List of United States senators from Delaware

This is a listing of the United States Senators from Delaware.

The United States Senators from Delaware 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 senators death or resignation. From 1914 the senators were popularly elected on the first Tuesday after November 1 and from 1935 the beginning of their term to began on January 3.

Using the arrow in the header, the tables below are sortable alphabetically, chronologically, by party affiliation or by place of residence.

Class I Senators

Senators belonging to this electoral class were first elected in 1788 to two-year terms that expired at the end of the 1st United States Congress, and had to stand for reelection to a full six-year term in 1790. The seats were most recently contested in 2006, and the next full election will be in 2012.

#	Term: Congress	Picture	Name	Birth/Death	Term of Office	Party	Residence	Other offices
1	1:1 2:2 2:3		ReadGeorge Read	1733September 18, 1733 – September 21, 1798	1789March 4, 1789 – September 18, 1793	Pro- Administration	New Castle, New Castle Co.	State President Continental Congressman State Chief Justice State Councilman State Assemblyman
{	2:3		{vacant	{	1793September 18, 1793 – February 7, 1795	{	{
2	2:3, 4 3:5, 6		LatimerHenry Latimer	1734March 19, 1734 – June 24, 1817	1795February 7, 1795 – February 28, 1801	Pro- Administration Federalist	Newport, New Castle Co.	Continental Congressman U.S. Representative State Assemblyman
3	3:6, 7 4:8, 9, 10 5:11		WhiteSamuel White	1770December 1770 – November 4, 1809	1801February 28, 1801 – November 4, 1809	Federalist	Wilmington, New Castle Co.
{	5:11		{vacant	{	1809November 4, 1809 – January 12, 1810	{	{
4	5:11, 12, 13 6:14, 15, 16		HorseyOuterbridge Horsey	1777-03-05March 5, 1777 – June 9, 1842	1810January 12, 1810 – March 3, 1821	Federalist	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	State Attorney General State Representative
{	7:17		{vacant	{	1821March 4, 1821 – January 23, 1822	{	{
5	7:17		RodneyCaesar A. Rodney	1772January 4, 1772 – June 10, 1824	1822January 24, 1822 – January 29, 1823	Democratic- Republican	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	U.S. Attorney General U.S. Representative State Representative Minister to Argentina
{	7:17, 18		{vacant	{	1823January 29, 1823 – January 8, 1824	{	{
6	7:18, 19		Clayton, TThomas Clayton	1777-07July 1777 – August 2, 1854	1824January 8, 1824 – March 3, 1827	Federalist Anti-Jacksonian	Dover, Kent Co.	State Secretary of State State Attorney General State Senator State Representative State Chief Justice
7	8:20, 21		McLaneLouis McLane	1786May 28, 1786 – October 7, 1857	1827March 4, 1827 – April 16, 1829	Jacksonian	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	U.S. Secretary of State U.S. Treasury Secretary U.S. Representative Minister to the U.K.
{	8:21		{vacant	{	1829April 16, 1829 – January 7, 1830	{	{
8	8:21, 22 9:23, 24		NaudainArnold S. Naudain	1790January 6, 1790 – January 4, 1872	1830January 7, 1830 – June 16, 1836	Anti-Jacksonian	Odessa, New Castle Co.	State Representative
9	9:24, 25		Bayard, RRichard H. Bayard	1796September 26, 1796 – March 4, 1868	1836June 17, 1836 – September 19, 1839	Anti-Jacksonian Whig	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	Mayor of Wilmington State Chief Justice
{	10:26		{vacant	{	1839September 19, 1839 – January 11, 1841	{	{
10	10:26, 27, 28		Bayard, RRichard H. Bayard	1796September 26, 1796  – March 4, 1868	1841January 12, 1841 – March 3, 1845	Whig	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	Mayor of Wilmington State Chief Justice
11	11:29, 30		Clayton, JJohn M. Clayton	1796July 24, 1796 – November 9, 1856	1845March 4, 1845 – February 23, 1849	Whig	New Castle, New Castle Co.	U.S. Secretary of State State Chief Justice State Secretary of State State Representative
12	11:30, 31		WalesJohn Wales	1783July 31, 1783 – December 3, 1863	1849February 23, 1849 – March 3, 1851	Whig	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	State Secretary of State
13	12:32, 33, 34 13:35, 36, 37 14:38		Bayard, JJames A. Bayard, Jr.	1799November 15, 1799 – June 13, 1880	1851March 4, 1851 – January 29, 1864	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	U.S. Attorney
14	14:38, 39, 40		RiddleGeorge R. Riddle	1817 – March 2, 1867	1864January 29, 1864 – March 29, 1867	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	U.S. Representative
15	14:40		Bayard, JJames A. Bayard, Jr.	1799November 15, 1799 – June 13, 1880	1867April 5, 1867 – March 3, 1869	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	U.S. Attorney
16	15:41, 42, 43 16:44, 45, 46 17:47, 48, 49		Bayard, TThomas F. Bayard	1828October 29, 1828 – September 29, 1898	1869March 4, 1869 – March 6, 1885	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	U.S. Secretary of State Ambassador to the U.K.
17	17:49 18:50, 51, 52 19:53, 54, 55		GrayGeorge Gray	1840May 4, 1840 – August 7, 1925	1885March 18, 1885 – March 3, 1899	Democratic	New Castle, New Castle Co.	Judge U.S. Appeals Court State Attorney General
{	20:56, 57		{vacant	{	1899March 4, 1899 – March 1, 1903	{	{
18	20:57, 58		BallL. Heisler Ball	1861September 21, 1861 – October 18, 1932	1903March 2, 1903 – March 3, 1905	Republican	Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle Co.	U.S. Representative State Treasurer
{	21:59		{vacant	{	1905March 4, 1905 – June 12, 1906	{	{
19	21:59, 60, 61 22:62, 63, 64		DuPont, HHenry A. du Pont	1838July 30, 1838 – December 31, 1926	1906June 13, 1906 – March 3, 1917	Republican	Winterthur, New Castle Co.
20	23:65, 66, 67		WolcottJosiah O. Wolcott	1877October 31, 1877 – November 11, 1938	1917March 4, 1917 – July 2, 1921	Democratic	Dover, Kent Co.	State Chancellor State Attorney General
21	23:67		DuPont, TT. Coleman du Pont	1863December 11, 1863 – November 11, 1930	1921July 7, 1921 – November 6, 1922	Republican	Greenville, New Castle Co.	President DuPont Corporation
22	23:67 24:68, 69, 70		Bayard, TThomas F. Bayard, Jr.	1868June 4, 1868 – July 12, 1942	1922November 7, 1922 – March 3, 1929	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.
23	25:71, 72, 73 26:74, 75, 76		TownsendJohn G. Townsend, Jr.	1871May 31, 1871 – April 10, 1964	1929March 4, 1929 – January 3, 1941	Republican	Selbyville, Sussex Co.	Governor State Representative
24	27:77, 78, 79		TunnellJames M. Tunnell	1879August 2, 1879 – November 14, 1957	1941January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1947	Democratic	Georgetown, Sussex Co.
25	28:80, 81, 82 29:83, 84, 85 30:86, 87, 88 31:89, 90, 91		WilliamsJohn J. Williams	1904May 17, 1904 – January 11, 1988	1947January 3, 1947 – December 31, 1970	Republican	Millsboro, Sussex Co.
26	32:92, 93, 94 33:95, 96, 97 34:98, 99, 100 35:101, 102, 103 36:104, 105, 106		RothWilliam V. Roth, Jr.	1921July 22, 1921 – 2003December 13, 2003	1971January 1, 1971 – January 3, 2001	Republican	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	U.S. Representative
27	37:107, 108, 109 38:110, 111		CarperThomas R. Carper	1947January 23, 1947 (born)	2001January 3, 2001 (incumbent)	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	Governor U.S. Representative State Treasurer

Class II Senators

Senators belonging to this electoral class were first elected in 1788 to four-year terms that expired at the end of the 2nd United States Congress, and had to stand for reelection to a full six-year term in 1792. The seats were most recently contested in 2010, and the next full election will be in 2014.

#	Congress	Picture	Name	Birth/Death	Term of Office	Party	Residence	Other offices
1	1:1, 2		BassettRichard Bassett	1745April 2, 1745 – August 15, 1815	1789March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1793	Anti- Administration Pro- Administration	Dover, Kent Co.	Governor Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas State Councilman State Assemblyman U.S. Constitution delegate
2	2:3, 4, 5		ViningJohn M. Vining	1758December 23, 1758 – February 1, 1802	1793March 4, 1793 – January 19, 1798	Pro- Administration Federalist	Dover, Kent Co.	Continental Congressman U.S. Representative
3	2:5		Clayton, JoshJoshua Clayton	1744July 20, 1744 – August 11, 1798	1798January 19, 1798 – August 11, 1798	Federalist	New Castle Co.	State Assemblyman Governor
	2:5		{vacant	{	1798August 11, 1798 – January 17, 1799	{	{
4	2:5 3:6, 7, 8		WellsWilliam H. Wells	1769January 7, 1769 – March 11, 1829	1799January 17, 1799 – November 6, 1804	Federalist	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	State Representative State Senator
5	3:8 4:9, 10, 11 5:12		Bayard, JJames A. Bayard	1767July 28, 1767 – August 6, 1815	1804November 13, 1804 – March 3, 1813	Federalist	Dagsboro, Sussex Co.	U.S. Representative
6	5:13, 14		WellsWilliam H. Wells	1769January 7, 1769  – March 11, 1829	1813May 21, 1813  – March 3, 1817	Federalist	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	State Representative State Senator
7	6:15, 16, 17 7:18, 19		Van DykeNicholas Van Dyke	1770December 20, 1770 – May 21, 1826	1817March 4, 1817 – May 21, 1826	Federalist	New Castle, New Castle Co.	State Representative State Senator State Attorney General U.S. Representative
8	7:19		RodneyDaniel Rodney	1764September 10, 1764 – September 2, 1846	1826November 8, 1826 – January 12, 1827	Anti- Jacksonian	Lewes, Sussex Co.	Governor U.S. Representative
9	7:19, 20		RidgelyHenry M. Ridgely	1799August 6, 1779 – August 6, 1847	1827January 12, 1827 – March 3, 1829	Jacksonian	Dover, KentCo.	State Representative U.S. Representative State Secretary of State
10	8:21, 22, 23 9:24		Clayton, JohnJohn M. Clayton	1796July 24, 1796 – November 9, 1856	1829March 4, 1829 – December 29, 1836	Anti-Jacksonian	Dover, Kent Co.	State Representative State Secretary of State State Chief Justice U.S. Secretary of State
11	9:24, 25, 26 10:27, 28, 29		Clayton, TThomas Clayton	1777July 1777 – August 21, 1854	1837January 9, 1837 – March 3, 1847	Anti-Jacksonian Whig	Dover, Kent Co.	State Representative State Senator State Secretary of State State Attorney General State Chief Justice
12	11:30, 31, 32		SpruancePresley Spruance	1785September 1, 1785 – February 13, 1863	1847March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1853	Whig	Smyrna, Kent Co.	State Representative State Senator
13	12:33, 34		Clayton, JohnJohn M. Clayton	1796July 24, 1796 – November 9, 1856	1853March 4, 1853 – November 9, 1856	Whig	New Castle Co.	State Representative State Secretary of State State Chief Justice U.S. Secretary of State
14	12:34		ComegysJoseph P. Comegys	1813December 23, 1813 – February 1, 1893	1856November 19, 1856 – January 14, 1857	Whig	Dover, Kent Co.	State Representative State Chief Justice
15	12:34, 35		BatesMartin W. Bates	1786February 24, 1786 – January 1, 1869	1856January 14, 1857 – March 3, 1859	Democratic	Dover, Kent Co.	State Representative
16	13:36, 37, 38 14:39, 40, 41		Saulsbury, WWillard Saulsbury, Sr.	1820June 2, 1820 – April 6, 1892	1859March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1871	Democratic	Georgetown, Sussex Co.	State Attorney General State Chancellor
17	15:42, 43, 44 16:45, 46, 47 17:48, 49, 50		Saulsbury, EEli M. Saulsbury	1817December 29, 1817 – March 22, 1893	1871March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1889	Democratic	Dover, Kent Co.	State Representative
18	18:51, 52, 53		HigginsAnthony C. Higgins	1840October 1, 1840 – June 26, 1912	1889March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895	Republican	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	U.S. District Attorney
	19:54		{vacant	{	1895March 4, 1895 – January 19, 1897	{	{
19	19:55, 56		KenneyRichard R. Kenney	1856September 9, 1856 – August 14, 1931	1897January 19, 1897 – March 3, 1901	Democratic	Dover, Kent Co.
	20:57		{vacant	{	1901March 4, 1901 – March 2, 1903	{	{
20	20:58, 59		AlleeJ. Frank Allee	1857December 2, 1857 – October 12, 1938	1903March 2, 1903 – March 3, 1907	Republican	Dover, Kent Co.	State Senator
21	21:60, 61, 62		RichardsonHarry A. Richardson	1853January 1, 1853 – June 16, 1928	1907March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913	Republican	Dover, Kent Co.
22	22:63, 64, 65		Saulsbury, WWillard Saulsbury, Jr.	1861April 17, 1861 – February 20, 1927	1913March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.
23	23:66, 67, 68		BallL. Heisler Ball	1861September 21, 1861 – October 18, 1932	1919March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1925	Republican	New Castle Co.	State Treasurer U.S. Representative
24	24:69, 70		DuPont, TT. Coleman du Pont	1863December 11, 1863 – November 11, 1930	1925March 4, 1925 – December 8, 1928	Republican	New Castle Co.
25	25:70, 71 25:72, 73, 74		HastingsDaniel O. Hastings	1874March 5, 1874 – May 9, 1966	1928December 10, 1928 – January 3, 1937	Republican	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	State Secretary of State
26	26:75, 76, 77		HughesJames H. Hughes	1867January 14, 1867 – August 29, 1953	1937January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1943	Democratic	Dover, Kent Co.	State Secretary of State
27	27:78, 79, 80		BuckC. Douglass Buck	1890March 21, 1890 – January 27, 1965	1943January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1949	Republican	New Castle Co.	Governor
28	28:81, 82, 83 29:84, 85, 86		FrearJ. Allen Frear, Jr.	1903March 7, 1903 – January 15, 1993	1949January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1961	Democratic	Dover, Kent Co.
29	30:87, 88, 89 31:90, 91, 92		BoggsJ. Caleb Boggs	1909May 15, 1909 – March 26, 1993	1961January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1973	Republican	Cheswold, Kent Co.	U.S. Representative Governor
30	32:93, 94, 95 33:96, 97, 98 34:99, 100, 101 35:102, 103, 104 36:105, 106, 107 37:108, 109, 110 38:111		BidenJoseph R. Biden, Jr.	1942November 20, 1942 (born)	1973January 3, 1973 January 15, 2009	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.	County Councilman Vice President of the United States
31	38:111		KaufmanEdward E. (Ted) Kaufman	1939March 15, 1939 (born)	2009January 16, 2009 November 15, 2010	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.
32	38:111		CoonsChristopher A. (Chris) Coons	1963September 9, 1963 (born)	2010November 15, 2010 (incumbent)	Democratic	Wilmington, New Castle Co.

References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

See also

• United States congressional delegations from Delaware