Oregon was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859. Its current U.S. senators are Democrats Ron Wyden (serving since 1996) and Jeff Merkley (serving since 2009).
Prior to 1906, U.S. senators were elected by the Oregon Legislative Assembly. In 1904, Oregon voters passed a ballot measure that required U.S. senators to be selected by a popular vote and then endorsed by the state legislature. Beginning in 1914, U.S. senators were directly elected by popular vote on the basis of the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution. [1] [2] [3]
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 1998, 2004, 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 | ![]() Delazon Smith | Democratic | February 14, 1859 – March 3, 1859 | Elected in 1859. Lost re-election. | 1 | 35th | 1 | Elected in 1859. Retired. | February 14, 1859 – March 3, 1861 | Democratic | ![]() Joseph Lane | 1 |
Vacant | March 3, 1859 – October 1, 1860 | Legislature failed to elect. | 2 | 36th | ||||||||
2 | ![]() Edward D. Baker | Republican | October 1, 1860 – October 21, 1861 | Elected late in 1860. Died. | ||||||||
37th | 2 | Election year unknown. Lost re-election. | March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1867 | Democratic | ![]() James Nesmith | 2 | ||||||
Vacant | October 21, 1861 – February 27, 1862 | |||||||||||
3 | ![]() Benjamin Stark | Democratic | February 27, 1862 – September 12, 1862 | Appointed to continue Baker's term. Retired when successor elected. | ||||||||
4 | ![]() Benjamin F. Harding | Democratic | September 12, 1862 – March 3, 1865 | Elected to finish Baker's term. Retired. | ||||||||
38th | ||||||||||||
5 | ![]() George H. Williams | Republican | March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1871 | Elected in 1864. Lost re-election. | 3 | 39th | ||||||
40th | 3 | Election year unknown. Retired. | March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1873 | Republican | ![]() Henry W. Corbett | 3 | ||||||
41st | ||||||||||||
6 | ![]() James K. Kelly | Democratic | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1877 | Elected in 1870. Retired. | 4 | 42nd | ||||||
43rd | 4 | Elected in 1872. Lost re-election. | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1879 | Republican | ![]() John H. Mitchell | 4 | ||||||
44th | ||||||||||||
7 | ![]() La Fayette Grover | Democratic | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883 | Election year unknown. Retired. | 5 | 45th | ||||||
46th | 5 | Election year unknown. Retired. | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1885 | Democratic | ![]() James H. Slater | 5 | ||||||
47th | ||||||||||||
8 | ![]() Joseph N. Dolph | Republican | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1895 | Elected in 1882. | 6 | 48th | ||||||
49th | 6 | March 3, 1885 – November 18, 1885 | Vacant | |||||||||
Elected late in 1885. | November 18, 1885 – March 3, 1897 | Republican | ![]() John H. Mitchell | 6 | ||||||||
50th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1888. Lost re-election. | 7 | 51st | ||||||||||
52nd | 7 | Re-elected in 1890. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
53rd | ||||||||||||
9 | ![]() George W. McBride | Republican | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1901 | Elected February 23, 1895. [4] Lost renomination. | 8 | 54th | ||||||
55th | 8 | March 3, 1897 – October 7, 1898 | Vacant | |||||||||
Elected late in 1898. Retired. | October 7, 1898 – March 3, 1903 | Republican | ![]() Joseph Simon | 7 | ||||||||
56th | ||||||||||||
10 | ![]() John H. Mitchell | Republican | March 4, 1901 – December 8, 1905 | Elected February 24, 1901. Died. | 9 | 57th | ||||||
58th | 9 | Elected February 21, 1903. [5] Lost re-election. | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1909 | Republican | ![]() Charles W. Fulton | 8 | ||||||
59th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | December 8, 1905 – December 21, 1905 | |||||||||||
11 | ![]() John M. Gearin | Democratic | December 21, 1905 – January 23, 1907 | Appointed to continue Mitchell's term. Retired when successor elected. | ||||||||
12 | ![]() Frederick W. Mulkey | Republican | January 23, 1907 – March 3, 1907 | Elected to finish Mitchell's term. [6] [7] Retired. | ||||||||
13 | ![]() Jonathan Bourne, Jr. | Republican | March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913 | Elected January 22, 1907. [6] [7] Lost renomination. | 10 | 60th | ||||||
61st | 10 | Elected January 19, 1909. [7] | March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1921 | Democratic | ![]() George E. Chamberlain | 9 | ||||||
62nd | ||||||||||||
14 | ![]() Harry Lane | Democratic | March 4, 1913 – May 23, 1917 | Elected January 21, 1913. [7] Died. | 11 | 63rd | ||||||
64th | 11 | Re-elected in 1914. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
65th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | May 23, 1917 – May 29, 1917 | |||||||||||
15 | ![]() Charles L. McNary | Republican | May 29, 1917 – November 5, 1918 | Appointed to continue Lane's term. Not elected to finish Lane's term. | ||||||||
16 | ![]() Frederick W. Mulkey | Republican | November 6, 1918 – December 17, 1918 | Elected to finish Lane's term. Resigned early to give successor preferential seniority. | ||||||||
17 | ![]() Charles L. McNary | Republican | December 18, 1918 – February 25, 1944 | Appointed to finish Lane/Mulkey's term, having already been elected to the next term. | ||||||||
Elected in 1918. | 12 | 66th | ||||||||||
67th | 12 | Elected in 1920. Lost re-election. | March 4, 1921 – March 3, 1927 | Republican | ![]() Robert N. Stanfield | 10 | ||||||
68th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1924. | 13 | 69th | ||||||||||
70th | 13 | Elected in 1926. | March 4, 1927 – January 31, 1938 | Republican | ![]() Frederick Steiwer | 11 | ||||||
71st | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1930. | 14 | 72nd | ||||||||||
73rd | 14 | Re-elected in 1932. Resigned. | ||||||||||
74th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1936. | 15 | 75th | ||||||||||
January 31, 1938 – February 11, 1938 | Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Steiwer's term. Retired when successor elected. | February 11, 1938 – November 9, 1938 | Democratic | ![]() Alfred E. Reames | 12 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Steiwer's term. Retired. | November 9, 1938 – January 3, 1939 | Republican | ![]() Alexander G. Barry | 13 | ||||||||
76th | 15 | Elected in 1938. Lost renomination. | January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1945 | Republican | ![]() Rufus C. Holman | 14 | ||||||
77th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1942. Died. | 16 | 78th | ||||||||||
Vacant | February 25, 1944 – March 13, 1944 | |||||||||||
18 | ![]() Guy Cordon | Republican | March 13, 1944 – January 3, 1955 | Appointed to continue McNary's term. Elected November 7, 1944 to finish McNary's term. | ||||||||
79th | 16 | Elected in 1944. | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1969 | Republican [8] | ![]() Wayne Morse | 15 | ||||||
80th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1948. Lost re-election. | 17 | 81st | ||||||||||
82nd | 17 | Re-elected in 1950. | ||||||||||
Independent [8] | ||||||||||||
83rd | ||||||||||||
19 | ![]() Richard L. Neuberger | Democratic | January 3, 1955 – March 9, 1960 | Elected in 1954. Died. | 18 | 84th | Democratic [8] | |||||
85th | 18 | Re-elected in 1956. | ||||||||||
86th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | March 9, 1960 – March 23, 1960 | |||||||||||
20 | ![]() Hall S. Lusk | Democratic | March 23, 1960 – November 9, 1960 | Appointed to continue Neuberger's term. Retired when successor elected. | ||||||||
21 | ![]() Maurine Brown Neuberger | Democratic | November 9, 1960 – January 3, 1967 | Elected to finish her husband's term. | ||||||||
Elected to full term in 1960. Retired. | 19 | 87th | ||||||||||
88th | 19 | Re-elected in 1962. Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
89th | ||||||||||||
22 | ![]() Mark Hatfield | Republican | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1997 | Elected in 1966. | 20 | 90th | ||||||
91st | 20 | Elected in 1968. | January 3, 1969 – October 1, 1995 | Republican | ![]() Bob Packwood | 16 | ||||||
92nd | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1972. | 21 | 93rd | ||||||||||
94th | 21 | Re-elected in 1974. | ||||||||||
95th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1978. | 22 | 96th | ||||||||||
97th | 22 | Re-elected in 1980. | ||||||||||
98th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1984. | 23 | 99th | ||||||||||
100th | 23 | Re-elected in 1986. | ||||||||||
101st | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1990. Retired. | 24 | 102nd | ||||||||||
103rd | 24 | Re-elected in 1992. Resigned. | ||||||||||
104th | ||||||||||||
October 1, 1995 – February 6, 1996 | Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Packwood's term. | February 6, 1996 – Present | Democratic | ![]() Ron Wyden | 17 | ||||||||
23 | ![]() Gordon Smith | Republican | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2009 | Elected in 1996. | 25 | 105th | ||||||
106th | 25 | Re-elected in 1998. | ||||||||||
107th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2002. Lost re-election. | 26 | 108th | ||||||||||
109th | 26 | Re-elected in 2004. | ||||||||||
110th | ||||||||||||
24 | ![]() Jeff Merkley | Democratic | January 3, 2009 – Present | Elected in 2008. | 27 | 111th | ||||||
112th | 27 | Re-elected in 2010. | ||||||||||
113th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2014. | 28 | 114th | ||||||||||
115th | 28 | Re-elected in 2016. | ||||||||||
116th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2020. | 29 | 117th | ||||||||||
118th | 29 | To be determined in the 2022 election. | ||||||||||
119th | ||||||||||||
To be determined in the 2026 election. | 30 | 120th | ||||||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T | T | Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Class 2 | Class 3 |
As of January 2021 [update] , there are two living former U.S. senators from Oregon. The most recent and most recently serving senator to die was Mark Hatfield (served January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1997) on August 7, 2011.
Senator | Term of office | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
Bob Packwood | January 3, 1969 – October 1, 1995 | September 11, 1932 |
Gordon H. Smith | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2009 | May 25, 1952 |
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