United States congressional delegations from Delaware
This is a chronological listing, in timeline format, of the United States congressional delegations from Delaware to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. U.S Senators are elected by popular vote for a six-year term, beginning January 3. Since 1831, elections in Delaware have been held in the first week of November of the year noted. Before 1914 United States Senators were chosen by the Delaware General Assembly and before 1935 all congressional terms began March 4.
The dates for the various Congress represent the range of dates they could have been in session, rather than the actual dates of the sessions. Congressional terms began on March 4 through 1933. Since 1935 they have begun on January 3. The juxtaposition of the terms with the sessions is approximate; see the footnotes for actual dates of special appointments, elections, resignations or deaths.
The current dean of the Delaware delegation is Senator Tom Carper, having served in the Senate since 2001, and previously served in the House from 1983 until 1993.
Current delegation
Senator Tom Carper
(D)
(D)
Senator Chris Coons
(D)
(D)
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester
(D)
(D)
United States Senate[]
The alternating grey and white boxes indicate the duration of the six-year Senate terms.
| Class I senators | Congress | Class II senators | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Read (PA) | 1st (1789–1791) | Richard Bassett (AA) | ||
| 2nd (1791–1793) | Richard Bassett (PA) | |||
| 3rd (1793–1795) | John Vining (PA)[1] | |||
| Henry Latimer (PA) | ||||
| Henry Latimer (F) | 4th (1795–1797) | |||
| 5th (1797–1799) | ||||
| Joshua Clayton (F)[2] | ||||
| William H. Wells (F)[3] | ||||
| 6th (1799–1801) | ||||
| Samuel White (F) | 7th (1801–1803) | |||
| 8th (1803–1805) | ||||
| 9th (1805–1807) | James A. Bayard (F) | |||
| 10th (1807–1809) | ||||
| Outerbridge Horsey (F) | 11th (1809–1811) | |||
| 12th (1811–1813) | ||||
| 13th (1813–1815) | William H. Wells (F) | |||
| 14th (1815–1817) | ||||
| 15th (1817–1819) | Nicholas Van Dyke (F) | |||
| 16th (1819–1821) | ||||
| vacant | 17th (1821–1823) | |||
| Caesar Augustus Rodney (DR) | ||||
| vacant | ||||
| 18th (1823–1825) | ||||
| Thomas Clayton (F) | ||||
| Thomas Clayton (NR) | 19th (1825–1827) | Daniel Rodney (NR) | ||
| Louis McLane (J) | 20th (1827–1829) | Henry M. Ridgely (J) | ||
| Arnold Naudain (NR) | 21st (1829–1831) | John M. Clayton (NR) | ||
| 22nd (1831–1833) | ||||
| 23rd (1833–1835) | ||||
| Richard H. Bayard (NR) | 24th (1835–1837) | |||
| Thomas Clayton (NR) | ||||
| Richard H. Bayard (W) | 25th (1837–1839) | Thomas Clayton (W) | ||
| 26th (1839–1841) | ||||
| vacant | ||||
| Richard H. Bayard (W) | 27th (1841–1843) | |||
| 28th (1843–1845) | ||||
| John M. Clayton (W) | 29th (1845–1847) | |||
| 30th (1847–1849) | Presley Spruance (W) | |||
| John Wales (W) | 31st (1849–1851) | |||
| James A. Bayard Jr. (D) | 32nd (1851–1853) | |||
| 33rd (1853–1855) | John M. Clayton (W) | |||
| 34th (1855–1857) | Joseph P. Comegys (W) | |||
| 35th (1857–1859) | Martin W. Bates (D) | |||
| 36th (1859–1861) | Willard Saulsbury Sr. (D) | |||
| 37th (1861–1863) | ||||
| George R. Riddle (D) | 38th (1863–1865) | |||
| 39th (1865–1867) | ||||
| James A. Bayard Jr. (D) | 40th (1867–1869) | |||
| Thomas F. Bayard (D) | 41st (1869–1871) | |||
| 42nd (1871–1873) | Eli M. Saulsbury (D) | |||
| 43rd (1873–1875) | ||||
| 44th (1875–1877) | ||||
| 45th (1877–1879) | ||||
| 46th (1879–1881) | ||||
| 47th (1881–1883) | ||||
| 48th (1883–1885) | ||||
| George Gray (D) | 49th (1885–1887) | |||
| 50th (1887–1889) | ||||
| 51st (1889–1891) | Anthony Higgins (R) | |||
| 52nd (1891–1893) | ||||
| 53rd (1893–1895) | ||||
| 54th (1895–1897) | vacant | |||
| 55th (1897–1899) | Richard R. Kenney (D) | |||
| vacant | 56th (1899–1901) | |||
| 57th (1901–1903) | vacant | |||
| L. Heisler Ball (R) | 58th (1903–1905) | J. Frank Allee (R) | ||
| vacant | 59th (1905–1907) | |||
| Henry A. du Pont (R) | ||||
| 60th (1907–1909) | Harry A. Richardson (R) | |||
| 61st (1909–1911) | ||||
| 62nd (1911–1913) | ||||
| 63rd (1913–1915) | Willard Saulsbury Jr. (D) | |||
| 64th (1915–1917) | ||||
| Josiah O. Wolcott (D) | 65th (1917–1919) | |||
| 66th (1919–1921) | L. Heisler Ball (R) | |||
| T. Coleman du Pont (R) | 67th (1921–1923) | |||
| Thomas F. Bayard Jr. (D) | 68th (1923–1925) | |||
| 69th (1925–1927) | T. Coleman du Pont (R) | |||
| 70th (1927–1929) | ||||
| John G. Townsend Jr. (R) | 71st (1929–1931) | Daniel O. Hastings (R) | ||
| 72nd (1931–1933) | ||||
| 73rd (1933–1935) | ||||
| 74th (1935–1937) | ||||
| 75th (1937–1939) | James H. Hughes (D) | |||
| 76th (1939–1941) | ||||
| James M. Tunnell (D) | 77th (1941–1943) | |||
| 78th (1943–1945) | C. Douglass Buck (R) | |||
| 79th (1945–1947) | ||||
| John J. Williams (R) | 80th (1947–1949) | |||
| 81st (1949–1951) | J. Allen Frear Jr. (D) | |||
| 82nd (1951–1953) | ||||
| 83rd (1953–1955) | ||||
| 84th (1955–1957) | ||||
| 85th (1957–1959) | ||||
| 86th (1959–1961) | ||||
| 87th (1961–1963) | J. Caleb Boggs (R) | |||
| 88th (1963–1965) | ||||
| 89th (1965–1967) | ||||
| 90th (1967–1969) | ||||
| 91st (1969–1971) | ||||
| William Roth (R) | 92nd (1971–1973) | |||
| 93rd (1973–1975) | Joe Biden (D)[4] | |||
| 94th (1975–1977) | ||||
| 95th (1977–1979) | ||||
| 96th (1979–1981) | ||||
| 97th (1981–1983) | ||||
| 98th (1983–1985) | ||||
| 99th (1985–1987) | ||||
| 100th (1987–1989) | ||||
| 101st (1989–1991) | ||||
| 102nd (1991–1993) | ||||
| 103rd (1993–1995) | ||||
| 104th (1995–1997) | ||||
| 105th (1997–1999) | ||||
| 106th (1999–2001) | ||||
| Tom Carper (D) | 107th (2001–2003) | |||
| 108th (2003–2005) | ||||
| 109th (2005–2007) | ||||
| 110th (2007–2009) | ||||
| 111th (2009–2011) | ||||
| Ted Kaufman (D) | ||||
| Chris Coons (D) | ||||
| 112th (2011–2013) | ||||
| 113th (2013–2015) | ||||
| 114th (2015–2017) | ||||
| 115th (2017–2019) | ||||
| 116th (2019–2021) | ||||
| 117th (2021–2023) | ||||
United States House of Representatives[]
U.S Representatives are elected by popular vote for a two-year term, beginning January 3. Since 1831, Delaware elections have been held the first week of November of the year noted. Before 1831, elections were held in October and before 1935 all congressional terms began March 4.
In Delaware all representatives have been elected from the state at large, rather than by district. There has always been the minimum one representative, except for the Thirteenth through Seventeenth Congress (1813–1823), when there were two representatives.
| Congress | At-large | At-large seat 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (1789–1791) | John Vining (PA) | |
| 2nd (1791–1793) | ||
| 3rd (1793–1795) | John Patten (AA)[5] | |
| Henry Latimer (F)[6] | ||
| 4th (1795–1797) | John Patten (DR) | |
| 5th (1797–1799) | James A. Bayard (F) | |
| 6th (1799–1801) | ||
| 7th (1801–1803) | ||
| 8th (1803–1805) | Caesar Rodney (DR) | |
| 9th (1805–1807) | James M. Broom (F)[7] | |
| 10th (1807–1809) | Nicholas Van Dyke (F)[8] | |
| 11th (1809–1811) | ||
| 12th (1811–1813) | Henry M. Ridgely (F) | |
| 13th (1813–1815) | Thomas Cooper (F) | |
| 14th (1815–1817) | Thomas Clayton (F) | |
| 15th (1817–1819) | Louis McLane (F) | Willard Hall (DR)[9] |
| 16th (1819–1821) | ||
| 17th (1821–1823) | Caesar Rodney (DR)[10] | |
| Daniel Rodney (F)[11] | ||
| 18th (1823–1825) | ||
| 19th (1825–1827) | Louis McLane (J) | |
| 20th (1827–1829) | Kensey Johns Jr. (NR)[12] | |
| 21st (1829–1831) | ||
| 22nd (1831–1833) | John J. Milligan (NR) | |
| 23rd (1833–1835) | ||
| 24th (1835–1837) | ||
| 25th (1837–1839) | John J. Milligan (W) | |
| 26th (1839–1841) | Thomas Robinson Jr. (D) | |
| 27th (1841–1843) | George B. Rodney (W) | |
| 28th (1843–1845) | ||
| 29th (1845–1847) | John W. Houston (W) | |
| 30th (1847–1849) | ||
| 31st (1849–1851) | ||
| 32nd (1851–1853) | George R. Riddle (D) | |
| 33rd (1853–1855) | ||
| 34th (1855–1857) | Elisha D. Cullen (KN) | |
| 35th (1857–1859) | William G. Whiteley (D) | |
| 36th (1859–1861) | ||
| 37th (1861–1863) | George P. Fisher (U) | |
| 38th (1863–1865) | William Temple (D)[13] | |
| Nathaniel B. Smithers (UU)[14] | ||
| 39th (1865–1867) | John A. Nicholson (D) | |
| 40th (1867–1869) | ||
| 41st (1869–1871) | Benjamin T. Biggs (D) | |
| 42nd (1871–1873) | ||
| 43rd (1873–1875) | James R. Lofland (R) | |
| 44th (1875–1877) | James Williams (D) | |
| 45th (1877–1879) | ||
| 46th (1879–1881) | Edward L. Martin (D) | |
| 47th (1881–1883) | ||
| 48th (1883–1885) | Charles B. Lore (D) | |
| 49th (1885–1887) | ||
| 50th (1887–1889) | John B. Penington (D) | |
| 51st (1889–1891) | ||
| 52nd (1891–1893) | John W. Causey (D) | |
| 53rd (1893–1895) | ||
| 54th (1895–1897) | Jonathan S. Willis (R) | |
| 55th (1897–1899) | L. Irving Handy (D) | |
| 56th (1899–1901) | John H. Hoffecker (R)[15] | |
| Walter O. Hoffecker (R)[16] | ||
| 57th (1901–1903) | L. Heisler Ball (R)[17] | |
| 58th (1903–1905) | Henry A. Houston (D) | |
| 59th (1905–1907) | Hiram R. Burton (R) | |
| 60th (1907–1909) | ||
| 61st (1909–1911) | William H. Heald (R) | |
| 62nd (1911–1913) | ||
| 63rd (1913–1915) | Franklin Brockson (D) | |
| 64th (1915–1917) | Thomas W. Miller (R) | |
| 65th (1917–1919) | Albert F. Polk (D) | |
| 66th (1919–1921) | Caleb R. Layton (R) | |
| 67th (1921–1923) | ||
| 68th (1923–1925) | William H. Boyce (D) | |
| 69th (1925–1927) | Robert G. Houston (R) | |
| 70th (1927–1929) | ||
| 71st (1929–1931) | ||
| 72nd (1931–1933) | ||
| 73rd (1933–1935) | Wilbur L. Adams (D) | |
| 74th (1935–1937) | J. George Stewart (R) | |
| 75th (1937–1939) | William F. Allen (D) | |
| 76th (1939–1941) | George S. Williams (R) | |
| 77th (1941–1943) | Philip A. Traynor (D) | |
| 78th (1943–1945) | Earle D. Willey (R) | |
| 79th (1945–1947) | Philip A. Traynor (D) | |
| 80th (1947–1949) | J. Caleb Boggs (R) | |
| 81st (1949–1951) | ||
| 82nd (1951–1953) | ||
| 83rd (1953–1955) | Herbert Warburton (R) | |
| 84th (1955–1957) | Harris McDowell (D) | |
| 85th (1957–1959) | Hal Haskell (R) | |
| 86th (1959–1961) | Harris McDowell (D) | |
| 87th (1961–1963) | ||
| 88th (1963–1965) | ||
| 89th (1965–1967) | ||
| 90th (1967–1969) | William Roth (R)[18] | |
| 91st (1969–1971) | ||
| 92nd (1971–1973) | Pete du Pont (R) | |
| 93rd (1973–1975) | ||
| 94th (1975–1977) | ||
| 95th (1977–1979) | Thomas Evans (R) | |
| 96th (1979–1981) | ||
| 97th (1981–1983) | ||
| 98th (1983–1985) | Tom Carper (D) | |
| 99th (1985–1987) | ||
| 100th (1987–1989) | ||
| 101st (1989–1991) | ||
| 102nd (1991–1993) | ||
| 103rd (1993–1995) | Mike Castle (R) | |
| 104th (1995–1997) | ||
| 105th (1997–1999) | ||
| 106th (1999–2001) | ||
| 107th (2001–2003) | ||
| 108th (2003–2005) | ||
| 109th (2005–2007) | ||
| 110th (2007–2009) | ||
| 111th (2009–2011) | ||
| 112th (2011–2013) | John Carney (D) | |
| 113th (2013–2015) | ||
| 114th (2015–2017) | ||
| 115th (2017–2019) | Lisa Blunt Rochester (D) | |
| 116th (2019–2021) | ||
| 117th (2021–2023) |
Key[]
| Anti-Administration (AA) |
| Democratic (D) |
| Democratic-Republican (DR) |
| Federalist (F) Pro-Administration (PA) |
| Jacksonian (J) |
| Know Nothing (KN) |
| National Republican (NR) |
| Republican (R) |
| Unionist (U) |
| Unconditional Unionist (UU) |
| Whig (W) |
References[]
- Barone, Michael & Richard E. Cohen (2005). The Almanac of American Politics. Washington: National Journal Group. ISBN 0-89234-112-2.
- ^ Resigned January 19, 1798
- ^ Elected to fill vacancy left by Vining's resignation, died August 11, 1798
- ^ Elected to fill vacancy left by Clayton's death
- ^ Resigned upon being elected Vice-President
- ^ Contested election, served until February 14, 1794, when a successor was selected.
- ^ Successfully contested election of John Patten, seated February 14, 1794; resigned February 7, 1795 to become U.S. Senator.
- ^ Resigned October 6, 1807, before Tenth Congress assembled.
- ^ Elected to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of James M. Broom, seated December 2, 1807.
- ^ Resigned January 22, 1821.
- ^ Resigned January 24, 1822 to become U.S. Senator.
- ^ Elected to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of Caesar A. Rodney, seated December 2, 1822.
- ^ Elected to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of Louis McLane in the preceding Congress, seated December 3, 1827.
- ^ Died May 28, 1863, before Congress assembled.
- ^ Elected to fill vacancy caused by the death of William Temple, seated December 7, 1863.
- ^ Died June 16, 1900.
- ^ Elected to fill vacancy caused by the death of John H. Hoffecker, seated December 3, 1900.
- ^ Resigned March 3, 1903, to become U.S. Senator.
- ^ Resigned December 31, 1970 to become U.S. Senator.
External links[]
- Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
- Delaware’s Members of Congress
- Election Statistics
- Political Graveyard
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Categories:
- Politics of Delaware
- United States congressional delegations by state
- Lists of Delaware politicians