List of United States Senators from Rhode Island
This page displays current and historical information pertaining to the U.S. Senate delegation from Rhode Island.
Current members
The current members of the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island are:
| Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office | Date term ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate Rhode Island | Jack Reed | Democratic | January 3, 1997 | January 3, 2027 |
| U.S. Senate Rhode Island | Sheldon Whitehouse | Democratic | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2031 |
Election history
| U.S. Senate Delegations by State | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Choose a state below: | |
- For more information on the different classes of U.S. Senators, please see: Classes of United States Senators
Class I
Senators in Class I were elected to office in the November 2024 general election, unless they took their seat through appointment or special election. Class I terms run from the beginning of the 119th Congress on January 3, 2025, to the end of the 121st Congress on January 3, 2031.
2024
See also: United States Senate election in Rhode Island, 2024
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Rhode Island
Incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse defeated Patricia Morgan and Armando Anzoli in the general election for U.S. Senate Rhode Island on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Sheldon Whitehouse (D) | 59.9 | 294,665 | |
| Patricia Morgan (R) | 39.8 | 196,039 | ||
| Armando Anzoli (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 1,244 | ||
| Total votes: 491,948 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Rhode Island
Incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse defeated Michael Costa in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Rhode Island on September 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Sheldon Whitehouse | 83.8 | 49,401 | |
| Michael Costa | 16.2 | 9,572 | ||
| Total votes: 58,973 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Allen Waters (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Rhode Island
Patricia Morgan defeated Raymond McKay in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Rhode Island on September 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Patricia Morgan | 64.4 | 12,108 | |
| Raymond McKay | 35.6 | 6,681 | ||
| Total votes: 18,789 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Rhode Island
Incumbent Sheldon Whitehouse defeated Robert Flanders Jr. in the general election for U.S. Senate Rhode Island on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Sheldon Whitehouse (D) | 61.4 | 231,477 | |
| Robert Flanders Jr. (R) | 38.3 | 144,421 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 840 | ||
| Total votes: 376,738 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Raymond McKay (Independent)
2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Sheldon Whitehouse Incumbent |
64.8% | 271,034 | |
| Republican | B. Barrett Hinckley, III | 35% | 146,222 | |
| Write-in | N/A | 0.2% | 933 | |
| Total Votes | 418,189 | |||
| Source: Rhode Island Board of Elections "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
2006
On November 7, 2006, Sheldon Whitehouse won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Lincoln Chafee (R) in the general election.[1]
| U.S. Senate, Rhode Island General Election, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Sheldon Whitehouse |
53.5% | 206,043 | |
| Republican | Lincoln Chafee incumbent | 46.5% | 178,950 | |
| Total Votes | 384,993 | |||
2000
On November 7, 2000, Lincoln Chafee won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Robert A. Weygand (D) Kenneth P. Proulx (I) and Christopher Young (Reform) in the general election.[2]
| U.S. Senate, Rhode Island General Election, 2000 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Lincoln Chafee incumbent |
56.9% | 222,588 | |
| Democratic | Robert A. Weygand | 41.1% | 161,023 | |
| Independent | Kenneth P. Proulx | 0.9% | 3,635 | |
| Reform | Christopher Young | 1% | 4,107 | |
| Total Votes | 391,353 | |||
Class II
Senators in Class II were elected to office in the November 2020 general election, unless they took their seat through appointment or special election. Class II terms run from the beginning of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021, to the end of the 119th Congress on January 3, 2027.
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Rhode Island
Incumbent Jack Reed defeated Allen Waters in the general election for U.S. Senate Rhode Island on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jack Reed (D) | 66.5 | 328,574 | |
| Allen Waters (R) | 33.4 | 164,855 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 833 | ||
| Total votes: 494,262 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Lenine Camacho (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Rhode Island
Incumbent Jack Reed advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Rhode Island on September 8, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Jack Reed | 100.0 | 65,879 | |
| Total votes: 65,879 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Rhode Island
Allen Waters advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Rhode Island on September 8, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Allen Waters | 100.0 | 8,819 | |
| Total votes: 8,819 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
On November 4, 2014, Jack Reed (D) won re-election to the U.S. Senate. He defeated Mark Zaccaria (R) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jack Reed Incumbent |
70.6% | 223,675 | |
| Republican | Mark Zaccaria | 29.2% | 92,684 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.2% | 539 | |
| Total Votes | 316,898 | |||
| Source: Rhode Island Board of Elections | ||||
2008
On November 4, 2008, Jack Reed won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Robert G. Tingle (R) in the general election.[3]
| U.S. Senate, Rhode Island General Election, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat | Jack Reed incumbent |
73.4% | 320,644 | |
| Republican | Robert G. Tingle | 26.6% | 116,174 | |
| Total Votes | 436,818 | |||
2002
On November 5, 2002, Jack Reed won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Robert G. Tingle (R) in the general election.[4]
| U.S. Senate, Rhode Island General Election, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democrat | Jack Reed incumbent |
78.4% | 253,774 | |
| Republican | Robert G. Tingle | 21.6% | 69,808 | |
| Total Votes | 323,582 | |||
Historical members
| Historical Representation to the U.S. Senate by Party from Rhode Island | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Total | |||
| Democratic | 11 | |||
| Republican | 17 | |||
| Whig | 6 | |||
| Federalist | 6 | |||
| Pro-Administration | 1 | |||
| Anti-Administration | 1 | |||
| Law and Order Party | 1 | |||
| Democratic-Republican | 7 | |||
| Democratic-Republican; National Republican; Whig | 1 | |||
| Class 1 Senators from Rhode Island | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Years Served | Party | ||||||
| Theodore Foster | 1790-1803 | Federalist | ||||||
| Samuel J. Potter | 1803-1804 | Democratic-Republican | ||||||
| Benjamin Howland | 1804-1809 | Democratic-Republican | ||||||
| Francis Malbone | 1809-1809 | Federalist | ||||||
| Christopher G. Champlin | 1809-1811 | Federalist | ||||||
| William Hunter | 1811-1821 | Federalist | ||||||
| James De Wolf | 1821-1825 | Democratic-Republican | ||||||
| Asher Robbins | 1825-1839 | Whig | ||||||
| Nathan F. Dixon | 1839-1842 | Whig | ||||||
| William Sprague | 1842-1844 | Whig | ||||||
| John B. Francis | 1844-1845 | Law and Order Party | ||||||
| Albert C. Greene | 1845-1851 | Whig | ||||||
| Charles T. James | 1851-1857 | Democratic | ||||||
| James F. Simmons | 1857-1862 | Republican | ||||||
| Samuel G. Arnold | 1862-1863 | Republican | ||||||
| William Sprague | 1863-1875 | Republican | ||||||
| Ambrose E. Burnside | 1875-1881 | Republican | ||||||
| Nelson W. Aldrich | 1881-1911 | Republican | ||||||
| Henry F. Lippitt | 1911-1917 | Republican | ||||||
| Peter G. Gerry | 1917-1929 | Democratic | ||||||
| Felix Hebert | 1929-1935 | Republican | ||||||
| Peter G. Gerry | 1935-1947 | Democratic | ||||||
| J. Howard McGrath | 1947-1949 | Democratic | ||||||
| Edward L. Leahy | 1949-1950 | Democratic | ||||||
| John O. Pastore | 1950-1976 | Democratic | ||||||
| John H. Chafee | 1976-1999 | Republican | ||||||
| Lincoln Chafee | 1999-2007 | Republican | ||||||
| Sheldon Whitehouse | 2007-Present | Democratic | ||||||
| Class 3 Senators from Rhode Island | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senator | Years Served | Party | ||||||
| Joseph Stanton | 1790-1793 | Anti-Administration | ||||||
| William Bradford | 1793-1797 | Pro-Administration | ||||||
| Ray Greene | 1797-1801 | Federalist | ||||||
| Christopher Ellery | 1801-1805 | Democratic-Republican | ||||||
| James Fenner | 1805-1807 | Democratic-Republican | ||||||
| Elisha Mathewson | 1807-1811 | Democratic-Republican | ||||||
| Jeremiah B. Howell | 1811-1817 | Democratic-Republican | ||||||
| James Burrill, Jr. | 1817-1820 | Federalist | ||||||
| Nehemiah R. Knight | 1821-1841 | Democratic-Republican; National Republican; Whig | ||||||
| James F. Simmons | 1841-1847 | Whig | ||||||
| John H. Clarke | 1847-1853 | Whig | ||||||
| Philip Allen | 1853-1859 | Democratic | ||||||
| Henry B. Anthony | 1859-1884 | Republican | ||||||
| William P. Sheffield | 1884-1885 | Republican | ||||||
| Jonathan Chace | 1885-1889 | Republican | ||||||
| Nathan F. Dixon | 1889-1895 | Republican | ||||||
| George Peabody Wetmore | 1895-1907 | Republican | ||||||
| George Peabody Wetmore | 1908-1913 | Republican | ||||||
| LeBaron B. Colt | 1913-1924 | Republican | ||||||
| Jesse H. Metcalf | 1924-1937 | Republican | ||||||
| Theodore Francis Green | 1937-1961 | Democratic | ||||||
| Claiborne Pell | 1961-1997 | Democratic | ||||||
| Jack Reed | 1997-Present | Democratic | ||||||
See also
- United States Senate
- United States congressional delegations from Rhode Island
- Classes of United States Senators
Footnotes
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002," accessed March 28, 2013
