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List of United States senators from Alabama

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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 2
Class 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 3
Class 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.
# 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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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, 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 (1925-11-30) November 30, 1925 (age 98)
Donald W. Stewart 1978–1981 3 (1940-02-04) February 4, 1940 (age 84)

References

  1. ^ 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Senator Pettus Re-elected". The New York Times. January 27, 1903. p. 3.

See also