Pennsylvania ratified the United States Constitution on December 12, 1787 and elects its U.S. Senators to Class 1 and Class 3. Officeholders are popularly elected, for a six-year term, beginning January 3. Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Before 1914, they were chosen by the Pennsylvania General Assembly; before 1935, their terms began March 4. The state's current U.S. Senators are Democrat Bob Casey Jr. (since 2007) and Republican Pat Toomey (since 2011), making it one of nine states to have a split United States Senate delegation.
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state located in the northeastern, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The Appalachian Mountains run through its middle. The Commonwealth is bordered by Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, Lake Erie and the Canadian province of Ontario to the northwest, New York to the north, and New Jersey to the east.
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress which, along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the legislature of the United States. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol Building, in Washington, D.C.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and was unicameral. Since the Constitution of 1776, the legislature has been known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly became a bicameral legislature in 1791.
Class 1 Class 1 U.S. Senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2000, 2006, 2012, 2018. The next election will be in 2024. | C o n g r e s s | 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. | ||||||||||
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# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T e r m | T e r m | Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
1 | William Maclay | Anti-Admin. | March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1791 | Elected in 1788. Lost re-election. | 1 | 1st | 1 | Elected in 1788. Retired. | March 4, 1789 – March 3, 1795 | Pro- Admin. | Robert Morris | 1 |
Vacant | March 4, 1791 – December 1, 1793 | Legislature failed to elect due to a disagreement on election procedure. | 2 | 2nd | ||||||||
2 | Albert Gallatin | Anti-Admin. | February 28, 1793 – February 28, 1794 | Elected to finish the vacant term. Election voided for failure to meet the residency requirements for eligibility to the office. | ||||||||
3rd | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 1, 1794 – April 23, 1794 | |||||||||||
3 | James Ross | Pro- Admin. | April 24, 1794 – March 3, 1803 | Elected to finish Gallatin's term. | ||||||||
Federalist | 4th | 2 | Elected in 1795. Retired. | March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1801 | Federalist | William Bingham | 2 | |||||
Re-elected in 1797. Retired. | 3 | 5th | ||||||||||
6th | ||||||||||||
7th | 3 | Elected in 1801. Resigned to become Supervisor of Revenue of Pennsylvania. | March 4, 1801 – June 30, 1801 | Democratic- Republican | J. Peter G. Muhlenberg | 3 | ||||||
June 30, 1801 – December 17, 1801 | Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Muhlenberg's term. Retired. | December 17, 1801 – March 3, 1807 | Democratic- Republican | George Logan | 4 | ||||||||
4 | Samuel Maclay | Democratic- Republican | March 4, 1803 – January 4, 1809 | Elected in 1802. Resigned, believing he would lose re-election. | 4 | 8th | ||||||
9th | ||||||||||||
10th | 4 | Elected in 1806. Retired. | March 4, 1807 – March 3, 1813 | Democratic- Republican | Andrew Gregg | 5 | ||||||
Vacant | January 4, 1809 – January 9, 1809 | Vacant | ||||||||||
5 | Michael Leib | Democratic- Republican | January 9, 1809 – February 14, 1814 | Elected January 9, 1809 to finish Maclay's term, having already won election to the next term. [1] | ||||||||
Elected on December 13, 1808. [2] Resigned to become Postmaster of Philadelphia. | 5 | 11th | ||||||||||
12th | ||||||||||||
13th | 5 | Elected on December 8, 1812. [3] Retired. | March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1819 | Democratic- Republican | Abner Lacock | 6 | ||||||
Vacant | February 14, 1814 – February 24, 1814 | |||||||||||
6 | Jonathan Roberts | Democratic- Republican | February 24, 1814 – March 3, 1821 | Elected to finish Leib's term. | ||||||||
Re-elected in late 1814. | 6 | 14th | ||||||||||
15th | ||||||||||||
16th | 6 | Elected in 1818. Retired. | March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1825 | Democratic- Republican | Walter Lowrie | 7 | ||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1821 – December 10, 1821 | Legislature failed to elect. | 7 | 17th | ||||||||
7 | William Findlay | Democratic- Republican | December 10, 1821 – March 3, 1827 | Elected late in 1821. Retired. | ||||||||
Jackson Republican | 18th | Crawford Republican | ||||||||||
Jacksonian | 19th | 7 | Elected in 1825. Lost re-election. | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1831 | Anti-Jacksonian | William Marks | 8 | |||||
8 | Isaac D. Barnard | Jacksonian | March 4, 1827 – December 6, 1831 | Elected in 1826. Resigned to due ill health. | 8 | 20th | ||||||
21st | ||||||||||||
22nd | 8 | Elected in 1830. Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Russia. | March 4, 1831 – June 30, 1834 | Jacksonian | William Wilkins | 9 | ||||||
Vacant | December 6, 1831 – December 13, 1831 | |||||||||||
9 | George Mifflin Dallas | Jacksonian | December 13, 1831 – March 3, 1833 | Elected to finish Barnard's term. Retired. | ||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1833 – December 7, 1833 | Legislature failed to elect. | 9 | 23rd | ||||||||
10 | Samuel McKean | Jacksonian | December 7, 1833 – March 3, 1839 | Elected late in 1833. | ||||||||
June 30, 1834 – December 6, 1834 | Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Wilkins's term. | December 6, 1834 – March 5, 1845 | Jacksonian | James Buchanan | 10 | ||||||||
24th | ||||||||||||
Democratic | 25th | 9 | Re-elected in 1836. | Democratic | ||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1839 – January 14, 1840 | Legislature failed to elect. | 10 | 26th | ||||||||
11 | Daniel Sturgeon | Democratic | January 14, 1840 – March 3, 1851 | Elected late in 1840. | ||||||||
27th | ||||||||||||
28th | 10 | Re-elected in 1843. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1845. Retired. | 11 | 29th | ||||||||||
March 5, 1845 – March 13, 1845 | Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected in 1845. Retired. | March 13, 1845 – March 3, 1849 | Democratic | Simon Cameron | 11 | ||||||||
30th | ||||||||||||
31st | 11 | Elected in 1849. | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1855 | Whig | James Cooper | 12 | ||||||
12 | Richard Brodhead | Democratic | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1857 | Elected in 1851. | 12 | 32nd | ||||||
33rd | ||||||||||||
34th | 12 | Legislature failed to elect in 1856. | March 4, 1855 – January 14, 1856 | Vacant | ||||||||
Elected late in 1856. Retired. | January 14, 1856 – March 3, 1861 | Democratic | William Bigler | 13 | ||||||||
13 | Simon Cameron | Republican | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861 | Elected in 1857. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of War. | 13 | 35th | ||||||
36th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1861 – March 14, 1861 | 37th | 13 | Elected in 1861. Lost re-election. | March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1867 | Republican | Edgar Cowan | 14 | ||||
14 | David Wilmot | Republican | March 14, 1861 – March 3, 1863 | Elected in 1861 to finish Cameron's term. Retired. | ||||||||
15 | Charles R. Buckalew | Democratic | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869 | Elected in 1863. | 14 | 38th | ||||||
39th | ||||||||||||
40th | 14 | Elected in 1867. | March 4, 1867 – March 12, 1877 | Republican | Simon Cameron | 15 | ||||||
16 | John Scott | Republican | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875 | Elected in 1869. Retired. | 15 | 41st | ||||||
42nd | ||||||||||||
43rd | 15 | Re-elected in 1873. Resigned. | ||||||||||
17 | William A. Wallace | Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1881 | Elected in early 1875. Lost re-election. | 16 | 44th | ||||||
45th | ||||||||||||
March 12, 1877 – March 20, 1877 | Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected in 1877 to finish his father's term. | March 20, 1877 – March 3, 1897 | Republican | J. Donald Cameron | 16 | ||||||||
46th | 16 | Re-elected in 1879. | ||||||||||
18 | John I. Mitchell | Republican | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1887 | Elected in early 1881. | 17 | 47th | ||||||
48th | ||||||||||||
49th | 17 | Re-elected in 1885. | ||||||||||
19 | Matthew S. Quay | Republican | March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1899 | Elected in early 1887. | 18 | 50th | ||||||
51st | ||||||||||||
52nd | 18 | Re-elected in 1891. Retired. | ||||||||||
Re-elected January 17, 1893. Legislature failed to re-elect. | 19 | 53rd | ||||||||||
54th | ||||||||||||
55th | 19 | Elected January 19, 1897. | March 4, 1897 – December 31, 1921 | Republican | Boies Penrose | 17 | ||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1899 – January 16, 1901 | Quay was appointed to continue the term, but the Senate declared him not entitled to the seat | 20 | 56th | ||||||||
Matthew S. Quay | Republican | January 16, 1901 – May 28, 1904 | Elected late in 1901. Died. | |||||||||
57th | ||||||||||||
58th | 20 | Re-elected on January 20, 1903. | ||||||||||
20 | Philander C. Knox | Republican | June 10, 1904 – March 3, 1909 | Appointed to continue Quay's term. Elected on January 17, 1905 to finish Quay's term. [4] | ||||||||
Re-elected on January 18, 1905. [5] Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. | 21 | 59th | ||||||||||
60th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 4, 1909 – March 17, 1909 | 61st | 21 | Re-elected January 19, 1909. | ||||||||
21 | George T. Oliver | Republican | March 17, 1909 – March 3, 1917 | Elected to finish Knox's term | ||||||||
Re-elected January 11, 1911. Retired. | 22 | 62nd | ||||||||||
63rd | ||||||||||||
64th | 22 | Re-elected in 1914. | ||||||||||
22 | Philander C. Knox | Republican | March 4, 1917 – October 12, 1921 | Elected in 1916. Died. | 23 | 65th | ||||||
66th | ||||||||||||
67th | 23 | Re-elected in 1920. Died. | ||||||||||
Vacant | October 12, 1921 – October 24, 1921 | |||||||||||
23 | William E. Crow | Republican | October 24, 1921 – August 2, 1922 | Appointed to continue Knox's term. Died. | ||||||||
December 31, 1921 – January 9, 1922 | Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Penrose's term. Elected to finish Penrose's term. Lost renomination. | January 9, 1922 – March 3, 1927 | Republican | George Wharton Pepper | 18 | ||||||||
Vacant | August 2, 1922 – August 8, 1922 | |||||||||||
24 | David A. Reed | Republican | August 8, 1922 – January 3, 1935 | Appointed to continue Knox's term. Elected to finish Knox's term. | ||||||||
Elected in 1922. | 24 | 68th | ||||||||||
69th | ||||||||||||
70th | 24 | William S. Vare (R) was elected in 1926, but the Governor refused to certify the election and the Senate refused to qualify him. He was formally unseated December 9, 1929. | March 4, 1927 – December 9, 1929 | Vacant | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1928. Lost re-election. | 25 | 71st | ||||||||||
Appointed to continue Vare's term. Lost nomination to finish Vare's term. | December 11, 1929 – December 1, 1930 | Republican | Joseph R. Grundy | 19 | ||||||||
Elected November 4, 1930 to finish Vare's term | December 2, 1930 – January 3, 1945 | Republican | James J. Davis | 20 | ||||||||
72nd | ||||||||||||
73rd | 25 | Re-elected in 1932. | ||||||||||
25 | Joseph F. Guffey | Democratic | January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1947 | Elected in 1934. | 26 | 74th | ||||||
75th | ||||||||||||
76th | 26 | Re-elected in 1938. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1940. Lost re-election. | 27 | 77th | ||||||||||
78th | ||||||||||||
79th | 27 | Elected in 1944. Lost re-election. | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1951 | Democratic | Francis J. Myers | 21 | ||||||
26 | Edward Martin | Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1959 | Elected in 1946. | 28 | 80th | ||||||
81st | ||||||||||||
82nd | 28 | Elected in 1950. Lost re-election. | January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1957 | Republican | James H. Duff | 22 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1952. Retired. | 29 | 83rd | ||||||||||
84th | ||||||||||||
85th | 29 | Elected in 1956. | January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1969 | Democratic | Joseph S. Clark | 23 | ||||||
27 | Hugh Scott | Republican | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1977 | Elected in 1958. | 30 | 86th | ||||||
87th | ||||||||||||
88th | 30 | Re-elected in 1962. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1964. | 31 | 89th | ||||||||||
90th | ||||||||||||
91st | 31 | Elected in 1968. | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1981 | Republican | Richard S. Schweiker | 24 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1970. Retired. | 32 | 92nd | ||||||||||
93rd | ||||||||||||
94th | 32 | Re-elected in 1974. Did not run for re-election. | ||||||||||
28 | John Heinz | Republican | January 3, 1977 – April 4, 1991 | Elected in 1976. | 33 | 95th | ||||||
96th | ||||||||||||
97th | 33 | Elected in 1980. | January 3, 1981 – April 28, 2009 | Republican | Arlen Specter | 25 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1982. | 34 | 98th | ||||||||||
99th | ||||||||||||
100th | 34 | Re-elected in 1986. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1988. Died. | 35 | 101st | ||||||||||
102nd | ||||||||||||
Vacant | April 4, 1991 – May 9, 1991 | |||||||||||
29 | Harris Wofford | Democratic | May 9, 1991 – January 3, 1995 | Appointed to continue Heinz's term. Elected to finish Heinz's term. Lost re-election. | ||||||||
103rd | 35 | Re-elected in 1992. | ||||||||||
30 | Rick Santorum | Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007 | Elected in 1994. | 36 | 104th | ||||||
105th | ||||||||||||
106th | 36 | Re-elected in 1998. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 2000. Lost re-election. | 37 | 107th | ||||||||||
108th | ||||||||||||
109th | 37 | Re-elected in 2004. Lost renomination. | ||||||||||
31 | Bob Casey Jr. | Democratic | January 3, 2007 – Present | Elected in 2006. | 38 | 110th | ||||||
111th | ||||||||||||
April 28, 2009 – January 3, 2011 | Democratic | |||||||||||
112th | 38 | Elected in 2010. | January 3, 2011 – Present | Republican | Pat Toomey | 26 | ||||||
Re-elected in 2012. | 39 | 113th | ||||||||||
114th | ||||||||||||
115th | 39 | Re-elected in 2016. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 2018. | 40 | 116th | ||||||||||
117th | ||||||||||||
118th | 41 | To be determined in the 2022 election. | ||||||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T e r m | T e r m | Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Class 1 | Class 3 |
As of January 2019 [update] , there is one living former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. The most recent to die was Harris Wofford (who served 1991–1995) on January 21, 2019. The most recently serving to die was Arlen Specter (who served 1981–2011) on October 14, 2012.
Harris Llewellyn Wofford Jr. was an American attorney, civil rights activist, and Democratic Party politician who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1991 to 1995. A noted advocate of national service and volunteering, Wofford was also the fifth president of Bryn Mawr College from 1970 to 1978, served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in 1986 and as Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry in the cabinet of Governor Robert P. Casey from 1987 to 1991, and was a surrogate for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. He introduced Obama in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center before Obama's speech on race in America, "A More Perfect Union".
Arlen Specter was an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as United States Senator for Pennsylvania. Specter was a Democrat from 1951 to 1965, then a Republican from 1965 until 2009, when he switched back to the Democratic Party. First elected in 1980, he represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate for 30 years.
Senator | Term of office | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
Rick Santorum | 1995–2007 | May 10, 1958 |
Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 14th Congress were held at various dates in each state between April 1814 and August 10, 1815 during James Madison's second term. The Congress's first session began on December 4, 1815.
Elections to the United States House of Representatives for the 11th Congress were held in the various states between April 1808 and May 1809. The Congress first met on May 22, 1809.
The United States Senate elections of 1804 and 1805 were elections that expanded the Democratic-Republican Party's overwhelming control over the United States Senate. The Federalists went into the elections with such a small share of Senate seats that even if they had won every election, they would have still remained a minority caucus.
The United States Senate elections of 1808 and 1809 were elections that had the Federalist Party gain one seat in the United States Senate, and which coincided with the 1808 presidential election. The Federalists had gone into the elections with such a small share of Senate seats that even if they had won every election, they would have still remained a minority caucus.
The United States Senate elections of 1810 and 1811 were elections that had the Democratic-Republican Party maintain their majority the United States Senate. The minority Federalists had gone into the elections with such a small share of Senate seats that they had won all of the elections, they would still not have controlled a majority.
The United States Senate elections of 1812 and 1813 were elections that, coinciding with President James Madison's re-election, had the Democratic-Republican Party lose two seats but still retain an overwhelming majority in the United States Senate. As in recent elections, the minority Federalists had gone into the elections with such a small share of Senate seats that if they had won every one of the elections, they would still not have controlled a majority.
The United States Senate elections of 1814 and 1815 were elections that had the Democratic-Republican Party lose a seat but still retain an overwhelming majority in the United States Senate. Unlike in recent elections, the minority Federalists had gone into the elections with a chance of regaining their long-lost majority had they swept almost all the seats. However, only one seat switched parties. Two seats held by Democratic-Republicans were left unfilled until long after the next Congress began.
The United States Senate elections of 1816 and 1817 were elections for the United States Senate that had the Democratic-Republican Party gain a net of two seats from the admission of a new state, and which coincided with the presidential election.
The United States Senate elections of 1818 and 1819 were elections for the United States Senate that had the Democratic-Republican Party gain two seats. The Federalists had only three seats being contested, of which they lost two and the third was left vacant due to a failure to elect.
The United States Senate elections of 1802 and 1803 were elections for the United States Senate which had the Democratic-Republican Party assume an overwhelming control thereof.
The United States Senate elections of 1798 and 1799 were held at the middle of President John Adams's administration and had no net change in political control of the Senate.
The United States Senate elections of 1796 and 1797 were elections for the United States Senate which, coinciding with John Adams's election as President, had the ruling Federalist Party gain one seat.
The United States Senate elections of 1794 and 1795 were elections that had the formation of organized political parties in the United States, with the Federalist Party emerging from the Pro Administration coalition, and the Democratic-Republican Party emerging from the Anti-Administration coalition.
The United States Senate elections of 1788 and 1789 were the first elections for the United States Senate, which coincided with the election of President George Washington. As of this election, formal organized political parties had yet to form in the United States, but two political factions were present: The coalition of senators who supported George Washington's administration were known as "Pro-Administration", and the senators against him as "Anti-Administration".
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Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington or D.C., is the capital of the United States. Founded after the American Revolution as the seat of government of the newly independent country, Washington was named after George Washington, the first president of the United States and a Founding Father. As the seat of the United States federal government and several international organizations, Washington is an important world political capital. The city, located on the Potomac River bordering Maryland and Virginia, is one of the most visited cities in the world, with more than 20 million tourists annually.
The United States Government Publishing Office is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The office produces and distributes information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of the Supreme Court, the Congress, the Executive Office of the President, executive departments, and independent agencies.
These are tables of congressional delegations from Pennsylvania to the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.