List of United States Senators from Kentucky
Encyclopedia
This is a complete list of United States Senators from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

. Its senators belong to Classes 2 and 3
Classes of United States Senators
The three classes of United States Senators are currently made up of 33 or 34 Senate seats. The purpose of the classes is to determine which Senate seats will be up for election in a given year. The three groups are staggered so that one of them is up for election every two years.A senator's...

. Kentucky is currently represented in the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 by Republicans Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...

 and Rand Paul
Rand Paul
Randal Howard "Rand" Paul is the junior United States Senator for Kentucky. He is a member of the Republican Party. A member of the Tea Party movement, he describes himself as a "constitutional conservative" and a libertarian...

.

Class 2

# Senator Party Years Term Electoral history
1 John Brown
John Brown (Kentucky)
John Brown was an American lawyer and statesman heavily involved with creating the State of Kentucky.Brown represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and the U.S. Congress . While in Congress, he introduced the bill granting Statehood to Kentucky. Once that was accomplished, he was elected...

Democratic-
Republican
June 18, 1792 –
March 4, 1805
1 Elected in 1792
United States Senate elections, 1792
The United States Senate elections of 1792 was the third election of Senators in the United States, coinciding with President George Washington's unanimous re-election...

2 Re-elected in 1793
3 Re-elected in 1799

2 Buckner Thruston
Buckner Thruston
Buckner Thruston was a Democratic-Republican U.S. Senator from Kentucky, and later a long-serving a United States federal judge.-Early life, education, and career:...

Democratic-
Republican
March 4, 1805 –
December 18, 1809
4 Elected in 1805

Resigned to become judge of the U.S. Circuit Court
United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
The United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia is a former United States federal court, which existed from 1801 to 1863.-History:...

Vacant December 18, 1809 –
January 10, 1810
3 Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...

Democratic-
Republican
January 10, 1810 –
March 4, 1811
Appointed to finish Thruston's term

Retired
4 George M. Bibb
George M. Bibb
George Mortimer Bibb was an American politician.Bibb was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, attended Hampden-Sydney College and graduated from the College of William & Mary, then studied law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced law in Virginia and Lexington, Kentucky...

Democratic-
Republican
March 4, 1811 –
August 23, 1814
5 Elected in 1811
Resigned to return to private practice
Vacant August 23, 1814 –
August 30, 1814
5 George Walker Democratic-
Republican
August 30, 1814 –
December 16, 1814
Appointed to continue Bibb's term

Successor qualified
6 William T. Barry Democratic-
Republican
December 16, 1814 –
May 1, 1816
Elected to finish Bibb's term

Resigned to become judge of the Kentucky Circuit Court
Vacant May 1, 1816 –
November 3, 1816
7 Martin D. Hardin
Martin D. Hardin
Martin Davis Hardin was a United States Senator from Kentucky.-Biography:Born along the Monongahela River in western Pennsylvania, Hardin moved with his parents to Kentucky in 1786. He pursued an academic course, and attended Transylvania Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky...

Federalist November 3, 1816 –
March 4, 1817
Appointed to continue Barry's term
Elected to finish Barry's term

8 John J. Crittenden
John J. Crittenden
John Jordan Crittenden was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as United States Attorney General in the administrations of William Henry Harrison and Millard Fillmore...

Democratic-
Republican
March 4, 1817 –
March 3, 1819
6 Elected in 1817

Resigned to return to private practice
Vacant March 3, 1819 –
December 10, 1819
9 Richard M. Johnson
Richard Mentor Johnson
Richard Mentor Johnson was the ninth Vice President of the United States, serving in the administration of Martin Van Buren . He was the only vice-president ever elected by the United States Senate under the provisions of the Twelfth Amendment. Johnson also represented Kentucky in the U.S...

Democratic-
Republican
December 10, 1819 –
March 4, 1829
Elected to finish Crittenden's term
Jackson
Democratic-Republican
7 Elected to full term in 1823

Lost re-election
Jacksonian
10 George M. Bibb
George M. Bibb
George Mortimer Bibb was an American politician.Bibb was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, attended Hampden-Sydney College and graduated from the College of William & Mary, then studied law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced law in Virginia and Lexington, Kentucky...

Jacksonian March 4, 1829 –
March 4, 1835
8 Elected in 1829

11 John J. Crittenden
John J. Crittenden
John Jordan Crittenden was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as United States Attorney General in the administrations of William Henry Harrison and Millard Fillmore...

Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

March 4, 1835 –
March 4, 1841
9 Elected in 1835

Retired
12 James T. Morehead
James Turner Morehead (Kentucky)
James Turner Morehead was a United States Senator and the 12th Governor of Kentucky. He was the first native-born Kentuckian to hold the governorship of the state...

Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

March 4, 1841 –
March 4, 1847
10 Elected in 1841

13 Joseph R. Underwood
Joseph R. Underwood
Joseph Rogers Underwood was a lawyer, judge, United States Representative and Senator from Kentucky....

Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

March 4, 1847 –
March 4, 1853
11 Elected in 1847

Retired
14 John B. Thompson
John Burton Thompson
John Burton Thompson was a United States Representative and Senator from Kentucky.Born near Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Thompson completed preparatory studies and studied law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced in Harrodsburg, becoming the Commonwealth's Attorney...

Know Nothing
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...

March 4, 1853 –
March 4, 1859
12 Elected in 1853

15 Lazarus W. Powell
Lazarus W. Powell
Lazarus Whitehead Powell was the 19th Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1851 to 1855. He was later elected to represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate from 1859 to 1865....

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1859 –
March 4, 1865
13 Elected in 1858
United States Senate elections, 1858
The United States Senate election of 1858 was an election which had the Republican Party gain six additional seats in the United States Senate.As this election was prior to ratification of the seventeenth amendment, Senators were chosen by State legislatures....



16 James Guthrie Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1865 –
February 7, 1868
14 Elected in 1865

Resigned due to ill health
Vacant February 7, 1868 –
February 19, 1868
17 Thomas C. McCreery
Thomas C. McCreery
Thomas Clay McCreery was a Democratic U.S. Senator from Kentucky.Born at Yelvington, Kentucky., McCreery graduated from Centre College, in Danville, Kentucky, in 1837. He studied law, passed the bar, and commenced practice in Frankfort, Kentucky...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

February 19, 1868 –
March 4, 1871
Elected to finish Guthrie's term

Lost re-election
18 John W. Stevenson
John W. Stevenson
John White Stevenson was a U.S. Representative, the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, the 25th Governor of Kentucky and U.S. Senator. His father, Andrew Stevenson, had served as Speaker of the House and minister to Great Britain...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1871 –
March 4, 1877
15 Elected in 1871

Retired
19 James B. Beck
James B. Beck
James Burnie Beck was a United States Representative and Senator from Kentucky.Born in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, Beck immigrated to the United States in 1838 and settled in Wyoming County, New York. He moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 1843 and graduated from Transylvania University in 1846...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1877 –
May 3, 1890
16 Elected in 1876
United States Senate elections, 1876
The United States Senate election of 1876 was an election which had the Democratic Party gain three seats in the United States Senate, and which coincided with Rutherford B...

17 Re-elected in 1882
United States Senate elections, 1882
The United States Senate election of 1882 was an election which had the Republican Party obtain an outright majority in the United States Senate....

18 Re-elected in 1888
United States Senate elections, 1888
The United States Senate election of 1888 was an election which, coinciding with Benjamin Harrison's victory over incumbent President Grover Cleveland, had the Republican Party gain twelve seats in the United States Senate, mostly from newly-admitted States....



Died
Vacant May 3, 1890 –
May 26, 1890
20 John G. Carlisle Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

May 26, 1890 –
February 4, 1893
Elected to finish Beck's term

Resigned
Vacant February 4, 1893 –
February 15, 1893
21 William Lindsay Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

February 15, 1893 –
March 4, 1901
Elected to finish Carlisle's term
19 Elected to full term in 1894

Retired
22 Joseph Blackburn
Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn
Joseph Clay Stiles Blackburn was a Democratic Representative and Senator from Kentucky. He was the younger brother of Kentucky governor Luke P. Blackburn. Blackburn, a skilled and spirited orator, was also a prominent trial lawyer known for his skill at swaying juries.He was born near Spring...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1901 –
March 4, 1907
20 Elected in 1900
United States Senate elections, 1900
The United States Senate election of 1900 was an election which had the Republican Party gain three seats in the United States Senate, and which corresponded with President William McKinley's landslide re-election....



Lost re-election
23 Thomas H. Paynter
Thomas H. Paynter
Thomas Hanson Paynter was a United States Senator and Representative from Kentucky.Born on a farm near Vanceburg, Kentucky, Paynter attended the common schools, Rand's Academy, and Centre College. There he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1872, and commenced practice in Greenup, Kentucky...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1907 –
March 4, 1913
21 Elected in 1906
United States Senate elections, 1906
The United States Senate election of 1906 was an election which had the Republican Party gain three seats in the United States Senate, expanding their majority to almost twice that of the opposing Democratic Party....



Retired
24 Ollie M. James
Ollie M. James
Ollie Murray James , a Democrat, represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.-Biography:...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1913 –
August 28, 1918
22 Elected in 1912

Died
Vacant August 28, 1918 –
September 7, 1918
25 George B. Martin
George B. Martin
George Brown Martin , a Democrat, served as a member of the United States Senate from Kentucky.Born in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, Martin moved with his parents to Catlettsburg, Kentucky, in 1877. He attended the public schools and graduated from Centre University in 1895...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

September 7, 1918 –
March 4, 1919
Appointed to finish James's term

Retired
Vacant March 4, 1919 –
May 19, 1919
23
26 Augustus Stanley Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

May 19, 1919 –
March 4, 1925
Elected in 1918, but did not start term until resigning as Governor

Lost re-election
27 Fred M. Sackett Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

March 4, 1925 –
January 9, 1930
24 Elected in 1924

Resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to Germany
United States Ambassador to Germany
The United States has had diplomatic relations with the nation of Germany and its predecessor nation, the Kingdom of Prussia, since 1835. These relations were broken twice while Germany and the United States were at war...

Vacant January 9, 1930 –
January 11, 1930
28 John M. Robsion
John M. Robsion
John Marshall Robsion , a Republican, represented Kentucky in both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....

Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

January 11, 1930 –
November 30, 1930
Appointed to continue Sackett's term

Lost election to finish Sackett's term
29 Ben M. Williamson
Ben M. Williamson
Ben Mitchell Williamson was a Democratic U.S. Senator from Kentucky.Born in Pike County, Kentucky, Williamson attended the rural schools of Kentucky and Bethany College in West Virginia. He engaged in the wholesale hardware business at Catlettsburg, Kentucky, from 1886 to 1924, and then at...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

December 1, 1930 –
March 4, 1931
Elected to finish Sackett's term

Retired
30 Marvel M. Logan Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1931 –
October 3, 1939
25 Elected in 1930
26 Re-elected in 1936

Died
Vacant October 3, 1939 –
October 10, 1939
31 Happy Chandler
Happy Chandler
Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler, Sr. was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in the U.S. Senate and served as its 44th and 49th governor. Aside from his political positions, he also served as the second Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1951 and...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

October 10, 1939 –
November 1, 1945
Appointed to continue Logan's term

Elected to finish Logan's term
27 Elected to full term in 1942

Resigned to become Commissioner of Major League Baseball
Vacant November 1, 1945 –
November 19, 1945
32 William A. Stanfill
William A. Stanfill
William Abner Stanfill was briefly a member of the United States Senate from Kentucky.Stanfill attended Union College and received a law degree from the University of Kentucky in 1912. He practiced law in Barbourville, Kentucky and Hazard, Kentucky...

Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

November 19, 1945 –
November 5, 1946
Appointed to continue Chandler's term

Retired
33 John Sherman Cooper Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

November 6, 1946 –
January 3, 1949
Elected to finsish Chandler's term

Lost re-election
34 Virgil Chapman
Virgil Chapman
Virgil Munday Chapman , a Democrat, represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives and in the United States Senate....

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

January 3, 1949 –
March 8, 1951
28 Elected in 1948

Died
Vacant March 8, 1951 –
March 19, 1951
35 Thomas R. Underwood
Thomas R. Underwood
Thomas Rust Underwood served Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives and in the United States Senate.Underwood was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 19, 1951 –
November 4, 1952
Appointed to continue Chapman's term

Lost election to finish Chapman's term
36 John Sherman Cooper Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

November 5, 1952 –
January 3, 1955
Elected to finish Chapman's term

Lost election to full term
37 Alben W. Barkley
Alben W. Barkley
Alben William Barkley was an American politician in the Democratic Party who served as the 35th Vice President of the United States , under President Harry S. Truman....

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

January 3, 1955 –
April 30, 1956
29 Elected in 1954

Died
Vacant April 30, 1956 –
June 21, 1956
38 Robert Humphreys
Robert Humphreys
Robert Humphreys was briefly a member of the United States Senate from Kentucky.After service in World War I Humphreys worked as a registered pharmacist in the retail drug business in Mayfield, Kentucky and later at Frankfort, Kentucky. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1920...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

June 21, 1956 –
November 6, 1956
Appointed to continue Barkley's term

Retired
39 John Sherman Cooper Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

November 7, 1956 –
January 3, 1973
Elected to finish Barkley's term
30 Elected to full term in 1960
31 Re-elected in 1966

Retired
40 Walter Huddleston
Walter Huddleston
Walter Darlington "Dee" Huddleston is a retired American politician. He is a Democrat from the state of Kentucky. He represented Kentucky in the United States Senate from 1973 until 1985....

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

January 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1985
32 Elected in 1972
33 Re-elected in 1978
United States Senate elections, 1978
The United States Senate election of 1978 in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. The Democrats lost a net of three seats to the Republicans, leaving the balance of the chamber 58-41 in favor of the Democrats....



Lost re-election
41 Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell
Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Kentucky and the Republican Minority Leader.- Early life, education, and military service :...

Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

January 3, 1985 –
Present
34 Elected in 1984
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1984
The 1984 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 5, 1984. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Walter Huddleston lost re-election to Mitch McConnell.-Results:Huddleston was unopposed in the Democratic Party's primary.-Candidates:...

35 Re-elected in 1990
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1990
The 1990 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 5, 1990. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell won re-election to a second term.-Candidates:*Harvey Sloane, former Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky...

36 Re-elected in 1996
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1996
The 1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell won re-election to a third term.-Candidates:...

37 Re-elected in 2002
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2002
The 2002 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell won re-election to a fourth term.-Candidates:...

38 Re-elected in 2008
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2008
The 2008 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 4, 2008. Minority Leader and incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell won re-election to a fifth term.-Background:...

# Senator Party Years Term Electoral history

Class 3

# Senator Party Years Term Electoral history
1 John Edwards
John Edwards (Kentucky)
John Edwards was an American planter and statesman who player a key role in securing Kentucky statehood, and represented the new state in the United States Senate....

Democratic-Republican June 18, 1792 –
March 4, 1795
1 Elected in 1792
United States Senate elections, 1792
The United States Senate elections of 1792 was the third election of Senators in the United States, coinciding with President George Washington's unanimous re-election...



2 Humphrey Marshall Federalist March 4, 1795 –
March 4, 1801
2 Elected in 1794
United States Senate elections, 1794
The United States Senate elections of 1794 was the election which 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.As...



3 John Breckinridge
John Breckinridge (1760-1806)
John Breckinridge was a United States Senator and Attorney General. He was the progenitor of the Breckinridge political family.-Early Life in Virginia:...

Democratic-Republican March 4, 1801 –
August 7, 1805
3 Elected in 1801

Resigned
Vacant August 7, 1805 –
November 8, 1805
4 John Adair
John Adair
John Adair was an American pioneer, soldier and statesman. He was the eighth Governor of Kentucky and represented the state in both the U.S. House and Senate. Adair enlisted in the state militia and served in the Revolutionary War, where he was held captive by the British for a period of time...

Democratic-Republican November 8, 1805 –
November 18, 1806
Elected to finish Breckinridge's term

Resigned because of participation in the Burr Conspiracy
Burr conspiracy
The Burr conspiracy in the beginning of the 19th century was a suspected treasonous cabal of planters, politicians, and army officers led by former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr. According to the accusations against him, Burr’s goal was to create an independent nation in the center of North...

,
having lost election to full term
5 Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...

Democratic-Republican November 19, 1806 –
March 4, 1807
Elected to finish Adair's term,
despite being younger than the constitutional age limit

6 John Pope Democratic-Republican March 4, 1807 –
March 4, 1813
4 Elected in 1807

7 Jesse Bledsoe
Jesse Bledsoe
Jesse Bledsoe was a Senator from Kentucky.He was born in Culpeper County, Virginia in 1776. When he was very young, his family migrated with a Baptist congregation through Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. Many of the adults in this traveling congregation were property: Negro slaves...

Democratic-Republican March 4, 1813 –
December 24, 1814
5 Elected in 1813

Resigned
Vacant December 24, 1814 –
February 2, 1815
8 Isham Talbot
Isham Talbot
Isham Talbot was a United States Senator from Kentucky.Born in Bedford County, Virginia, Isham Talbot Junior moved with his parents to Harrodsburg, Kentucky in about 1784. He was admitted to the bar, and began his legal practice in Versailles, Kentucky...

Democratic-Republican February 2, 1815 –
March 4, 1819
Elected to finish Bledsoe's term
9 William Logan
William Logan (Kentucky)
William Logan was a United States Senator from Kentucky.Born within the fort at Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Logan spent his early childhood in St. Asaphs Fort, receiving private instruction from his parents and tutors. He moved to Shelby County, Kentucky about 1798. He studied law, was admitted to the...

Democratic-Republican March 4, 1819 –
May 28, 1820
6 Elected in 1819

Resigned to run for Governor
Vacant May 28, 1820 –
October 19, 1820
10 Isham Talbot
Isham Talbot
Isham Talbot was a United States Senator from Kentucky.Born in Bedford County, Virginia, Isham Talbot Junior moved with his parents to Harrodsburg, Kentucky in about 1784. He was admitted to the bar, and began his legal practice in Versailles, Kentucky...

Democratic-Republican October 19, 1820–
March 4, 1825
Elected to finish Logan's term
National
Republican
11 John Rowan Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1825 –
March 4, 1831
7 Elected in 1825

Vacant March 4, 1831 –
November 10, 1831


8

12 Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...

National
Republican
November 10, 1831–
March 31, 1842
Elected late in 1831
Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

9 Re-elected in 1836
United States Senate elections, 1836
The United States Senate election of 1836 was an election which had the Jacksonian coalition emerge as the Democratic Party, with the Adams, or Anti-Jackson, coalition emerge as the Whig Party...



Resigned
13 John J. Crittenden
John J. Crittenden
John Jordan Crittenden was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as United States Attorney General in the administrations of William Henry Harrison and Millard Fillmore...

Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

March 31, 1842–
June 12, 1848
10 Elected to finish Clay's term
11 Elected to full term in 1843

Resigned to become Governor of Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...

14 Thomas Metcalfe Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

June 23, 1848 –
March 4, 1849
Appointed to continue Crittenden's term
Elected to finish Crittenden's term

15 Henry Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...

Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

March 4, 1849 –
June 24, 1852
12 Elected in 1849

Died
Vacant June 24, 1852 –
July 6, 1852
16 David Meriwether Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

July 6, 1852 –
August 31, 1852
Appointed to continue Clay's term

Retired
17 Archibald Dixon
Archibald Dixon
Archibald Dixon was a U.S. Senator from Kentucky. He represented the Whig Party in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly, and was elected the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1844, serving under Governor William Owsley. In 1851, the Whigs nominated him for governor, but he lost to...

Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

September 1, 1852 –
March 4, 1855
Elected to finish Clay's term

Retired
18 John J. Crittenden
John J. Crittenden
John Jordan Crittenden was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and twice served as United States Attorney General in the administrations of William Henry Harrison and Millard Fillmore...

Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

March 4, 1855–
March 4, 1861
13 Elected in 1855

Retired
Know Nothing
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...

19 John C. Breckinridge
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States , to date the youngest vice president in U.S...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1861 –
December 4, 1861
14 Elected in 1861

Expelled for supporting the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

Vacant December 4, 1861 –
December 10, 1861
20 Garrett Davis
Garrett Davis
Garrett Davis was a U.S. Senator and Representative from Kentucky.Born in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, Garrett Davis was the brother of Amos Davis. After completing preparatory studies, Davis was employed in the office of the county clerk of Montgomery County, Kentucky, and afterward of Bourbon...

Unionist
National Union Party (United States)
The National Union Party was the name used by the Republican Party for the national ticket in the 1864 presidential election, held during the Civil War. State Republican parties did not usually change their name....

December 10, 1861 –
September 22, 1872
Elected to finish Breckinridge's term
15 Re-elected in 1867

Died
Vacant September 22, 1872 –
September 27, 1872
21 Willis B. Machen Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

September 27, 1872 –
March 4, 1873
Appointed to continue Davis's term
Elected to finish Davis's term

22 Thomas C. McCreery
Thomas C. McCreery
Thomas Clay McCreery was a Democratic U.S. Senator from Kentucky.Born at Yelvington, Kentucky., McCreery graduated from Centre College, in Danville, Kentucky, in 1837. He studied law, passed the bar, and commenced practice in Frankfort, Kentucky...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1873 –
March 4, 1879
16 Elected in 1872
United States Senate elections, 1872
The United States Senate election of 1872 was an election which had the Republican Party, while still retaining a commanding majority, lose nine seats in the United States Senate, mostly as defections to the Liberal Republican Party. It also coincided with President Ulysses S...



Retired
23 John Stuart Williams
John Stuart Williams
John Stuart Williams was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a postbellum Democratic U.S. Senator from Kentucky.-Early life and career:...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1879 –
March 4, 1885
17 Elected in 1879

Lost re-election
24 Joseph C. S. Blackburn Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1885 –
March 4, 1897
18 Elected in 1885
19 Re-elected in 1891

Lost re-election
25 William J. Deboe Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

March 4, 1897 –
March 4, 1903
20 Elected in 1897

Retired
26 James B. McCreary
James B. McCreary
James Bennett McCreary was a lawyer and politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both houses of the U.S. Congress and served as its 27th and 37th governor...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1903 –
March 4, 1909
21 Elected in 1903

Lost re-election
27 William O. Bradley Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

March 4, 1909 –
May 23, 1914
22 Elected in 1908
United States Senate elections, 1908
Some states elected their Senators directly even before passage of the 17th Amendment in 1913. Oregon pioneered direct election and experimented with different measures over several years until it succeeded in 1907. Soon after, Nebraska followed suit and laid the foundation for other states to...



Died
Vacant May 23, 1914 –
June 16, 1914
28 Johnson N. Camden
Johnson N. Camden, Jr.
Johnson Newlon Camden, Jr. was a United States Senator from Kentucky. His father, Johnson N. Camden, had been a U.S. Senator from West Virginia.Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Camden Jr...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

June 16, 1914 –
March 4, 1915
Appointed to continue Bradley's term
Elected to finish Bradley's term

Retired
29 John C. W. Beckham Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1915 –
March 4, 1921
23 Elected in 1914

Lost re-election
30 Richard P. Ernst
Richard P. Ernst
Richard Pretlow Ernst was a U.S. Senator from Kentucky who served from 1921 to 1927. He was a Republican. Ernst graduated from Centre College in 1878 and got his law degree from the Cincinnati Law School in 1880. That year, he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law in Cincinnati, Ohio...

Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

March 4, 1921 –
March 4, 1927
24 Elected in 1920

Lost re-election
31 Alben W. Barkley
Alben W. Barkley
Alben William Barkley was an American politician in the Democratic Party who served as the 35th Vice President of the United States , under President Harry S. Truman....

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

March 4, 1927 –
January 19, 1949
25 Elected in 1926
26 Re-elected in 1934
27 Re-elected in 1940
28 Re-elected in 1946

Resigned to become U.S. Vice President
32 Garrett L. Withers
Garrett L. Withers
Garrett Lee Withers , a Democrat, represented Kentucky in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives....

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

January 20, 1949 –
November 26, 1950
Appointed to continue Barkley's term

Retired when successor qualified
33 Earle C. Clements
Earle C. Clements
Earle Chester Clements was a politician from the US state of Kentucky. He represented the state in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and was its 47th Governor, serving from 1947 to 1950...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

November 27, 1950 –
January 3, 1957
Elected to finish Barkley's term,
having been elected to the next term
29 Elected to full term in 1950

Lost re-election
34 Thruston Morton
Thruston Ballard Morton
Thruston Ballard Morton , a Republican, represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was born in Louisville and received a B.A. with the Yale Class of 1929....

Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

January 3, 1957 –
December 16, 1968
30 Elected in 1956
31 Re-elected in 1962

Retired, and resigned early to give successor preferential seniority
35 Marlow Cook
Marlow Cook
Marlow Webster Cook is a former Republican United States Senator from Kentucky.-Early life:Cook moved to Louisville when he was 17. He joined the United States Navy and served on submarines in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during World War II...

Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

December 17, 1968 –
December 27, 1974
Appointed to finish Morton's term,
having already been elected to the next term
32 Elected in 1968

Lost re-election, and resigned early to give successor preferential seniority
36 Wendell H. Ford
Wendell H. Ford
Wendell Hampton Ford is a retired politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and U.S. senator in Kentucky history...

Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

December 28, 1974 –
January 3, 1999
Appointed to finish Cook's term,
having already been elected to the next term
33 Elected in 1974
34 Re-elected in 1980
United States Senate elections, 1980
The 1980 U.S. Senate elections coincided with Ronald Reagan's election to the Presidency. Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter pulled in many Democratic voters and gave a huge boost to Republican senate candidates....

35 Re-elected in 1986
United States Senate elections, 1986
The U.S. Senate election, 1986 was an election for the United States Senate in the middle of Ronald Reagan's second presidential term. As in most midterm elections, the opposition Democratic Party held the usual advantage...

36 Re-elected in 1992
United States Senate elections, 1992
The 1992 United States Senate election was an election for the United States Senate in which the victory of Bill Clinton in the presidential election was not accompanied by major Democratic gains in the Senate....



Retired
37 Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...

Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

January 3, 1999 –
January 3, 2011
37 Elected in 1998
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1998
The 1998 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 3, 1998. It was concurrent with elections to the United States House of Representatives. Incumbent Democratic U.S Senator Wendell Ford decided to retire, instead of seeking a fifth term. Republican Representative Jim Bunning...

38 Re-elected in 2004
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2004
The 2004 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 2, 2004 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. Incumbent Republican U.S...



Retired
38 Rand Paul
Rand Paul
Randal Howard "Rand" Paul is the junior United States Senator for Kentucky. He is a member of the Republican Party. A member of the Tea Party movement, he describes himself as a "constitutional conservative" and a libertarian...

Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

January 3, 2011 –
Present
39 Elected in 2010
United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place 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. Primaries for each respective party were...

# Senator Party Years Term Electoral history

See also

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