Retired when successor elected.
28	Burnet R. Maybank	Democratic	November 5, 1941 – September 1, 1954	Elected to finish Byrnes's term.
				Re-elected in 1942.	27	78th
									November 17, 1944 – November 20, 1944	Vacant
								Appointed to complete Smith's term.	November 20, 1944 – January 3, 1945	Democratic	Wilton E. Hall	22
						79th	27	Elected in 1944.	January 3, 1945 – April 18, 1965	Democratic	Olin D. Johnston	23
						80th
				Re-elected in 1948. Died.	28	81st
						82nd	28	Re-elected in 1950.
						83rd
Vacant			September 1, 1954 – September 6, 1954
29	Charles E. Daniel	Democratic	September 6, 1954 – December 23, 1954	Appointed to finish Maybank's term. Resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.
30	Strom Thurmond	Democratic	December 24, 1954 – April 4, 1956	Appointed to finish Daniel's term, having been elected to the next term.
30	Strom Thurmond	Democratic	December 24, 1954 – April 4, 1956	Elected in 1954.^[5] Resigned.	29	84th
31	Thomas A. Wofford	Democratic	April 5, 1956 – November 6, 1956	Appointed to continue Thurmond's term. Retired.
32	Strom Thurmond	Democratic	November 7, 1956 – January 3, 2003	Elected in 1956 to finish his own term.
						85th	29	Re-elected in 1956.
						86th
				Re-elected in 1960. Changed parties September 16, 1964.	30	87th
						88th	30	Re-elected in 1962. Died.
		Republican				88th
						89th
									April 18, 1965 – April 22, 1965	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Johnston's term. Lost nomination to finish Johnston's term.	April 22, 1965 – November 8, 1966	Democratic	Donald S. Russell	24
								Elected to finish Johnston's term.	November 9, 1966 – January 3, 2005	Democratic	Fritz Hollings	25
				Re-elected in 1966.	31	90th		Elected to finish Johnston's term.
						91st	31	Re-elected in 1968.
						92nd
				Re-elected in 1972.	32	93rd
						94th	32	Re-elected in 1974.
						95th
				Re-elected in 1978.	33	96th
						97th	33	Re-elected in 1980.
						98th
				Re-elected in 1984.	34	99th
						100th	34	Re-elected in 1986.
						101st
				Re-elected in 1990.	35	102nd
						103rd	35	Re-elected in 1992.
						104th
				Re-elected in 1996. Retired.	36	105th
						106th	36	Re-elected in 1998. Retired.
						107th
33	Lindsey Graham	Republican	January 3, 2003 – Present	Elected in 2002.	37	108th
						109th	37	Elected in 2004.	January 3, 2005 – January 1, 2013	Republican	Jim DeMint	26
						110th
				Re-elected in 2008.	38	111th
						112th	38	Re-elected in 2010. Resigned to head The Heritage Foundation.
						112th		Appointed to continue DeMint's term. Elected to finish DeMint's term.	January 2, 2013 – Present	Republican	Tim Scott	27
						113th
				Re-elected in 2014.	39	114th
						115th	39	Re-elected in 2016.
						116th
				Re-elected in 2020.	40	117th
						118th	40	To be determined in the 2022 election.
						119th
To be determined in the 2026 election.					41	120th
#	Senator	Party	Years in office	Electoral history	T		T	Electoral history	Years in office	Party	Senator	#
Class 2							Class 3

Living former senators[]

As of August 2021, there is one living former U.S. senator from South Carolina. The most recent and most recently serving senator to die was Fritz Hollings (served 1966–2005) on April 6, 2019.

Senator	Term of office	Date of birth (and age)
Jim DeMint	2005–2013	(1951-09-02) September 2, 1951 (age 69)

Superlatives[]

Longest service[]

Senator	First served	Last served	Length of service
Strom Thurmond	December 24, 1954	April 4, 1956	Combined total: 47 years, 159 days (17,314 days)
Strom Thurmond	November 7, 1956	January 3, 2003	Combined total: 47 years, 159 days (17,314 days)
Fritz Hollings	November 9, 1966	January 3, 2005	38 years, 55 days (13,935 days)
Ellison D. Smith	March 4, 1909	November 22, 1944	35 years, 263 days (13,047 days)
Benjamin Tillman	March 4, 1895	July 3, 1918	23 years, 121 days (8,521 days)
John Gaillard	December 6, 1804	February 26, 1826	21 years, 82 days (7,752 days)

Shortest service[]

Senator	First served	Last served	Length of service
Alva M. Lumpkin	July 22, 1941	August 1, 1941	1 week and 3 days (10 days)
Wilton E. Hall	November 20, 1944	January 3, 1945	1 month and 2 weeks (44 days)
Franklin H. Elmore	April 11, 1850	May 29, 1850	1 month, 2 weeks and 4 days (48 days)
Joseph H. Earle	March 4, 1897	May 20, 1897	2 months, 2 weeks and 2 days (77 days)
Roger C. Peace	August 5, 1941	November 4, 1941	2 months, 4 weeks and 2 days (91 days)

Youngest at beginning of service[]

Senator	Date of birth	First served	Age
Robert Y. Hayne	November 10, 1791	March 4, 1823	31 years, 3 months and 22 days
William Harper	January 17, 1790	March 8, 1826	36 years, 1 month and 19 days
John L. M. Irby	September 10, 1854	March 4, 1891	36 years, 5 months and 22 days
John L. McLaurin	May 9, 1860	June 1, 1897	37 years and 23 days
Christie Benet	December 26, 1879	July 6, 1918	38 years, 6 months and 10 days

Oldest at end of service[]

Senator	Date of birth	Last served	Age
Strom Thurmond	December 5, 1902	January 3, 2003	100 years and 29 days
Fritz Hollings	January 1, 1922	January 3, 2005	83 years and 2 days
Ellison D. Smith	August 1, 1864	November 17, 1944	80 years, 3 months and 16 days
Thomas Sumter	August 14, 1734	December 16, 1810	76 years, 4 months and 2 days
Wade Hampton III	March 28, 1818	March 3, 1891	72 years, 11 months and 3 days

Notes[]

^ Byrd, p. 164.
^ Byrd, p. 166.
^ "South Carolina's Choice". The New York Times. January 28, 1903. p. 8.
^ The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1908. New York: The Tribune Association. 1908. p. 260.
^ "THURMOND, James Strom". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

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. ISBN 9780160632563.

[FOOTNOTEByrd164-1] Byrd, p. 164.

[FOOTNOTEByrd166-2] Byrd, p. 166.

[3] "South Carolina's Choice". The New York Times. January 28, 1903. p. 8.

[4] The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1908. New York: The Tribune Association. 1908. p. 260.

[5] "THURMOND, James Strom". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

show v t United States senators from South Carolina
Class 2	P. Butler Hunter Pinckney Sumter Taylor W. Smith R. Hayne Calhoun Huger Calhoun Elmore Barnwell Rhett De Saussure Evans A. Hayne Chesnut Robertson M. Butler Tillman Benet Pollock Dial Blease Byrnes Lumpkin Peace Maybank Daniel Thurmond Wofford Thurmond Graham
Class 3	Izard Read Colhoun P. Butler Gaillard Harper W. Smith Miller Preston McDuffie A. Butler Hammond Sawyer Patterson Hampton Irby Earle McLaurin Latimer Gary E. Smith Hall Johnston Russell Hollings DeMint Scott

show v t South Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators	Lindsey Graham (R) Tim Scott (R)
Representatives (ordered by district)	Nancy Mace (R) Joe Wilson (R) Jeff Duncan (R) William Timmons (R) Ralph Norman (R) Jim Clyburn (D) Tom Rice (R)

show v t Lists of United States congressional delegations
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Others	American Samoa Cherokee Nation District of Columbia Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands
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