List of United States Senators from Tennessee
Tennessee was admitted to the United States on June 1, 1796. Its Senate seats were declared vacant in March 1862 owing to its secession from the Union. They were again filled from July 1866. The current Senators are Republicans Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker.
List of Senators
Class 1 Class 1 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2012. The next election will be in 2018. |
C o n g r e s s |
Class 2 Class 2 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2014. The next election will be in 2020. | ||||||||||
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# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T e r m |
T e r m |
Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Vacant | June 1, 1796 – August 2, 1796 |
Tennessee did not elect its Senators until two months after statehood. | 1 | 4th Congress | 1 | Tennessee did not elect its Senators until two months after statehood. | June 1, 1796 – August 2, 1796 |
Vacant | ||||
1 | William Cocke |
Democratic-Republican | August 2, 1796 – September 26, 1797 |
Elected in 1796. | Elected in 1796. Expelled. |
August 2, 1796 – July 8, 1797 |
Democratic-Republican | William Blount |
1 | |||
Appointed to begin the term due to failure of legislature to elect. Resigned when successor elected. |
2 | 5th Congress | ||||||||||
Elected to finish Blount's term. Resigned when elected to Class 1 seat. |
July 8, 1797 – March 3, 1799 |
Democratic-Republican | Joseph Anderson |
2 | ||||||||
2 | Andrew Jackson |
Democratic-Republican | September 26, 1797 – April 1, 1798 |
Elected to finish Cocke's term. Resigned. | ||||||||
Vacant | April 1, 1798 – October 6, 1798 |
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3 | Daniel Smith | Democratic-Republican | October 6, 1798 – March 3, 1799 |
Appointed to finish Jackson's term. Retired. | ||||||||
4 | Joseph Anderson |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1815 |
Elected to finish Jackson's term. | 6th Congress | 2 | Elected in 1799. Retired or lost re-election. |
March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1805 |
Democratic-Republican | William Cocke |
3 | |
7th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1803. | 3 | 8th Congress | ||||||||||
9th Congress | 3 | Elected in 1804 or 1805. Resigned. |
March 4, 1805 – March 31, 1809 |
Democratic-Republican | Daniel Smith | 4 | ||||||
10th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1809. Retired. |
4 | 11th Congress | ||||||||||
April 1, 1809 – April 10, 1809 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Smith's term. | April 11, 1809 – October 8, 1811 |
Democratic-Republican | Jenkin Whiteside | 5 | ||||||||
12th Congress | 4 | Re-elected in 1810 or 1811. Resigned. | ||||||||||
Elected to finish Whiteside's term. Resigned. |
October 8, 1811 – February 11, 1814 |
Democratic-Republican | George W. Campbell |
6 | ||||||||
13th Congress | ||||||||||||
February 12, 1814 – March 16, 1814 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Campbell's term. Retired when successor elected. |
March 17, 1814 – October 10, 1815 |
Democratic-Republican | Jesse Wharton | 7 | ||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1815 – October 10, 1815 |
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!] | 5 | 14th Congress | ||||||||
5 | George W. Campbell |
Democratic-Republican | October 10, 1815 – April 20, 1818 |
Elected late in 1815. Resigned. |
Elected to finish Campbell's term. | October 10, 1815 – March 3, 1823 |
Democratic-Republican | John Williams |
8 | |||
15th Congress | 5 | Appointed to begin the term due to legislature's failure to elect. Elected October 2, 1817 to finish the term.[1] Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
Vacant | April 20, 1818 – September 27, 1818 |
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6 | John H. Eaton |
Democratic-Republican | September 5, 1818 – March 4, 1821 |
Appointed to continue Cambell's term. Elected October 9, 1819 to finish Cambell's term.[2] Legislature failed to elect. | ||||||||
16th Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1821 – September 27, 1821 |
6 | 17th Congress | |||||||||
John H. Eaton |
Democratic-Republican | September 27, 1821 – March 9, 1829 |
Re-elected late in 1821. | |||||||||
Jackson Democratic-Republican | 18th Congress | 6 | Elected in 1823. Resigned. |
March 4, 1823 – October 14, 1825 |
Jackson Democratic-Republican | Andrew Jackson |
9 | |||||
Jacksonian | 19th Congress | Jacksonian | ||||||||||
October 15, 1825 – October 27, 1825 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Jackson's term. | October 28, 1825 – January 13, 1840 |
Jacksonian | Hugh Lawson White |
10 | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1827. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of War. |
7 | 20th Congress | ||||||||||
21st Congress | 7 | Re-elected in 1829. | ||||||||||
Vacant | March 9, 1829 – October 19, 1829 |
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7 | Felix Grundy |
Jacksonian | October 19, 1829 – July 4, 1838 |
Elected to finish Eaton's term. | ||||||||
22nd Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1833. Resigned to become U.S. Attorney General. |
8 | 23rd Congress | ||||||||||
24th Congress | 8 | Re-elected in 1835. Resigned because he could not conscientiously obey the instructions of his constituents.[3] |
Anti-Jacksonian | |||||||||
Democratic | 25th Congress | Whig | ||||||||||
Vacant | July 5, 1838 – September 16, 1838 |
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8 | Ephraim H. Foster |
Whig | September 17, 1838 – March 3, 1839 |
Elected to finish Grundy's term. Re-elected but resigned to avoid disobeying instructions given him by the state legislature. | ||||||||
Vacant | March 3, 1839 – November 19, 1839 |
9 | 26th Congress | |||||||||
9 | Felix Grundy |
Democratic | November 19, 1839 – December 19, 1840 |
Elected late in 1839. Died. | ||||||||
January 13, 1840 – February 25, 1840 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish White's term. Retired. |
February 25, 1840 – March 3, 1841 |
Democratic | Alexander O. Anderson |
11 | ||||||||
Vacant | December 19, 1840 – December 25, 1840 |
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10 | Alfred O. P. Nicholson |
Democratic | December 25, 1840 – February 7, 1842 |
Appointed to continue Grundy's term. Retired or lost re-election. | ||||||||
27th Congress | 9 | Legislature failed to elect. | March 4, 1841 – October 17, 1843 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Vacant | February 7, 1842 – October 17, 1843 |
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28th Congress | ||||||||||||
11 | Ephraim H. Foster |
Whig | October 17, 1843 – March 3, 1845 |
Elected to finish Grundy's term. Retired or lost re-election. |
Elected to finish the vacant term. Lost re-election. |
October 17, 1843 – March 3, 1847 |
Whig | Spencer Jarnagin |
12 | |||
12 | Hopkins L. Turney |
Democratic | March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1851 |
Elected in 1844. Retired or lost re-election. |
10 | 29th Congress | ||||||
30th Congress | 10 | Legislature failed to elect. | March 4, 1847 – November 21, 1847 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Elected late in 1847 | November 22, 1847 – March 3, 1859 |
Whig | John Bell |
13 | ||||||||
31st Congress | ||||||||||||
13 | James C. Jones |
Whig | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1857 |
Elected in 1851. Retired. |
11 | 32nd Congress | ||||||
33rd Congress | 11 | Re-elected in 1853. Retired or lost re-election. | ||||||||||
34th Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1857 – October 8, 1857 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 12 | 35th Congress | Know-Nothing | |||||||
14 | Andrew Johnson |
Democratic | October 8, 1857 – March 4, 1862 |
Elected in 1857 to finish the term. Resigned to become Military Governor of Tennessee. | ||||||||
36th Congress | 12 | Elected in 1858. Withdrew in anticipation of secession. |
March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 |
Democratic | Alfred O. P. Nicholson |
14 | ||||||
37th Congress | U.S. Civil War | March 4, 1861 – July 24, 1866 |
Vacant | |||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1862 – July 24, 1866 |
U.S. Civil War | ||||||||||
13 | 38th Congress | |||||||||||
39th Congress | 13 | |||||||||||
15 | David T. Patterson |
Unionist | July 24, 1866 – March 3, 1869 |
Elected to finish the vacant term. Retired. |
Elected to finish the vacant term. Retired. |
July 24, 1866 – March 3, 1871 |
Unionist | Joseph S. Fowler |
15 | |||
Democratic | 40th Congress | Republican | ||||||||||
16 | William G. Brownlow |
Republican | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875 |
Elected in 1867 for the term beginning in 1869. Retired. |
14 | 41st Congress | ||||||
42nd Congress | 14 | Elected in 1870 or 1871. Retired. |
March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1877 |
Democratic | Henry Cooper |
16 | ||||||
43rd Congress | ||||||||||||
17 | Andrew Johnson |
Democratic | March 4, 1875 – July 31, 1875 |
Elected in 1875. Died. |
15 | 44th Congress | ||||||
18 | David M. Key |
Democratic | August 18, 1875 – January 19, 1877 |
Appointed to continue Johnson's term. Lost election to finish Johnson's term. | ||||||||
19 | James E. Bailey |
Democratic | January 19, 1877 – March 3, 1881 |
Elected to finish Johnson's term. Lost re-election. | ||||||||
45th Congress | 15 | Elected in 1877. | March 4, 1877 – July 8, 1897 |
Democratic | Isham G. Harris |
17 | ||||||
46th Congress | ||||||||||||
20 | Howell Jackson |
Democratic | March 4, 1881 – April 14, 1886 |
Election year unknown. Resigned to become U.S. Circuit Judge. |
16 | 47th Congress | ||||||
48th Congress | 16 | Re-elected in 1883. | ||||||||||
49th Congress | ||||||||||||
Vacant | April 14, 1886 – April 16, 1886 |
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21 | Washington C. Whitthorne |
Democratic | April 16, 1886 – March 3, 1887 |
Appointed to finish Jackson's term. Retired or lost re-election. | ||||||||
22 | William B. Bate |
Democratic | March 4, 1887 – March 9, 1905 |
Elected in 1887. | 17 | 50th Congress | ||||||
51st Congress | 17 | Re-elected in 1889. | ||||||||||
52nd Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1893. | 18 | 53rd Congress | ||||||||||
54th Congress | 18 | Re-elected in 1895. Died. | ||||||||||
55th Congress | ||||||||||||
July 9, 1897 – July 19, 1897 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Harris's term. Elected February 2, 1898 to finish Harris's term.[4] Retired. |
July 20, 1897 – March 3, 1901 |
Democratic | Thomas B. Turley |
18 | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1899 | 19 | 56th Congress | ||||||||||
57th Congress | 19 | Elected January 16, 1901. Lost re-election. |
March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1907 |
Democratic | Edward W. Carmack |
19 | ||||||
58th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1905. Died. |
20 | 59th Congress | ||||||||||
Vacant | March 10, 1905 – March 20, 1905 |
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23 | James B. Frazier |
Democratic | March 21, 1905 – March 3, 1911 |
Elected to finish Bate's term. Lost re-election. | ||||||||
60th Congress | 20 | Elected in 1906. Died. |
March 4, 1907 – March 31, 1912 |
Democratic | Robert Love Taylor |
20 | ||||||
61st Congress | ||||||||||||
24 | Luke Lea |
Democratic | March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1917 |
Elected in 1911. Lost renomination. |
21 | 62nd Congress | ||||||
April 1, 1912 – April 10, 1912 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Taylor's term. Retired when successor elected. |
April 11, 1912 – January 24, 1913 |
Republican | Newell Sanders |
21 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Taylor's term. Retired. |
January 24, 1913 – March 3, 1913 |
Democratic | William R. Webb |
22 | ||||||||
63rd Congress | 21 | Elected in 1912. | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1925 |
Democratic | John K. Shields |
23 | ||||||
64th Congress | ||||||||||||
25 | Kenneth McKellar |
Democratic | March 4, 1917 – January 3, 1953 |
Elected in 1916. | 22 | 65th Congress | ||||||
66th Congress | 22 | Re-elected in 1918. Lost renomination. | ||||||||||
67th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1922. | 23 | 68th Congress | ||||||||||
69th Congress | 23 | Elected in 1924. Died. |
March 4, 1925 – August 24, 1929 |
Democratic | Lawrence D. Tyson |
24 | ||||||
70th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1928. | 24 | 71st Congress | ||||||||||
August 25, 1929 – September 1, 1929 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Tyson's term. Elected November 4, 1930 to finish Tyson's term.[4] Retired. |
September 2, 1929 – March 3, 1931 |
Democratic | William E. Brock |
25 | ||||||||
72nd Congress | 24 | Elected in 1930. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. |
March 4, 1931 – March 3, 1933 |
Democratic | Cordell Hull |
26 | ||||||
73rd Congress | Appointed to continue Hull's term. Elected November 7, 1934 to finish Hull's term.[4] |
March 4, 1933 – April 23, 1937 |
Democratic | Nathan L. Bachman |
27 | |||||||
Re-elected in 1934. | 25 | 74th Congress | ||||||||||
75th Congress | 25 | Re-elected in 1936. Died. | ||||||||||
April 24, 1937 – May 5, 1937 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Bachman's term. Retired when successor elected. |
May 6, 1937 – November 8, 1938 |
Democratic | George L. Berry |
28 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Bachman's term. Although eligible and elected, did not "take his seat" as he preferred to remain as district attorney general. Nevertheless, service begins when eligible and elected, not upon the taking of an oath. |
November 9, 1938 – January 3, 1949 |
Democratic | Tom Stewart |
29 | ||||||||
76th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1940. | 26 | 77th Congress | ||||||||||
78th Congress | 26 | Re-elected in 1942. Lost renomination. | ||||||||||
79th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1946. Lost renomination. |
27 | 80th Congress | ||||||||||
81st Congress | 27 | Elected in 1948. | January 3, 1949 – August 10, 1963 |
Democratic | Estes Kefauver |
30 | ||||||
82nd Congress | ||||||||||||
26 | Albert Gore, Sr. |
Democratic | January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1971 |
Elected in 1952. | 28 | 83rd Congress | ||||||
84th Congress | 28 | Re-elected in 1954. | ||||||||||
85th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1958. | 29 | 86th Congress | ||||||||||
87th Congress | 29 | Re-elected in 1960. Died. | ||||||||||
88th Congress | ||||||||||||
August 10, 1963 – August 20, 1963 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Kefauver's term Retired |
August 20, 1963 – November 3, 1964 |
Democratic | Herbert S. Walters |
31 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Kefauver's term. Lost renomination. |
November 4, 1964 – January 2, 1967 |
Democratic | Ross Bass |
32 | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1964. Lost re-election. |
30 | 89th Congress | ||||||||||
90th Congress | 30 | Elected in 1966. | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1985 |
Republican | Howard Baker |
33 | ||||||
91st Congress | ||||||||||||
27 | Bill Brock |
Republican | January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1977 |
Elected in 1970. Lost re-election. |
31 | 92nd Congress | ||||||
93rd Congress | 31 | Re-elected in 1972. | ||||||||||
94th Congress | ||||||||||||
28 | Jim Sasser |
Democratic | January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1995 |
Elected in 1976. | 32 | 95th Congress | ||||||
96th Congress | 32 | Re-elected in 1978. Retired. | ||||||||||
97th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1982. | 33 | 98th Congress | ||||||||||
99th Congress | 33 | Elected in 1984. | January 3, 1985 – January 2, 1993 |
Democratic | Al Gore, Jr. |
34 | ||||||
100th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1988. Lost re-election. |
34 | 101st Congress | ||||||||||
102nd Congress | 34 | Re-elected in 1990. Resigned to become U.S. Vice President. | ||||||||||
January 2, 1993 – January 5, 1993 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
103rd Congress | ||||||||||||
Appointed to continue Gore's term. Retired when successor elected. |
January 5, 1993 – December 2, 1994 |
Democratic | Harlan Mathews |
35 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Gore's term. | December 2, 1994 – January 3, 2003 |
Republican | Fred Thompson |
36 | ||||||||
29 | Bill Frist |
Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007 |
Elected in 1994. | 35 | 104th Congress | ||||||
105th Congress | 35 | Re-elected in 1996. Retired. | ||||||||||
106th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2000. Retired. |
36 | 107th Congress | ||||||||||
108th Congress | 36 | Elected in 2002. | January 3, 2003 – Incumbent |
Republican | Lamar Alexander |
37 | ||||||
109th Congress | ||||||||||||
30 | Bob Corker |
Republican | January 3, 2007 – Present |
Elected in 2006. | 37 | 110th Congress | ||||||
111th Congress | 37 | Re-elected in 2008. | ||||||||||
112th Congress | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2012. | 38 | 113th Congress | ||||||||||
114th Congress | 38 | Re-elected in 2014. | ||||||||||
115th Congress | ||||||||||||
To be determined in the 2018 election. | 39 | 116th Congress | ||||||||||
117th Congress | 39 | To be determined in the 2020 election. | ||||||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T e r m |
T e r m |
Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Class 1 | Class 2 |
Living former U.S. Senators from Tennessee
As of October 2016, there are four living former Senators; three from Class 1 and one from Class 2. The most recent senator to die was Fred Thompson of Class 2 (1994-2003) on November 1, 2015. The most recent Class 1 senator to die was Albert Gore Sr. (1953-1971) on December 5, 1998.
Senator | Term of office | Class | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|---|
Bill Brock | 1971–1977 | 1 | November 23, 1930 |
Jim Sasser | 1977–1995 | 1 | September 30, 1936 |
Al Gore | 1985–1993 | 2 | March 31, 1948 |
Bill Frist | 1995–2007 | 1 | February 22, 1952 |
References
- ↑ Byrd, page 170
- ↑ Byrd, page 169
- ↑ "WHITE, Hugh Lawson, (1773–1840)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. U.S. Congress. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- 1 2 3 Byrd, page 171
- 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, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
See also
- United States Congressional Delegations from Tennessee
- List of United States Representatives from Tennessee