List of United States senators from Kentucky

This is a list of United States senators from Kentucky. The state's Senators belong to Classes 2 and 3. Kentucky is currently represented in the U.S. Senate by Republicans Mitch McConnell (serving since 1985) and Rand Paul (serving since 2011). Currently on his seventh term in office, McConnell is Kentucky's longest serving Senator and has also been the Republican Leader of the United States Senate since 2007.

Current delegation

Mitch McConnell (R)

Rand Paul
(R)

List of senators

Class 2 Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. The next election will be in 2026.						C	Class 3 Class 3 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 1998, 2004, 2010, and 2016. The next election will be in 2022.
#	Senator	Party	Dates in office	Electoral history	T		T	Electoral history	Dates in office	Party	Senator	#
Vacant			June 1, 1792 – June 18, 1792	Kentucky elected its senators a couple weeks after statehood.	1	2nd	1	Kentucky elected its senators a couple weeks after statehood.	June 1, 1792 – June 18, 1792	Vacant
1	John Brown	Anti- Admin.	June 18, 1792 – March 3, 1805	Elected June 18, 1792.				Elected June 18, 1792.	June 18, 1792 – March 3, 1795	Anti- Admin.	John Edwards	1
				Re-elected December 11, 1792.	2	3rd
		Democratic- Republican				4th	2	Elected in 1794. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1801	Federalist	Humphrey Marshall	2
						5th
				Re-elected November 30, 1798. Lost re-election	3	6th
						7th	3	Elected November 20, 1800. Resigned to become U.S. Attorney General.	March 4, 1801 – August 7, 1805	Democratic-Republican	John Breckinridge	3
						8th
2	Buckner Thruston	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1805 – December 18, 1809	Elected in 1804. Resigned to become judge of the U.S. Circuit Court.	4	9th
									August 7, 1805 – November 8, 1805	Vacant
								Elected to finish Breckinridge's term. Lost re-election and resigned because of participation in the Burr Conspiracy.	November 8, 1805 – November 18, 1806	Democratic-Republican	John Adair	4
								Elected to finish Adair's term, despite being younger than the constitutional age minimum. Had not been a candidate for the next term.	November 19, 1806 – March 3, 1807	Democratic-Republican	Henry Clay	5
						10th	4	Elected November 13, 1806. Retired.	March 4, 1807 – March 3, 1813	Democratic-Republican	John Pope	6
						11th
Vacant			December 18, 1809 – January 10, 1810
3	Henry Clay	Democratic- Republican	January 10, 1810 – March 3, 1811	Appointed to finish Thruston's term. Retired.
4	George M. Bibb	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1811 – August 23, 1814	Elected in 1811. Resigned to return to private practice.	5	12th
						13th	5	January 12, 1813. Resigned.	March 4, 1813 – December 24, 1814	Democratic-Republican	Jesse Bledsoe	7
Vacant			August 23, 1814 – August 30, 1814
5	George Walker	Democratic- Republican	August 30, 1814 – February 2, 1815	Appointed to continue Bibb's term. Successor qualified.
6	William T. Barry	Democratic- Republican	February 2, 1815 – May 1, 1816	Elected to finish Bibb's term. Resigned to become judge of the Kentucky Circuit Court.
									December 24, 1814 – February 2, 1815	Vacant
								Elected January 3, 1815, to finish Bledsoe's term.[1] Either retired or lost re-election.	February 2, 1815 – March 3, 1819	Democratic-Republican	Isham Talbot	8
						14th
Vacant			May 1, 1816 – November 3, 1816
7	Martin D. Hardin	Federalist	November 3, 1816 – March 3, 1817	Appointed to continue Barry's term. Elected December 5, 1816, to finish Barry's term[2] Retired.
8	John J. Crittenden	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819	Elected December 10, 1816. Resigned to return to private practice.	6	15th
Vacant			March 3, 1819 – December 10, 1819			16th	6	Elected December 17, 1818. Resigned to run for governor.	March 4, 1819 – May 28, 1820	Democratic-Republican	William Logan	9
9	Richard M. Johnson	Democratic- Republican	December 10, 1819 – March 3, 1829	Elected to finish Logan's term.
									May 28, 1820 – October 19, 1820	Vacant
								Elected to finish Logan's term. Either retired or lost re-election.	October 19, 1820– March 3, 1825	Democratic-Republican	Isham Talbot	10
						17th
				Re-elected in 1823. Lost re-election.	7	18th
		Jacksonian				19th	7	Election year unknown. Either retired or lost re-election.	March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1831	Jacksonian	John Rowan	11
						20th
10	George M. Bibb	Jacksonian	March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1835	Elected in 1829. Either retired or lost re-election.	8	21st
						22nd	8		March 4, 1831 – November 10, 1831	Vacant
								Elected late in 1831.	November 10, 1831 – March 31, 1842	Anti Jacksonian	Henry Clay	12
						23rd
11	John J. Crittenden	Anti Jacksonian	March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1841	Elected in 1835. Retired.	9	24th
		Whig				25th	9	Re-elected in 1836. Resigned.		Whig
						26th
12	James T. Morehead	Whig	March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1847	Elected in 1841. Either retired or lost re-election.	10	27th
								Elected to finish Clay's term.	March 31, 1842 – June 12, 1848	Whig	John J. Crittenden	13
						28th	10	Re-elected in 1843. Resigned to become Governor of Kentucky.
						29th
13	Joseph R. Underwood	Whig	March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1853	Election year unknown. Retired.	11	30th
									June 12, 1848 – June 23, 1848	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Crittenden's term. Elected January 3, 1849, to finish Crittenden's term.[3] Either retired or lost re-election.	June 23, 1848 – March 3, 1849	Whig	Thomas Metcalfe	14
						31st	11	Elected in 1849. Resigned December 17, 1851, to be effective September 6, 1852, but died June 24, 1852.	March 4, 1849 – June 24, 1852	Whig	Henry Clay	15
						32nd
									June 24, 1852 – July 6, 1852	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Clay's term. Lost election to finish Clay's term.	July 6, 1852 – August 31, 1852	Democratic	David Meriwether	16
								Elected December 31, 1851 to finish Clay's term, in anticipation of Clay's resignation. Retired.	September 1, 1852 – March 3, 1855	Whig	Archibald Dixon	17
14	John B. Thompson	Know Nothing	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1859	Elected early in 1851, far in advance of the term. Either retired or lost re-election.	12	33rd
						34th	12	Elected in 1854. Retired.	March 4, 1855– March 3, 1861	Whig	John J. Crittenden	18
						35th				Know Nothing
15	Lazarus W. Powell	Democratic	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1865	Elected in 1858. Either retired or lost re-election.	13	36th
						37th	13	Elected in 1859, far in advance of the term. Expelled for supporting the Confederacy.	March 4, 1861 – December 4, 1861	Democratic	John C. Breckinridge	19
									December 4, 1861 – December 10, 1861	Vacant
								Elected to finish Breckinridge's term.	December 10, 1861 – September 22, 1872	Unionist	Garrett Davis	20
						38th
16	James Guthrie	Democratic	March 4, 1865 – February 7, 1868	Elected in 1865. Resigned due to ill health.	14	39th
						40th	14	Re-elected in 1867. Died.		Democratic
Vacant			February 7, 1868 – February 19, 1868
17	Thomas C. McCreery	Democratic	February 19, 1868 – March 3, 1871	Elected to finish Guthrie's term. Lost re-election.
						41st
18	John W. Stevenson	Democratic	March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1877	Elected in 1871. Retired.	15	42nd
									September 22, 1872 – September 27, 1872	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Davis's term. Elected January 21, 1873, to finish Davis's term.[3] Either retired or lost re-election.	September 27, 1872 – March 3, 1873	Democratic	Willis B. Machen	21
						43rd	15	Elected in 1872. Retired.	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1879	Democratic	Thomas C. McCreery	22
						44th
19	James B. Beck	Democratic	March 4, 1877 – May 3, 1890	Elected in 1876.	16	45th
						46th	16	Elected in 1879. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1885	Democratic	John Stuart Williams	23
						47th
				Re-elected in 1882.	17	48th
						49th	17	Elected in 1884.	March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1897	Democratic	Joseph Blackburn	24
						50th
				Re-elected in 1888. Died.	18	51st
Vacant			May 3, 1890 – May 26, 1890
20	John G. Carlisle	Democratic	May 26, 1890 – February 4, 1893	Elected to finish Beck's term. Resigned.
						52nd	18	Re-elected in 1890. Lost re-election.
Vacant			February 4, 1893 – February 15, 1893
21	William Lindsay	Democratic	February 15, 1893 – March 3, 1901	Elected to finish Carlisle's term.
						53rd
				Re-elected January 17, 1894.[4] Retired.	19	54th
						55th	19	Elected in 1897. Retired.	March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1903	Republican	William J. Deboe	25
						56th
22	Joseph Blackburn	Democratic	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1907	Elected January 16, 1900. Lost re-election.	20	57th
						58th	20	Elected January 15, 1902.[5] Lost renomination.	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1909	Democratic	James B. McCreary	26
						59th
23	Thomas H. Paynter	Democratic	March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913	Elected January 9, 1906.[6] Retired.	21	60th
						61st	21	Elected February 28, 1908.[7] Died.	March 4, 1909 – May 23, 1914	Republican	William O. Bradley	27
						62nd
24	Ollie M. James	Democratic	March 4, 1913 – August 28, 1918	Elected January 16, 1912. Died.	22	63rd
									May 23, 1914 – June 16, 1914	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Bradley's term. Elected November 3, 1914, to finish Bradley's term.[3] Retired.	June 16, 1914 – March 3, 1915	Democratic	Johnson N. Camden	28
						64th	22	Elected in 1914. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1921	Democratic	John C. W. Beckham	29
						65th
Vacant			August 28, 1918 – September 7, 1918
25	George B. Martin	Democratic	September 7, 1918 – March 3, 1919	Appointed to finish James's term. Retired.
26	Augustus Stanley	Democratic	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1925	Elected in 1918. Didn't take seat until May 19, 1919, as he wanted to remain Governor of Kentucky. However, he was still elected and qualified as senator. Lost re-election.	23	66th
						67th	23	Elected in 1920. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1927	Republican	Richard P. Ernst	30
						68th
27	Fred M. Sackett	Republican	March 4, 1925 – January 9, 1930	Elected in 1924. Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to Germany.	24	69th
						70th	24	Elected in 1926.	March 4, 1927 – January 19, 1949	Democratic	Alben W. Barkley	31
						71st
Vacant			January 9, 1930 – January 11, 1930
28	John M. Robsion	Republican	January 11, 1930 – November 30, 1930	Appointed to continue Sackett's term. Lost elections both to finish Sackett's term and to next term.
29	Ben M. Williamson	Democratic	December 1, 1930 – March 3, 1931	Elected November 4, 1930, to finish Sackett's term. Retired.
30	Marvel M. Logan	Democratic	March 4, 1931 – October 3, 1939	Elected in 1930.	25	72nd
						73rd	25	Re-elected in 1932.
						74th
				Re-elected in 1936. Died.	26	75th
						76th	26	Re-elected in 1938.
Vacant			October 3, 1939 – October 10, 1939
31	A. B. "Happy" Chandler	Democratic	October 10, 1939 – November 1, 1945	Appointed to continue Logan's term. Elected November 5, 1940, to finish Logan's term.
						77th
				Re-elected in 1942. Resigned to become Commissioner of Baseball.	27	78th
						79th	27	Re-elected in 1944. Resigned to become U.S. Vice President.
Vacant			November 1, 1945 – November 19, 1945
32	William A. Stanfill	Republican	November 19, 1945 – November 5, 1946	Appointed to continue Chandler's term. Retired.
33	John Sherman Cooper	Republican	November 6, 1946 – January 3, 1949	Elected to finish Chandler's term. Lost re-election.
						80th
34	Virgil Chapman	Democratic	January 3, 1949 – March 8, 1951	Elected in 1948. Died.	28	81st
								Appointed to continue Barkley's term. Resigned to trigger special election.	January 20, 1949 – November 26, 1950	Democratic	Garrett L. Withers	32
								Elected to finish Barkley's term, having been elected to the next term.	November 27, 1950 – January 3, 1957	Democratic	Earle C. Clements	33
						82nd	28	Elected to full term in 1950. Lost re-election.
Vacant			March 8, 1951 – March 19, 1951
35	Thomas R. Underwood	Democratic	March 19, 1951 – November 4, 1952	Appointed to continue Chapman's term. Lost election to finish Chapman's term.
36	John Sherman Cooper	Republican	November 5, 1952 – January 3, 1955	Elected to finish Chapman's term. Lost re-election.
						83rd
37	Alben W. Barkley	Democratic	January 3, 1955 – April 30, 1956	Elected in 1954. Died.	29	84th
Vacant			April 30, 1956 – June 21, 1956
38	Robert Humphreys	Democratic	June 21, 1956 – November 6, 1956	Appointed to continue Barkley's term. Retired when elected successor qualified.
39	John Sherman Cooper	Republican	November 7, 1956 – January 3, 1973	Elected to finish Barkley's term.
						85th	29	Elected in 1956.	January 3, 1957 – December 16, 1968	Republican	Thruston Morton	34
						86th
				Re-elected in 1960.	30	87th
						88th	30	Re-elected in 1962. Retired, and resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.
						89th
				Re-elected in 1966. Retired.	31	90th
								Appointed to finish Morton's term, having already been elected to the next term.	December 17, 1968 – December 27, 1974	Republican	Marlow Cook	35
						91st	31	Elected in 1968. Lost re-election, and resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.
						92nd
40	Walter Huddleston	Democratic	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1985	Elected in 1972.	32	93rd
								Appointed to finish Cook's term, having already been elected to the next term.	December 28, 1974 – January 3, 1999	Democratic	Wendell H. Ford	36
						94th	32	Elected in 1974.
						95th
				Re-elected in 1978. Lost re-election.	33	96th
						97th	33	Re-elected in 1980.
						98th
41	Mitch McConnell	Republican	January 3, 1985 – Present	Elected in 1984.	34	99th
						100th	34	Re-elected in 1986.
						101st
				Re-elected in 1990.	35	102nd
						103rd	35	Re-elected in 1992. Retired.
						104th
				Re-elected in 1996.	36	105th
						106th	36	Elected in 1998.	January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2011	Republican	Jim Bunning	37
						107th
				Re-elected in 2002.	37	108th
						109th	37	Re-elected in 2004. Retired.
						110th
				Re-elected in 2008.	38	111th
						112th	38	Elected in 2010.	January 3, 2011 – Present	Republican	Rand Paul	38
						113th
				Re-elected in 2014.	39	114th
						115th	39	Re-elected in 2016.
						116th
				Re-elected in 2020.	40	117th
						118th	40	To be determined in the 2022 election.
						119th
To be determined in the 2026 election.					41	120th
#	Senator	Party	Years in office	Electoral history	T		T	Electoral history	Years in office	Party	Senator	#
Class 2							Class 3

Living former senators

As of January 2021, there are no living former U.S. senators from Kentucky. The last living former senator was Walter Huddleston (served 1973–1985), who died October 16, 2018. The most recently serving senator was Jim Bunning (served 1999–2011), who died May 26, 2017.

See also

• List of United States Representatives from Kentucky
• United States congressional delegations from Kentucky

Notes

1. "Kentucky 1815 U.S. Senate, Ballot 2". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved February 25, 2018., citing The Union (Washington, KY). January 14, 1815. Argus of Western America (Frankfort, KY). January 7, 1815.
2. Byrd, p. 110.
3. Byrd, p. 112.
4. Kleber, John E. The Kentucky Encyclopedia. p. 558. ISBN 0813128838.
5. "MANY VOTES TO ELECT". The New York Times. January 16, 1902. p. 3.
6. Schiller, Wendy J.; Stewart III, Charles (2015). Electing the Senate: Indirect Democracy before the Seventeenth Amendment. Princeton University Press. pp. 35–36. ISBN 9781400852680.
7. Tribune Almanac (1909), p. 315.

References

• 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, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
• The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1909. New York: The Tribune Association. 1909. p. 315.