List of United States senators from Delaware

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Current delegation

Below is a chronological listing of the United States senators from Delaware. U.S. senators were originally elected by the Delaware General Assembly for designated six-year terms beginning March 4. Frequently portions of the term would remain only upon a U.S. senator's death or resignation. From 1914 and the enforcement of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted in 1913 but rejected by the General Assembly that year and not ratified until July 1, 2010, officeholders were popularly elected on the first Tuesday after November 1; starting 1935, the beginning of their term is January 3. Delaware's current U.S. senators are Democrats Tom Carper (serving since January 3, 2001) and Chris Coons (serving since November 15, 2010). Joe Biden is Delaware's longest serving senator (1973–2009).

List of senators[edit]

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 2

Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2008, 2010 (special election), 2014 and 2020. The next election will be in 2026.

# Senator Party Dates in office Electoral history T T Electoral history Dates in office Party Senator #
1
George Read
Pro-
Admin.
Mar 4, 1789 –
Sep 18, 1793
Elected in 1788. 1 1st 1 Elected in 1788. Mar 4, 1789 –
Mar 3, 1793
Anti-
Admin.

Richard Bassett
1
Re-elected in 1790.
Resigned to become Chief Justice of Delaware.
2 2nd Pro-
Admin.
3rd 2 Elected in 1793.
Resigned.
Mar 4, 1793 –
Jan 19, 1798
Pro-Admin.
John Vining
2
Vacant Sep 18, 1793 –
Feb 7, 1795
 
2
Henry Latimer
Pro-
Admin.
Feb 7, 1795 –
Feb 28, 1801
Elected in 1795 to finish Read's term.
Federalist 4th Federalist
Re-elected in 1797.
Resigned.
3 5th
Elected in 1798 to finish Vining's term.
Died.
Jan 19, 1798 –
Aug 11, 1798
Federalist
Joshua Clayton
3
  Aug 11, 1798 –
Jan 17, 1799
Vacant
Elected in 1799 to finish Clayton's term. Jan 17, 1799 –
Nov 6, 1804
Federalist
William H. Wells
4
6th 3 Re-elected in 1799.
Resigned.
3
Samuel White
Federalist Feb 28, 1801 –
Nov 4, 1809
Appointed to finish Latimer's term.
7th
Re-elected in 1803.[1] 4 8th
  Nov 6, 1804 –
Nov 13, 1804
Vacant
Elected in 1804 to finish Wells's term. Nov 13, 1804 –
Mar 3, 1813
Federalist
James A. Bayard
5
9th 4 Re-elected in 1805.
10th
Re-elected in 1809.[2]

Died.

5 11th
Vacant Nov 4, 1809 –
Jan 12, 1810
 
4 Outerbridge Horsey Federalist Jan 12, 1810 –
Mar 3, 1821
Elected in 1810 to finish White's term.
12th 5 Re-elected in 1811.
Resigned.
13th   Mar 3, 1813 –
May 21, 1813
Vacant
Elected in 1813 to finish Bayard's term.
Retired.
May 21, 1813 –
Mar 3, 1817
Federalist
William H. Wells
6
Re-elected in 1815.[3]
Retired.
6 14th
15th 6 Elected in 1817.
Legislature failed to elect.
Mar 4, 1817 –
Mar 3, 1823
Federalist
Nicholas Van Dyke
7
16th
Vacant Mar 4, 1821 –
Jan 23, 1822
  7 17th
5
Caesar A. Rodney
Democratic-
Republican
Jan 24, 1822 –
Jan 29, 1823
Elected late to finish vacant term.
Resigned to become U.S. Minister to the United Provinces of the River Plate.
Vacant Jan 29, 1823 –
Jan 8, 1824
 
18th 7   Mar 4, 1823 –
Jan 8, 1824
Vacant
Re-elected late.
Died.
Jan 8, 1824 –
May 21, 1826
Federalist
Nicholas Van Dyke
6
Thomas Clayton
Federalist Jan 8, 1824 –
Mar 3, 1827
Elected in 1824 to finish Rodney's term.
National
Republican
19th National
Republican
  May 21, 1826 –
Nov 8, 1826
Vacant
Appointed to continue Van Dyke's term.
Retired.
Nov 8, 1826 –
Jan 12, 1827
National
Republican

Daniel Rodney
8
Elected in 1827 to finish Van Dyke's term.
Retired.
Jan 12, 1827 –
Mar 3, 1829
Jacksonian
Henry M. Ridgely
9
7
Louis McLane
Jacksonian Mar 4, 1827 –
Apr 16, 1829
Elected in 1827.
Resigned to become U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to England.
8 20th
21st 8 Elected in 1829. Mar 4, 1829 –
Dec 29, 1836
National
Republican

John M. Clayton
10
Vacant Apr 16, 1829 –
Jan 7, 1830
 
8
Arnold Naudain
National
Republican
Jan 7, 1830 –
Jun 16, 1836
Elected in 1830 to finish McLane's term.
22nd
Re-elected in 1832.
Resigned.
9 23rd
24th 9 Re-elected in 1835.
Resigned.
9
Richard H. Bayard
National
Republican
Jun 17, 1836 –
Sep 19, 1839
Elected in 1836 to finish Naudain's term.
  Dec 29, 1836 –
Jan 9, 1837
Vacant
Elected in 1837 to finish his cousin's term. Jan 9, 1837 –
Mar 3, 1847
National
Republican

Thomas Clayton
11
Whig 25th Whig
Re-elected during the 1838/39 cycle.
Resigned to become Chief Justice of Delaware.
10 26th
Vacant Sep 19, 1839 –
Jan 11, 1841
 

Richard H. Bayard
Whig Jan 12, 1841 –
Mar 3, 1845
Elected in 1841 to finish his own term.
Retired.
27th 10 Re-elected in 1841.
28th
10
John M. Clayton
Whig Mar 4, 1845 –
Feb 23, 1849
Elected in 1845.
Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State.
11 29th
30th 11 Elected in 1846 or 1847.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1847 –
Mar 3, 1853
Whig
Presley Spruance
12
11
John Wales
Whig Feb 23, 1849 –
Mar 3, 1851
Elected in 1849 to finish Clayton's term.
Lost re-election.
31st
12
James A. Bayard Jr.
Democratic Mar 4, 1851 –
Jan 29, 1864
Elected in 1851. 12 32nd
33rd 12 Elected in 1853.
Died.
Mar 4, 1853 –
Nov 9, 1856
Whig
John M. Clayton
13
34th
  Nov 9, 1856 –
Nov 19, 1856
Vacant
Appointed to continue Clayton's term.
Declined nomination to finish Clayton's term.
Nov 19, 1856 –
Jan 14, 1857
Whig
Joseph P. Comegys
14
Elected in 1857 to finish Clayton's term.
Lost re-election.
Jan 14, 1857 –
Mar 3, 1859
Democratic
Martin W. Bates
15
Re-elected in 1857. 13 35th
36th 13 Elected in 1858. Mar 4, 1859 –
Mar 3, 1871
Democratic
Willard Saulsbury Sr.
16
37th
Re-elected in 1863.
Resigned.
14 38th
13
George R. Riddle
Democratic Jan 29, 1864 –
Mar 29, 1867
Elected in 1864 to finish Bayard's term.
Died.
39th 14 Re-elected in 1864.
Lost re-election.
40th
Vacant Mar 29, 1867 –
Apr 5, 1867
 
14
James A. Bayard Jr.
Democratic Apr 5, 1867 –
Mar 3, 1869
Appointed to continue his own term.
Elected in 1869 to finish his own term.[4]
Retired.
15
Thomas F. Bayard
Democratic Mar 4, 1869 –
Mar 6, 1885
Elected in 1869. 15 41st
42nd 15 Elected in 1870. Mar 4, 1871 –
Mar 3, 1889
Democratic
Eli Saulsbury
17
43rd
Re-elected in 1875. 16 44th
45th 16 Re-elected in 1876.
46th
Re-elected in 1881.
Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State.
17 47th
48th 17 Re-elected in 1883.
Lost re-election.
49th
Vacant Mar 6, 1885 –
Mar 18, 1885
 
16
George Gray
Democratic Mar 18, 1885 –
Mar 3, 1899
Elected in 1885 to finish Bayard's term.
Re-elected in 1887. 18 50th
51st 18 Election year unknown.
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1889 –
Mar 3, 1895
Republican
Anthony Higgins
18
52nd
Re-elected in 1893.
Lost re-election.
19 53rd
54th 19 Legislature failed to elect. Mar 4, 1895 –
Jan 19, 1897
Vacant
Elected in 1897 to finish vacant term.
Lost re-election.
Jan 19, 1897 –
Mar 3, 1901
Democratic
Richard R. Kenney
19
55th
Vacant Mar 4, 1899 –
Mar 1, 1903
Legislature failed to elect. 20 56th
57th 20 Legislature failed to elect. Mar 4, 1901 –
Mar 2, 1903
Vacant
17
L. Heisler Ball
Republican Mar 2, 1903 –
Mar 3, 1905
Elected in 1903 to finish vacant term. Elected in 1903 to finish vacant term.
Retired.
Mar 2, 1903 –
Mar 3, 1907
Republican
J. Frank Allee
20
58th
Vacant Mar 4, 1905 –
Jun 12, 1906
Legislature failed to elect. 21 59th
18
Henry A. du Pont
Republican Jun 13, 1906 –
Mar 3, 1917
Elected in 1906 to finish vacant term.
60th 21 Elected in 1907.[5]
Retired.
Mar 4, 1907 –
Mar 3, 1913
Republican
Harry A. Richardson
21
61st
Re-elected in 1911.
Lost re-election.
22 62nd
63rd 22 Elected in 1913.
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1913 –
Mar 3, 1919
Democratic
Willard Saulsbury Jr.
22
64th
19
Josiah O. Wolcott
Democratic Mar 4, 1917 –
Jul 2, 1921
Elected in 1916.
Resigned to become Chancellor of Delaware.
23 65th
66th 23 Elected in 1918.
Lost renomination.
Mar 4, 1919 –
Mar 3, 1925
Republican
L. Heisler Ball
23
67th
20
T. Coleman du Pont
Republican Jul 7, 1921 –
Nov 6, 1922
Appointed to finish Wolcott's term.
Lost election to finish Wolcott's term.
21
Thomas F. Bayard Jr.
Democratic Nov 7, 1922 –
Mar 3, 1929
Elected in 1922 to finish Wolcott's term.
Elected in 1922.
Lost re-election.
24 68th
69th 24 Elected in 1924.
Resigned.
Mar 4, 1925 –
Dec 8, 1928
Republican
T. Coleman du Pont
24
70th
  Dec 8, 1928 –
Dec 10, 1928
Vacant
Appointed to finish du Pont's term.
Elected in 1930 to finish du Pont's term.
Dec 10, 1928 –
Jan 3, 1937
Republican
Daniel O. Hastings
25
22
John G. Townsend Jr.
Republican Mar 4, 1929 –
Jan 3, 1941
Elected in 1928. 25 71st
72nd 25 Elected in 1930.
Lost re-election.
73rd
Re-elected in 1934.
Lost re-election.
26 74th
75th 26 Elected in 1936.
Lost renomination.
Jan 3, 1937 –
Jan 3, 1943
Democratic
James H. Hughes
26
76th
23
James M. Tunnell
Democratic Jan 3, 1941 –
Jan 3, 1947
Elected in 1940.
Lost re-election.
27 77th
78th 27 Elected in 1942.
Lost re-election.
Jan 3, 1943 –
Jan 3, 1949
Republican
C. Douglass Buck
27
79th
24
John J. Williams
Republican Jan 3, 1947 –
Dec 31, 1970
Elected in 1946. 28 80th
81st 28 Elected in 1948. Jan 3, 1949 –
Jan 3, 1961
Democratic
J. Allen Frear Jr.
28
82nd
Re-elected in 1952. 29 83rd
84th 29 Re-elected in 1954.
Lost re-election.
85th
Re-elected in 1958. 30 86th
87th 30 Elected in 1960. Jan 3, 1961 –
Jan 3, 1973
Republican
J. Caleb Boggs
29
88th
Re-elected in 1964.
Retired and resigned to give his successor preferential seniority.
31 89th
90th 31 Re-elected in 1966.
Lost re-election.
91st
25
William Roth
Republican Jan 1, 1971 –
Jan 3, 2001
Appointed to finish Williams's term, having been elected to the next term.
Elected in 1970. 32 92nd
93rd 32 Elected in 1972. Jan 3, 1973 –
Jan 15, 2009
Democratic
Joe Biden
30
94th
Re-elected in 1976. 33 95th
96th 33 Re-elected in 1978.
97th
Re-elected in 1982. 34 98th
99th 34 Re-elected in 1984.
100th
Re-elected in 1988. 35 101st
102nd 35 Re-elected in 1990.
103rd
Re-elected in 1994.
Lost re-election.
36 104th
105th 36 Re-elected in 1996.
106th
26
Tom Carper
Democratic Jan 3, 2001 –
present
Elected in 2000. 37 107th
108th 37 Re-elected in 2002.
109th
Re-elected in 2006. 38 110th
111th 38 Re-elected in 2008.
Resigned to become U.S. Vice President.
Appointed to continue Biden's term.
Retired when his successor was elected.
Jan 15, 2009[6]
Nov 15, 2010
Democratic
Ted Kaufman
31
Elected in 2010 to finish Biden's term. Nov 15, 2010 –
present
Democratic
Chris Coons
32
112th
Re-elected in 2012. 39 113th
114th 39 Re-elected in 2014.
115th
Re-elected in 2018.
Retiring at end of term.
40 116th
117th 40 Re-elected in 2020.
118th
To be determined in the 2024 election. 41 119th
120th 41 To be determined in the 2026 election.
# Senator Party Years in office Electoral history T C T Electoral history Years in office Party Senator #
Class 1 Class 2

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Delaware 1803 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved January 30, 2018., citing Journal of the Delaware State Senate, 1803. 13–14.
  2. ^ "Delaware 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 United States' Gazette (Philadelphia, PA). Jan 14, 1809.
  3. ^ "Delaware 1815 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 25, 2018., citing Journal of the Delaware House of Representatives, 1815. 37.
  4. ^ Byrd & Wolff, p. 90.
  5. ^ The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1908. New York: The Tribune Association. 1908. p. 258.
  6. ^ "Senators of the United States 1789–present, A chronological list of senators since the First Congress in 1789" (PDF). Senate Historical Office. April 17, 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2017.

External links[edit]