List of United States senators from Alabama
Appearance
Alabama was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819, and elects senators to Class 2 and Class 3. Its Senate seats were declared vacant from March 1861 to July 1868 due to its secession from the Union during the American Civil War. Alabama's current senators are Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby.
List of Senators
Class 2Class 2 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that were first elected for two United States Congresses in the election of 1819, and then the seat was contested again for the 18th, 21st, and every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. Those seats in recent years have been contested in 2002, 2008, 2014, and the next election will be in 2020. | C | Class 3Class 3 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that were first elected for three U.S. Congresses in the election of 1819, and then the seat was contested again for the 19th, 22nd, and every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. Those seats in recent years have been contested in 1998, 2004, and 2010, and 2016. The next election will be in 2022. | ||||||||||
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# | Senator | Party | Dates in office | Electoral history | T | T | Electoral history | Dates in office | Party | Senator | # | |
1 | William R. King |
Democratic- Republican |
December 14, 1819 – April 15, 1844 |
Elected in 1819. | 1 | 16th | 1 | Elected in 1819. Resigned. |
December 14, 1819 – December 12, 1822 |
Democratic- Republican |
John Williams Walker |
1 |
17th | ||||||||||||
Elected to finish Walker's term. Retired. |
December 12, 1822 – March 3, 1825 |
Democratic- Republican |
William Kelly | 2 | ||||||||
Jackson Democratic- Republican |
Re-elected in 1822. | 2 | 18th | Jackson Democratic- Republican | ||||||||
Jacksonian | 19th | 2 | Elected in 1824 or 1825. Died. |
March 4, 1825 – January 24, 1826 |
Jacksonian | Henry H. Chambers |
3 | |||||
January 24, 1826 – February 17, 1826 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Chambers's term. Successor elected. |
February 17, 1826 – November 27, 1826 |
Jacksonian | Israel Pickens |
4 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Chambers's term. Lost re-election. |
November 27, 1826 – March 3, 1831 |
Jacksonian | John McKinley |
5 | ||||||||
20th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1828. | 3 | 21st | ||||||||||
22nd | 3 | Elected in 1831. Lost re-election. |
March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1837 |
Jacksonian | Gabriel Moore |
6 | ||||||
23rd | Anti-Jacksonian | |||||||||||
Re-elected in 1834. | 4 | 24th | ||||||||||
Democratic | 25th | 4 | Elected in 1837. Resigned to become U.S. Supreme Court justice. |
March 4, 1837 – April 22, 1837 |
Democratic | John McKinley |
7 | |||||
April 22, 1837 – June 19, 1837 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish McKinley's term. Resigned. |
June 19, 1837 – November 15, 1841 |
Democratic | Clement Comer Clay |
8 | ||||||||
26th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1840. Resigned to become U.S. Minister to France. |
5 | 27th | ||||||||||
November 15, 1841 – November 24, 1841 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Clay's term. | November 24, 1841 – June 16, 1848 |
Democratic | Arthur P. Bagby |
9 | ||||||||
28th | 5 | Re-elected in 1842. Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Russia. | ||||||||||
Vacant | April 15, 1844 – April 22, 1844 |
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2 | Dixon Hall Lewis |
Democratic | April 22, 1844 – October 24, 1848 |
Appointed to finish King's term. | ||||||||
29th | ||||||||||||
Elected in 1847. Died. |
6 | 30th | ||||||||||
June 16, 1848 – July 1, 1848 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Bagby's term. Elected to finish Bagby's term. |
July 1, 1848 – December 20, 1852 |
Democratic | William R. King |
10 | ||||||||
Vacant | October 24, 1848 – November 25, 1848 |
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3 | Benjamin Fitzpatrick |
Democratic | November 25, 1848 – November 30, 1849 |
Appointed to continue Lewis's term. Successor elected. | ||||||||
31st | 6 | Re-elected in 1848 or 1849 [data missing]. Resigned due to poor health. | ||||||||||
4 | Jeremiah Clemens |
Democratic | November 30, 1849 – March 3, 1853 |
Elected to finish Lewis's term. Retired. | ||||||||
32nd | ||||||||||||
December 20, 1852 – January 14, 1853 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue King's term. Elected December 12, 1853[1] to finish King's term. |
January 14, 1853 – March 3, 1855 |
Democratic | Benjamin Fitzpatrick |
11 | ||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1853 – November 29, 1853 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 7 | 33rd | ||||||||
5 | Clement Claiborne Clay |
Democratic | November 29, 1853 – January 21, 1861 |
Elected late in 1853. | ||||||||
34th | 7 | Legislature failed to elect. | March 4, 1855 – November 26, 1855 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Elected late. Withdrew.[2] |
November 26, 1855 – January 21, 1861 |
Democratic | Benjamin Fitzpatrick | |||||||||
35th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1858. Withdrew.[2] |
8 | 36th | ||||||||||
Vacant | January 21, 1861 – July 13, 1868 |
Civil War and Reconstruction | Civil War and Reconstruction | January 21, 1861 – July 13, 1868 |
Vacant | |||||||
37th | 8 | |||||||||||
38th | ||||||||||||
9 | 39th | |||||||||||
40th | 9 | |||||||||||
6 | Willard Warner |
Republican | July 13, 1868 – March 3, 1871 |
Elected in 1868 to finish vacant term. Lost re-election. |
Elected in 1868 to finish vacant term. | July 13, 1868 – March 3, 1879 |
Republican | George E. Spencer |
12 | |||
41st | ||||||||||||
7 | George Goldthwaite |
Democratic | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1877 |
Elected in 1870. Retired. |
10 | 42nd | ||||||
43rd | 10 | Re-elected in 1872. Retired. | ||||||||||
44th | ||||||||||||
8 | John Tyler Morgan |
Democratic | March 4, 1877 – June 11, 1907 |
Elected in 1876. | 11 | 45th | ||||||
46th | 11 | Elected in 1878. Died. |
March 4, 1879 – December 31, 1879 |
Democratic | George S. Houston |
13 | ||||||
December 31, 1879 – January 7, 1880 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Houston's term. Successor qualified. |
January 7, 1880 – November 23, 1880 |
Democratic | Luke Pryor |
14 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Houston's term. | November 24, 1880 – March 3, 1897 |
Democratic | James L. Pugh |
15 | ||||||||
47th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1882. | 12 | 48th | ||||||||||
49th | 12 | Re-elected in 1884. | ||||||||||
50th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1888. | 13 | 51st | ||||||||||
52nd | 13 | Re-elected in 1890. Retired. | ||||||||||
53rd | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1894. | 14 | 54th | ||||||||||
55th | 14 | Elected January 26, 1903.[3] | March 4, 1897 – July 27, 1907 |
Democratic | Edmund Pettus |
16 | ||||||
56th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1900. | 15 | 57th | ||||||||||
58th | 15 | Re-elected in 1903. Died. | ||||||||||
59th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1906. Died. |
16 | 60th | ||||||||||
Vacant | June 11, 1907 – June 18, 1907 |
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9 | John H. Bankhead |
Democratic | June 18, 1907 – March 1, 1920 |
Appointed to continue Morgan's term. Elected November 3, 1907 to finish Morgan's term. | ||||||||
July 27, 1907 – August 6, 1907 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Pettus's term. | August 6, 1907 – August 8, 1913 |
Democratic | Joseph F. Johnston |
17 | ||||||||
61st | 16 | Re-elected in 1909. Died. | ||||||||||
62nd | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1912. | 17 | 63rd | ||||||||||
August 8, 1913 – May 11, 1914 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Johnston's term. Retired. |
May 11, 1914 – March 3, 1915 |
Democratic | Francis S. White |
18 | ||||||||
64th | 17 | Elected in 1914. | March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1927 |
Democratic | File:OWUnderwood.jpg Oscar Underwood |
19 | ||||||
65th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1918. Died. |
18 | 66th | ||||||||||
Vacant | March 1, 1920 – March 5, 1920 |
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10 | B. B. Comer |
Democratic | March 5, 1920 – November 2, 1920 |
Appointed to continue Bankhead's term. Successor elected. | ||||||||
11 | James Thomas Heflin |
Democratic | November 3, 1920 – March 3, 1931 |
First elected to finish Bankhead's term. | ||||||||
67th | 18 | Re-elected in 1920. Retired. | ||||||||||
68th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1924. Disqualified. |
19 | 69th | ||||||||||
70th | 19 | Elected in 1926. | March 4, 1927 – August 19, 1937 |
Democratic | Hugo Black |
20 | ||||||
71st | ||||||||||||
12 | John H. Bankhead II |
Democratic | March 4, 1931 – June 12, 1946 |
Elected in 1930. | 20 | 72nd | ||||||
73rd | 20 | Re-elected in 1932. Resigned to become U.S. Supreme Court justice. | ||||||||||
74th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1936. | 21 | 75th | ||||||||||
Appointed (by her husband, the Governor) to finish Black's term. Resigned. |
August 20, 1937 – January 10, 1938 |
Democratic | Dixie Bibb Graves |
21 | ||||||||
Appointed to continue Graves's term. Elected April 26, 1938 to finish Graves's term. |
January 11, 1938 – January 3, 1969 |
Democratic | J. Lister Hill |
22 | ||||||||
76th | 21 | Re-elected in 1938. | ||||||||||
77th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1942. Died. |
22 | 78th | ||||||||||
Vacant | June 12, 1946 – June 15, 1946 |
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13 | George R. Swift |
Democratic | June 15, 1946 – November 5, 1946 |
Appointed to continue Bankhead's term. Successor elected. | ||||||||
14 | John Sparkman |
Democratic | November 6, 1946 – January 3, 1979 |
Elected to finish Bankhead's term. | 78th | |||||||
79th | 22 | Re-elected in 1944. | ||||||||||
80th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1948. | 23 | 81st | ||||||||||
82nd | 23 | Re-elected in 1950. | ||||||||||
83rd | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1954. | 24 | 84th | ||||||||||
85th | 24 | Re-elected in 1956. | ||||||||||
86th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1960. | 25 | 87th | ||||||||||
88th | 25 | Re-elected in 1962. Retired. | ||||||||||
89th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1966. | 26 | 90th | ||||||||||
91st | 26 | Elected in 1968. | January 3, 1969 – June 1, 1978 |
Democratic | James Allen |
23 | ||||||
92nd | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1972. Retired. |
27 | 93rd | ||||||||||
94th | 27 | Re-elected in 1974. Died. | ||||||||||
95th | ||||||||||||
Appointed to continue her husband's seat. Lost nomination for special election to finish the term. |
June 8, 1978 – November 7, 1978 |
Democratic | Maryon Pittman Allen |
24 | ||||||||
Elected to finish James Allen's term. Lost renomination; resigned one day early to give successor advantageous seniority. |
November 7, 1978 – January 2, 1981 |
Democratic | Donald W. Stewart |
25 | ||||||||
15 | Howell Heflin |
Democratic | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1997 |
Elected in 1978. | 28 | 96th | ||||||
Appointed to finish Stewart's term, having already been elected to the next term. | January 2, 1981 – January 3, 1987 |
Republican | Jeremiah Denton |
26 | ||||||||
97th | 28 | Elected in 1980. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
98th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1984. | 29 | 99th | ||||||||||
100th | 29 | Elected in 1986. | January 3, 1987 – November 9, 1994 |
Democratic | Richard Shelby |
27 | ||||||
101st | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1990. Retired. |
30 | 102nd | ||||||||||
103rd | 30 | Re-elected in 1992. | ||||||||||
November 9, 1994 – Present |
Republican | |||||||||||
104th | ||||||||||||
16 | Jeff Sessions |
Republican | January 3, 1997 – Present |
Elected in 1996. | 31 | 105th | ||||||
106th | 31 | Re-elected in 1998. | ||||||||||
107th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2002. | 32 | 108th | ||||||||||
109th | 32 | Re-elected in 2004. | ||||||||||
110th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2008. | 33 | 111th | ||||||||||
112th | 33 | Re-elected in 2010. | ||||||||||
113th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2014. | 34 | 114th | ||||||||||
115th | 34 | Re-elected in 2016. | ||||||||||
116th | ||||||||||||
To be determined in the 2020 election. | 35 | 117th | ||||||||||
118th | 35 | To be determined in the 2022 election. | ||||||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T | C | T | Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # |
Class 2 | Class 3 |
Living former U.S. Senators from Alabama
As of October 2016[update], there are two former U.S. Senators from Alabama who are currently living, both from Class 3. The most recent senator to die was Jeremiah Denton of Class 3 (1981-1987) on March 28, 2014., who is also the most recently serving senator to die. The most recent class 2 Senator to die was Howell Heflin (1979-1997) on March 29, 2005.
Senator | Term of office | Class | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|---|
Maryon P. Allen | 1978 | 3 | November 30, 1925 |
Donald W. Stewart | 1978–1981 | 3 | February 4, 1940 |
References
- ^ 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. p. 76.
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: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ a b Clay and Fitzpatrick along with several other senators announced they were withdrawing from the Senate on January 21, 1861, due to their states' decisions to secede from the Union. Clay's seat was declared vacant by the Senate on March 14, 1861, but Fitzpatrick's was vacant because his term ended on March 4, 1861.
- ^ "Senator Pettus Re-elected". The New York Times. January 27, 1903. p. 3.
See also
- List of United States Representatives from Alabama
- United States congressional delegations from Alabama