List of United States senators from Iowa

Last updated December 07, 2024

Current delegation

Iowa was admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, and elects United States senators to class 2 and class 3. The state's current U.S. senators are Republicans Chuck Grassley (serving since 1981) and Joni Ernst (serving since 2015). Chuck Grassley is Iowa's longest-serving senator (since 1981).

List of senators

#	Senator	Party	Dates in office	Electoral history	T	C	T	Electoral history	Dates in office	Party	Senator	#
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 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2022. The next election will be in 2028.
Vacant			Dec 28, 1846 – Dec 7, 1848	Legislature failed to elect.^[1]	—	29th	—	Legislature failed to elect.^[1]	Dec 28, 1846 – Dec 7, 1848	Vacant
Vacant			Dec 28, 1846 – Dec 7, 1848	Legislature failed to elect.^[1]	—	30th	—	Legislature failed to elect.^[1]	Dec 28, 1846 – Dec 7, 1848	Vacant
1	George W. Jones	Democratic	Dec 7, 1848 – Mar 3, 1859	Elected in 1848.	1	30th	1	Elected in 1848.	Dec 7, 1848 – Feb 22, 1855	Democratic	Augustus C. Dodge	1
						31st	2	Re-elected in 1849. Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Spain, having lost re-election.
						32nd
				Re-elected in 1852. Lost renomination.	2	33rd
						33rd			Feb 22, 1855 – Mar 3, 1855	Vacant
						34th	3	Elected in 1855. Elected invalidated, as the Iowa Senate had not participated in it.	Mar 4, 1855 – Jan 5, 1857	Free Soil	James Harlan	2
									Jan 5, 1857 – Jan 29, 1857	Vacant
								Re-elected to finish his vacant term.	Jan 29, 1857 – May 15, 1865	Republican	James Harlan
						35th
2	James W. Grimes	Republican	Mar 4, 1859 – Dec 6, 1869	Elected in 1858.	3	36th
						37th	4	Re-elected in 1860. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
						38th
				Re-elected in 1864. Resigned due to ill health.	4	39th
									May 15, 1865 – Jan 13, 1866	Vacant
								Elected to finish Harlan's term.^[2] Lost nomination for the next term.	Jan 13, 1866 – Mar 3, 1867	Republican	Samuel J. Kirkwood	3
						40th	5	Elected in 1866.^[3] Lost re-election.	Mar 4, 1867 – Mar 3, 1873	Republican	James Harlan	4
						41st
Vacant			Dec 6, 1869 – Jan 18, 1870
3	James B. Howell	Republican	Jan 18, 1870 – Mar 3, 1871	Elected to finish Grimes's term. Retired.
4	George G. Wright	Republican	Mar 4, 1871 – Mar 3, 1877	Elected in 1870. Retired.	5	42nd
						43rd	6	Elected in 1872.^[4]	Mar 4, 1873 – Aug 4, 1908	Republican	William B. Allison	5
						44th
5	Samuel J. Kirkwood	Republican	Mar 4, 1877 – Mar 7, 1881	Elected in 1876 or 1877. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior.	6	45th
						46th	7	Re-elected in 1878.^[5]
						47th
6	James W. McDill	Republican	Mar 8, 1881 – Mar 3, 1883	Appointed to continue Kirkwood's term. Elected in 1882 to finish Kirkwood's term.^[6] Retired.		47th
7	James F. Wilson	Republican	Mar 4, 1883 – Mar 3, 1895	Elected in 1882.^[7]	7	48th
						49th	8	Re-elected in 1884.^[8]
						50th
				Re-elected in 1888. Retired.	8	51st
						52nd	9	Re-elected in 1890.^[9]
						53rd
8	John H. Gear	Republican	Mar 4, 1895 – Jul 14, 1900	Elected in 1894.^[10] Re-elected in 1900,^[11] but died.	9	54th
						55th	10	Re-elected in 1896.^[12]
						56th
Vacant			Jul 14, 1900 – Aug 22, 1900
9	Jonathan P. Dolliver	Republican	Aug 22, 1900 – Oct 15, 1910	Appointed to finish Gear's term.
				Appointed to begin the vacant term. Elected in 1902 to finish the vacant term. ^[13]	10	57th
						58th	11	Re-elected in 1902.^[14] Renominated in 1908 but died before the general election.
						59th
				Re-elected in 1907. Died.	11	60th
									Aug 4, 1908 – Nov 24, 1908	Vacant
								Elected to finish Allison's term.	Nov 24, 1908 – Jul 30, 1926	Republican	Albert B. Cummins	6
						61st	12	Re-elected in 1909.
Vacant			Oct 15, 1910 – Nov 12, 1910
10	Lafayette Young	Republican	Nov 12, 1910 – Apr 11, 1911	Appointed to continue Dolliver's term. Lost election to finish Dolliver's term.
10	Lafayette Young	Republican	Nov 12, 1910 – Apr 11, 1911			62nd
11	William S. Kenyon	Republican	Apr 12, 1911 – Feb 24, 1922	Elected to finish Dolliver's term.		62nd
				Re-elected in 1913.	12	63rd
						64th	13	Re-elected in 1914.
						65th
				Re-elected in 1918. Resigned to become Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals.	13	66th
						67th	14	Re-elected in 1920. Lost renomination, then died.
12	Charles A. Rawson	Republican	Feb 24, 1922 – Dec 1, 1922	Appointed to continue Kenyon's term. Retired when his successor was elected.
13	Smith W. Brookhart	Republican	Dec 1, 1922 – Apr 12, 1926	Elected to finish Kenyon's term.
				Elected to finish Kenyon's term.		68th
				Re-elected in 1924. Lost election challenge.	14	69th
14	Daniel F. Steck	Democratic	Apr 12, 1926 – Mar 3, 1931	Successfully challenged his predecessor's election. Lost re-election.
									Jul 30, 1926 – Aug 7, 1926	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Cummins's term. Elected in 1926 to finish Cummins's term.^[15] Retired.	Aug 7, 1926 – Mar 3, 1927	Republican	David W. Stewart	7
						70th	15	Elected in 1926. Lost renomination and then lost re-election as an Independent.	Mar 4, 1927 – Mar 3, 1933	Republican	Smith W. Brookhart	8
						71st
15	L. J. Dickinson	Republican	Mar 4, 1931 – Jan 3, 1937	Elected in 1930. Lost re-election.	15	72nd
						73rd	16	Elected in 1932. Died.	Mar 4, 1933 – Jul 16, 1936	Democratic	Louis Murphy	9
						74th		Elected in 1932. Died.	Mar 4, 1933 – Jul 16, 1936	Democratic	Louis Murphy	9
									Jul 16, 1936 – Nov 3, 1936	Vacant
								Elected to finish Murphy's term.	Nov 3, 1936 – Jan 3, 1945	Democratic	Guy Gillette	10
16	Clyde L. Herring	Democratic	Jan 3, 1937 – Jan 3, 1943	Elected in 1936. Did not take seat until Jan 15, 1937 in order to remain Governor of Iowa. Lost re-election.	16	75th		Elected to finish Murphy's term.
						76th	17	Re-elected in 1938. Lost re-election.
						77th

17	George A. Wilson	Republican	Jan 3, 1943 – Jan 3, 1949	Elected in 1942. Did not take seat until Jan 14, 1943 in order to remain Governor of Iowa. Lost re-election.	17	78th
						79th	18	Elected in 1944.	Jan 3, 1945 – Jan 3, 1969	Republican	Bourke B. Hickenlooper	11
						80th
18	Guy Gillette	Democratic	Jan 3, 1949 – Jan 3, 1955	Elected in 1948. Lost re-election.	18	81st
						82nd	19	Re-elected in 1950.
						83rd
19	Thomas E. Martin	Republican	Jan 3, 1955 – Jan 3, 1961	Elected in 1954. Retired.	19	84th
						85th	20	Re-elected in 1956.
						86th
20	Jack Miller	Republican	Jan 3, 1961 – Jan 3, 1973	Elected in 1960.	20	87th
						88th	21	Re-elected in 1962 Retired.
						89th
				Re-elected in 1966. Lost re-election.	21	90th
						91st	22	Elected in 1968. Retired.	Jan 3, 1969 – Jan 3, 1975	Democratic	Harold Hughes	12
						92nd
21	Dick Clark	Democratic	Jan 3, 1973 – Jan 3, 1979	Elected in 1972. Lost re-election.	22	93rd
						94th	23	Elected in 1974. Lost re-election.	Jan 3, 1975 – Jan 3, 1981	Democratic	John Culver	13
						95th
22	Roger Jepsen	Republican	Jan 3, 1979 – Jan 3, 1985	Elected in 1978. Lost re-election.	23	96th
						97th	24	Elected in 1980.	Jan 3, 1981 – present	Republican	Chuck Grassley	14
						98th
23	Tom Harkin	Democratic	Jan 3, 1985 – Jan 3, 2015	Elected in 1984.	24	99th
						100th	25	Re-elected in 1986.
						101st
				Re-elected in 1990.	25	102nd
						103rd	26	Re-elected in 1992.
						104th
				Re-elected in 1996.	26	105th
						106th	27	Re-elected in 1998.
						107th
				Re-elected in 2002.	27	108th
						109th	28	Re-elected in 2004.
						110th
				Re-elected in 2008 Retired.	28	111th
						112th	29	Re-elected in 2010.
						113th
24	Joni Ernst	Republican	Jan 3, 2015 – present	Elected in 2014.	29	114th
						115th	30	Re-elected in 2016.
						116th
				Re-elected in 2020.	30	117th
						118th	31	Re-elected in 2022.
						119th
To be determined in the 2026 election.					31	120th
To be determined in the 2026 election.					31	121st	32	To be determined in the 2028 election.
#	Senator	Party	Years in office	Electoral history	T	C	T	Electoral history	Years in office	Party	Senator	#
Class 2						C	Class 3

Notes

1 2 Clark, pp. 17–46, 72–79.
↑ Clark, p. 141: Kirkwood 118 votes, John Thompson Stoneman (Democratic) 20
↑ Clark, p. 141: Harlan 118 votes, Henry Hoffman Trimble (Democratic) 20
↑ Clark, p. 167.
↑ Clark, p. 185: Allison 104 votes, Daniel F. Miller 35 votes, E. N. Gates 3 votes.
↑ Clark, p. 199: Moses M. Ham and Daniel Campbell lost.
↑ Clark, p. 199: La Vega G. Kinne and Daniel P. Stubbs lost.
↑ Clark, p. 209: Allison 90 votes, Benton J. Hall 48 votes, David M. Clark 10 votes, La Vega G. Kinne 1 vote.
↑ Clark, p. 221: Allison 79 votes, Samuel L. Bestow (Democratic) 63 votes, William Larrabee 8 votes.
↑ Clark, p. 234: Gear beat Democrat Horace Boies by votes unknown.
↑ Clark, p. 245: Gear 111 votes, Fred E. White (Democratic) 32 votes.
↑ Clark, p. 238: Allison 118 votes, Washington Irving Babb (Democratic) 25 votes, Frank Q. Stuart 1 vote.
↑ Clark, p. 247: Dolliver 119 votes, John J. Seerley (Democratic) 20 votes.
↑ Clark, p. 247: Allison 119 votes, Edward Hankinson Thayer (Democratic) 20 votes.
↑ Byrd, p. 107.

Related Research Articles

Charles Ernest Grassley is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Iowa, having held the seat since 1981. Grassley was first elected to the Senate in 1980 and has been reelected seven times. As of 2024, he is the oldest senator at 91 years old, and is the longest-serving Republican in Congressional history and the sixth-longest-serving U.S. senator in history.

Since Iowa became a U.S. state in 1846, it has sent congressional delegations to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. Each state elects two senators to serve for six years, and members of the House to two-year terms. Before becoming a state, the Iowa Territory elected a non-voting delegate at-large to Congress from 1838 to 1846.

The 2010 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 2, 2010, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections in Iowa. The party primary elections were held on June 8, 2010. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley won reelection to a sixth term. This was the first time since 1986 where the losing Democratic United States Senate nominee carried any of the counties in Iowa for this seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1848–49 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1848–49 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1848 and 1849, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.

The 1902–03 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1902 and 1903, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1882–83 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1882–83 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1882 and 1883, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1866–67 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1866–67 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1866 and 1867, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.

The 1986 United States Senate election in Iowa was held November 4, 1986. Incumbent Republican United States Senator Chuck Grassley won re-election to a second term, defeating Democratic nominee, attorney John P. Roehrick in a landslide. This would be the last time that Grassley lost a county until 2010 when Roxanne Conlin flipped Johnson County.

The 1980 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democratic United States Senator John Culver ran for reelection to a second term, but lost to Republican nominee Chuck Grassley, the United States Congressman from Iowa's 3rd congressional district. This election marked the beginning of eight consecutive victories for Grassley in the Senate. It remains the closest election of his Senate career.

The 2016 United States Senate election in Iowa was held November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Iowa, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

The 2022 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Iowa. Incumbent Republican Senator Chuck Grassley defeated Democratic nominee Michael Franken to win re-election to an eighth term.

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.
Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa City, Iowa.

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[FOOTNOTEClark17–46,_72–79-1] 1 2 Clark, pp. 17–46, 72–79.

[2] Clark, p. 141: Kirkwood 118 votes, John Thompson Stoneman (Democratic) 20

[3] Clark, p. 141: Harlan 118 votes, Henry Hoffman Trimble (Democratic) 20

[FOOTNOTEClark167-4] Clark, p. 167.

[5] Clark, p. 185: Allison 104 votes, Daniel F. Miller 35 votes, E. N. Gates 3 votes.

[6] Clark, p. 199: Moses M. Ham and Daniel Campbell lost.

[7] Clark, p. 199: La Vega G. Kinne and Daniel P. Stubbs lost.

[8] Clark, p. 209: Allison 90 votes, Benton J. Hall 48 votes, David M. Clark 10 votes, La Vega G. Kinne 1 vote.

[9] Clark, p. 221: Allison 79 votes, Samuel L. Bestow (Democratic) 63 votes, William Larrabee 8 votes.

[10] Clark, p. 234: Gear beat Democrat Horace Boies by votes unknown.

[11] Clark, p. 245: Gear 111 votes, Fred E. White (Democratic) 32 votes.

[12] Clark, p. 238: Allison 118 votes, Washington Irving Babb (Democratic) 25 votes, Frank Q. Stuart 1 vote.

[13] Clark, p. 247: Dolliver 119 votes, John J. Seerley (Democratic) 20 votes.

[14] Clark, p. 247: Allison 119 votes, Edward Hankinson Thayer (Democratic) 20 votes.

[FOOTNOTEByrd107-15] Byrd, p. 107.

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v t e United States senators from Iowa
Class 2	Jones Grimes Howell Wright Kirkwood McDill J. Wilson Gear Dolliver Young Kenyon Rawson Brookhart Steck Dickinson Herring G. Wilson Gillette Martin Miller Clark Jepsen Harkin Ernst
Class 3	Dodge Harlan Kirkwood Harlan Allison Cummins Stewart Brookhart Murphy Gillette Hickenlooper Hughes Culver Grassley

v t e Lists of United States congressional delegations
States	Alabama H S Alaska H S Arizona H S Arkansas H S California H S Colorado H S Connecticut H S Delaware H S Florida H S Georgia H S Hawaii H S Idaho H S Illinois H S Indiana H S Iowa H S Kansas H S Kentucky H S Louisiana H S Maine H S Maryland H S Massachusetts H S Michigan H S Minnesota H S Mississippi H S Missouri H S Montana H S Nebraska H S Nevada H S New Hampshire H S New Jersey H S New Mexico H S New York H S North Carolina H S North Dakota H S Ohio H S Oklahoma H S Oregon H S Pennsylvania H S Rhode Island H S South Carolina H S South Dakota H S Tennessee H S Texas H S Utah H S Vermont H S Virginia H S Washington H S West Virginia H S Wisconsin H S Wyoming H S
Others	American Samoa District of Columbia Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands Proposed (Cherokee)
Obsolete	Dakota Territory Northwest Territory Orleans Territory Philippines Southwest Territory
Lists of former House members List of former senators

v t e Iowa's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators	▌ Chuck Grassley (R) ▌ Joni Ernst (R)
Representatives (ordered by district)	▌ Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) ▌ Ashley Hinson (R) ▌ Zach Nunn (R) ▌ Randy Feenstra (R)

List of United States senators from Iowa

Contents

List of senators

See also

Notes

Related Research Articles

References