List of United States Senators from Rhode Island

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This a list of United States Senators from Rhode Island. Rhode Island ratified the Constitution on May 29, 1790, and its senators belong to Class I and Class II. Rhode Island's current senators are Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse.

[edit] Class I

Senator	Party	Took office	Left office	Reason	Other offices/Notes
Theodore Foster	Federalist	June 7, 1790	March 4, 1803	Retired
Theodore Foster	Democratic- Republican	June 7, 1790	March 4, 1803	Retired
Samuel J. Potter	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1803	October 14, 1804	Died	Deputy Governor of Rhode Island (1790–1799; 1800–1803)
Benjamin Howland	Democratic- Republican	October 29, 1804	March 4, 1809
Francis Malbone	Federalist	March 4, 1809	June 4, 1809	Died
Christopher G. Champlin	Federalist	June 26, 1809	October 12, 1811	Resigned
William Hunter	Federalist	October 28, 1811	March 4, 1821		Minister to Brazil (1834–1845)
James De Wolf	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1821	October 31, 1825	Resigned	Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1819–1821)
Asher Robbins	Adams/ Anti-Jackson	October 31, 1825	March 4, 1839
Asher Robbins	Whig	October 31, 1825	March 4, 1839
Nathan F. Dixon I	Whig	March 4, 1839	January 29, 1842	Died
William Sprague	Whig	February 18, 1842	January 17, 1844	Resigned	Governor of Rhode Island (1838–1839) Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1832–1835)
John B. Francis	Law and Order	January 25, 1844	March 4, 1845		Governor of Rhode Island (1833–1838)
Albert C. Greene	Whig	March 4, 1845	March 4, 1851	Retired	Rhode Island Attorney General (1825–1843) Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1821–1825)
Charles T. James	Democratic	March 4, 1851	March 4, 1857	Retired
James F. Simmons	Republican	March 4, 1857	August 15, 1862	Resigned	Previously served in Rhode Island's Class II seat
Samuel G. Arnold	Republican	December 1, 1862	March 4, 1863		Deputy Governor of Rhode Island (1852–1853; 1861–1862)
William Sprague IV	Republican	March 4, 1863	March 4, 1875	Retired	Governor of Rhode Island (1860–1863)
Ambrose Burnside	Republican	March 4, 1875	September 13, 1881	Died	Governor of Rhode Island (1866–1868)
Nelson W. Aldrich	Republican	October 5, 1881	March 4, 1911	Retired	Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1876)
Henry F. Lippitt	Republican	March 4, 1911	March 4, 1917	Lost re-election
Peter G. Gerry	Democratic	March 4, 1917	March 4, 1929	Lost re-election
Felix Hebert	Republican	January 3, 1929	January 3, 1935	Lost re-election	Senate Minority Whip (1933–1935)
Peter G. Gerry	Democratic	January 3, 1935	January 3, 1947	Retired
J. Howard McGrath	Democratic	January 3, 1947	August 23, 1949		United States Attorney General (1949–1952) United States Solicitor General (1945–1946) Governor of Rhode Island (1941–1945)
Edward L. Leahy	Democratic	August 24, 1949	December 10, 1950	Retired
John O. Pastore	Democratic	December 19, 1950	December 28, 1976	Retired (Resigned early)	Governor of Rhode Island (1945–1950) Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island (1945)
John Chafee	Republican	December 29, 1976	October 24, 1999	Died	Governor of Rhode Island (1963–1969)
Lincoln Chafee	Republican	November 2, 1999	January 3, 2007	Lost re-election
Sheldon Whitehouse	Democratic	January 3, 2007	Present	Incumbent	Rhode Island Attorney General (1999–2003)

[edit] Class II

Senator	Party	Took office	Left office	Reason	Other offices/Notes
Joseph Stanton, Jr.	Anti-Administration	June 7, 1790	March 4, 1793
William Bradford	Pro-Administration	March 4, 1793	October 1797	Resigned	Deputy Governor of Rhode Island
William Bradford	Federalist	March 4, 1793	October 1797	Resigned	Deputy Governor of Rhode Island
Ray Greene	Federalist	November 13, 1797	March 5, 1801	Resigned	Rhode Island Attorney General (1794–1797)
Christopher Ellery	Democratic- Republican	May 6, 1801	March 4, 1805	Lost re-election
James Fenner	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1805	September 1807	Resigned	Governor of Rhode Island (1807–1811; 1824–1831; 1843-1845)
Elisha Mathewson	Democratic- Republican	October 26, 1807	March 4, 1811		Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1821)
Jeremiah B. Howell	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1811	March 4, 1817	Retired
James Burrill, Jr.	Federalist	March 4, 1817	December 25, 1820	Died	Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1814–1816) Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court (1816) Rhode Island Attorney General (1797–1814)
Nehemiah R. Knight	Democratic- Republican	January 9, 1821	March 4, 1841		Governor of Rhode Island (1817–1821)
	Adams/ Anti-Jackson
	Whig
James F. Simmons	Whig	March 4, 1841	March 4, 1847		Later served in Rhode Island's Class I seat
John Hopkins Clarke	Whig	March 4, 1847	March 4, 1853
Philip Allen	Democratic	July 20, 1853	March 4, 1859	Retired	Governor of Rhode Island (1851–1853)
Henry B. Anthony	Republican	March 4, 1859	September 2, 1884	Died
William P. Sheffield	Republican	November 19, 1884	January 20, 1885
Jonathan Chace	Republican	January 20, 1885	April 9, 1889	Resigned
Nathan F. Dixon, III	Republican	April 10, 1889	March 4, 1895	Retired
George P. Wetmore	Republican	March 4, 1895	March 4, 1907	Retired	Governor of Rhode Island (1885–1886)
George P. Wetmore	January 22, 1908^[1]	March 4, 1913		Retired	Governor of Rhode Island (1885–1886)
LeBaron B. Colt	Republican	March 4, 1913	August 18, 1924	Died
Jesse H. Metcalf	Republican	November 5, 1924	January 3, 1937	Lost re-election
Theodore F. Green	Democratic	January 3, 1937	January 3, 1961	Retired	Governor of Rhode Island (1933–1936)
Claiborne Pell	Democratic	January 3, 1961	January 3, 1997	Retired
Jack Reed	Democratic	January 3, 1997	Present	Incumbent