List of United States senators from Delaware

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, 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 2001) and Chris Coons (serving since 2010).

Current delegation

Tom Carper (D)

Chris Coons (D)

List of senators

Class 1 Class 1 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that were elected for only one Congress in the first elections of 1788, and the seat was contested again for the 2nd, 5th, and every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. The seat in recent years has 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 were elected for the first two United States Congresses in the first elections of 1788, and the seat was next contested again for the 3rd, 6th, and every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. The seat in recent years has been contested in 2008, 2014, and 2020 with a special election in 2010. 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.	March 4, 1789 – September 18, 1793	Elected in 1788.	1	1st	1	Elected in 1788.	March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1793	Anti- Admin.	Richard Bassett	1
				Re-elected October 23, 1790. Resigned to become Chief Justice of Delaware.	2	2nd				Pro- Admin.
						3rd	2	Elected in 1793. Resigned.	March 4, 1793 – January 19, 1798	Pro-Admin.	John M. Vining	2
Vacant			September 18, 1793 – February 7, 1795
2	Henry Latimer	Pro- Admin.	February 7, 1795 – February 28, 1801	Elected in 1795 to finish Read's term.
		Federalist				4th
				Re-elected January 6, 1797. Resigned.	3	5th
								Elected in 1798 to finish Vining's term. Died.	January 19, 1798 – August 11, 1798	Federalist	Joshua Clayton	3
									August 11, 1798 – January 17, 1799	Vacant
								Elected in 1799 to finish Clayton's term.	January 17, 1799 – November 6, 1804	Federalist	William H. Wells	4
						6th	3	Re-elected in 1799. Resigned.
3	Samuel White	Federalist	February 28, 1801 – November 4, 1809	Appointed to finish Latimer's term.
						7th
				Re-elected January 11, 1803.[1]	4	8th
									November 6, 1804 – November 13, 1804	Vacant
								Elected in 1804 to finish Wells's term.	November 13, 1804 – March 3, 1813	Federalist	James A. Bayard	5
						9th	4	Re-elected in 1805.
						10th
				Re-elected January 11, 1809.[2] Died.	5	11th
Vacant			November 4, 1809 – January 12, 1810
4	Outerbridge Horsey	Federalist	January 12, 1810 – March 3, 1821	Elected in 1810 to finish White's term.
						12th	5	Re-elected in 1811. Resigned.
						13th			March 3, 1813 – May 21, 1813	Vacant
								Elected in 1813 to finish Bayard's term. Retired.	May 21, 1813 – March 3, 1817	Federalist	William H. Wells	6
				Re-elected January 13, 1815.[3] Retired.	6	14th
						15th	6	Elected in 1817. Legislature failed to elect.	March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1823	Federalist	Nicholas Van Dyke	7
						16th
Vacant			March 4, 1821 – January 23, 1822		7	17th
5	Caesar A. Rodney	Democratic- Republican	January 24, 1822 – January 29, 1823	Elected late to finish vacant term. Resigned to become U.S. Minister Plenipotentiary to the United Provinces of the River Plate.
Vacant			January 29, 1823 – January 8, 1824
						18th	7		March 4, 1823 – January 8, 1824	Vacant
								Re-elected late. Died.	January 8, 1824 – May 21, 1826	Federalist	Nicholas Van Dyke
6	Thomas Clayton	Federalist	January 8, 1824 – March 3, 1827	Elected in 1824 to finish Rodney's term.
		Anti-Jacksonian				19th				Anti- Jacksonian
									May 21, 1826 – November 8, 1826	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Van Dyke's term. Retired.	November 8, 1826 – January 12, 1827	Anti- Jacksonian	Daniel Rodney	8
								Elected in 1827 to finish Van Dyke's term. Retired.	January 12, 1827 – March 3, 1829	Jacksonian	Henry M. Ridgely	9
7	Louis McLane	Jacksonian	March 4, 1827 – April 16, 1829	Elected in 1827. Resigned to become U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to England.	8	20th
						21st	8	Elected in 1829.	March 4, 1829 – December 29, 1836	Anti-Jacksonian	John M. Clayton	10
Vacant			April 16, 1829 – January 7, 1830
8	Arnold S. Naudain	Anti-Jacksonian	January 7, 1830 – June 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	Anti-Jacksonian	June 17, 1836 – September 19, 1839	Elected in 1836 to finish Naudain's term.
									December 29, 1836 – January 9, 1837	Vacant
								Elected in 1837 to finish his cousin's term.	January 9, 1837 – March 3, 1847	Anti-Jacksonian	Thomas Clayton	11
		Whig				25th				Whig
				Re-elected during the 1838/39 cycle. Resigned to become Chief Justice of Delaware.	10	26th
	Vacant		September 19, 1839 – January 11, 1841
	Richard H. Bayard	Whig	January 12, 1841 – March 3, 1845	Elected in 1841 to finish his own term. Retired.
						27th	10	Re-elected in 1841.
						28th
10	John M. Clayton	Whig	March 4, 1845 – February 23, 1849	Elected in 1845. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State.	11	29th
						30th	11	Elected in 1846 or 1847. Retired.	March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1853	Whig	Presley Spruance	12
11	John Wales	Whig	February 23, 1849 – March 3, 1851	Elected in 1849 to finish Clayton's term. Lost re-election.
						31st
12	James A. Bayard Jr.	Democratic	March 4, 1851 – January 29, 1864	Elected in 1851.	12	32nd
						33rd	12	Elected in 1853. Died.	March 4, 1853 – November 9, 1856	Whig	John M. Clayton	13
						34th
									November 9, 1856 – November 19, 1856	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Clayton's term. Declined nomination to finish Clayton's term.	November 19, 1856 – January 14, 1857	Whig	Joseph P. Comegys	14
								Elected in 1857 to finish Clayton's term. Lost re-election.	January 14, 1857 – March 3, 1859	Democratic	Martin W. Bates	15
				Re-elected in 1857.	13	35th
						36th	13	Elected in 1858.	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1871	Democratic	Willard Saulsbury, Sr.	16
						37th
				Re-elected in 1863. Resigned.	14	38th
13	George R. Riddle	Democratic	January 29, 1864 – March 29, 1867	Elected in 1864 to finish Bayard's term. Died.
						39th	14	Re-elected in 1864. Lost re-election.
						40th
Vacant			March 29, 1867 – April 5, 1867
14	James A. Bayard Jr.	Democratic	April 5, 1867 – March 3, 1869	Appointed to continue Riddle's term. Elected January 19, 1869 to finish Riddle's term.[4] Retired.
15	Thomas F. Bayard	Democratic	March 4, 1869 – March 6, 1885	Elected in 1869.	15	41st
						42nd	15	Elected in 1870.	March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1889	Democratic	Eli M. 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			March 6, 1885 – March 18, 1885
16	George Gray	Democratic	March 18, 1885 – March 3, 1899	Elected in 1885 to finish Bayard's term.
				Re-elected in 1887.	18	50th
						51st	18	Election year unknown. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895	Republican	Anthony C. Higgins	18
						52nd
				Re-elected in 1893. Lost re-election.	19	53rd
						54th	19	Legislature failed to elect in 1895	March 4, 1895 – January 19, 1897	Vacant
								Elected in 1897 to finish vacant term. Lost re-election.	January 19, 1897 – March 3, 1901	Democratic	Richard R. Kenney	19
						55th
Vacant			March 4, 1899 – March 1, 1903	Legislature failed to elect	20	56th
						57th	20	Legislature failed to elect in 1901	March 4, 1901 – March 2, 1903	Vacant
17	L. Heisler Ball	Republican	March 2, 1903 – March 3, 1905	Elected in 1903 to finish vacant term.				Elected in 1903 to finish vacant term. Retired.	March 2, 1903 – March 3, 1907	Republican	J. Frank Allee	20
						58th
Vacant			March 4, 1905 – June 12, 1906	Legislature failed to elect.	21	59th
18	Henry A. du Pont	Republican	June 13, 1906 – March 3, 1917	Elected in 1906 to finish vacant term.
						60th	21	Elected January 16, 1907.[5] Retired.	March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913	Republican	Harry A. Richardson	21
						61st
				Re-elected January 25, 1911. Lost re-election.	22	62nd
						63rd	22	Elected January 29, 1913. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919	Democratic	Willard Saulsbury Jr.	22
						64th
19	Josiah O. Wolcott	Democratic	March 4, 1917 – July 2, 1921	Elected in 1916. Resigned to become Chancellor of Delaware.	23	65th
						66th	23	Elected in 1918. Lost renomination.	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1925	Republican	L. Heisler Ball	23
						67th
20	T. Coleman du Pont	Republican	July 7, 1921 – November 6, 1922	Appointed to finish Wolcott's term. Lost election to finish Wolcott's term.
21	Thomas F. Bayard Jr.	Democratic	November 7, 1922 – March 3, 1929	Elected in 1922 to finish Wolcott's term.
				Elected in 1922. Lost re-election.	24	68th
						69th	24	Elected in 1924. Resigned.	March 4, 1925 – December 8, 1928	Republican	T. Coleman du Pont	24
						70th
									December 8, 1928 – December 10, 1928	Vacant
								Appointed to finish du Pont's term. Elected in 1930 to finish du Pont's term.	December 10, 1928 – January 3, 1937	Republican	Daniel O. Hastings	25
22	John G. Townsend Jr.	Republican	March 4, 1929 – January 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.	January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1943	Democratic	James H. Hughes	26
						76th
23	James M. Tunnell	Democratic	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1947	Elected in 1940. Lost re-election.	27	77th
						78th	27	Elected in 1942. Lost re-election.	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1949	Republican	C. Douglass Buck	27
						79th
24	John J. Williams	Republican	January 3, 1947 – December 31, 1970	Elected in 1946.	28	80th
						81st	28	Elected in 1948.	January 3, 1949 – January 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.	January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1973	Republican	J. Caleb Boggs	29
						88th
				Re-elected in 1964. Resigned to give his successor preferential seniority.	31	89th
						90th	31	Re-elected in 1966. Lost re-election.
						91st
25	William Roth	Republican	January 1, 1971 – January 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.	January 3, 1973 – January 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	January 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 Vice President of the United States.
								Appointed to continue Biden's term. Retired when his successor was elected.	January 15, 2009[6] – November 15, 2010	Democratic	Ted Kaufman	31
								Elected in 2010 to finish Biden's term.	November 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.	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		T	Electoral history	Years in office	Party	Senator	#
Class 1							Class 2

Living former senators

As of February 2021, there are two living former senators from Delaware. The most recent and most recently serving senator to die was William V. Roth Jr. (served 1971–2001) on December 13, 2003.

Senator	Term of office	Date of birth (and age)
Joe Biden	1973–2009	November 20, 1942
Ted Kaufman	2009–2010	March 15, 1939

See also

• United States congressional delegations from Delaware
• List of United States Representatives from Delaware
• Elections in Delaware

References

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). January 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.

• Byrd, Robert C.; Wolff, Wendy (October 1, 1993). The Senate, 1789–1989: Historical Statistics, 1789–1992 (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

External links

• Members of Congress from Delaware, govtrack.us
• U.S. Senate members from Delaware, civil.services