List of United States senators from Oregon

Current delegation

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). Mark Hatfield was the state's longest serving senator (1967–1997).

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]

List of senators[edit]

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.

# Senator Party Dates in office Electoral history T T Electoral history Dates in office Party Senator #
1
Delazon Smith
Democratic Feb 14, 1859 –
Mar 3, 1859
Elected in 1859.
Lost re-election.
1 35th 1 Elected in 1859.
Retired.
Feb 14, 1859 –
Mar 3, 1861
Democratic
Joseph Lane
1
Vacant Mar 3, 1859 –
Oct 1, 1860
Legislature failed to elect. 2 36th
2
Edward Baker
Republican Oct 1, 1860 –
Oct 21, 1861
Elected late in 1860.
Died.
37th 2 Election year unknown.
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1861 –
Mar 3, 1867
Democratic
James Nesmith
2
Vacant Oct 21, 1861 –
Feb 27, 1862
 
3
Benjamin Stark
Democratic Feb 27, 1862 –
Sep 12, 1862
Appointed to continue Baker's term.
Retired when successor elected.
4
Benjamin F. Harding
Democratic Sep 12, 1862 –
Mar 3, 1865
Elected to finish Baker's term.
Retired.
38th
5
George H. Williams
Republican Mar 4, 1865 –
Mar 3, 1871
Elected in 1864.
Lost re-election.
3 39th
40th 3 Election year unknown.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1867 –
Mar 3, 1873
Republican
Henry W. Corbett
3
41st
6
James K. Kelly
Democratic Mar 4, 1871 –
Mar 3, 1877
Elected in 1870.
Retired.
4 42nd
43rd 4 Elected in 1872.
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1873 –
Mar 3, 1879
Republican
John H. Mitchell
4
44th
7
La Fayette Grover
Democratic Mar 4, 1877 –
Mar 3, 1883
Election year unknown.
Retired.
5 45th
46th 5 Election year unknown.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1879 –
Mar 3, 1885
Democratic
James H. Slater
5
47th
8
Joseph N. Dolph
Republican Mar 4, 1883 –
Mar 3, 1895
Elected in 1882. 6 48th
49th 6   Mar 3, 1885 –
Nov 18, 1885
Vacant
Elected late in 1885. Nov 18, 1885 –
Mar 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 Mar 4, 1895 –
Mar 3, 1901
Elected in 1895.[4]
Lost renomination.
8 54th
55th 8   Mar 3, 1897 –
Oct 7, 1898
Vacant
Elected late in 1898.
Retired.
Oct 7, 1898 –
Mar 3, 1903
Republican
Joseph Simon
7
56th
10
John H. Mitchell
Republican Mar 4, 1901 –
Dec 8, 1905
Elected in 1901.
Died.
9 57th
58th 9 Elected in 1903.[5]
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1903 –
Mar 3, 1909
Republican
Charles W. Fulton
8
59th
Vacant Dec 8, 1905 –
Dec 21, 1905
 
11
John M. Gearin
Democratic Dec 21, 1905 –
Jan 23, 1907
Appointed to continue Mitchell's term.
Retired when successor elected.
12
Frederick W. Mulkey
Republican Jan 23, 1907 –
Mar 3, 1907
Elected to finish Mitchell's term.[6][7]
Retired.
13
Jonathan Bourne Jr.
Republican Mar 4, 1907 –
Mar 3, 1913
Elected in 1907.[6][7]
Lost renomination.
10 60th
61st 10 Elected in 1909.[7] Mar 4, 1909 –
Mar 3, 1921
Democratic
George E. Chamberlain
9
62nd
14
Harry Lane
Democratic Mar 4, 1913 –
May 23, 1917
Elected in 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 –
Nov 5, 1918
Appointed to continue Lane's term.
Not elected to finish Lane's term.
16
Frederick W. Mulkey
Republican Nov 6, 1918 –
Dec 17, 1918
Elected to finish Lane's term.
Resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.
17
Charles L. McNary
Republican Dec 18, 1918 –
Feb 25, 1944
Appointed to finish Lane's term, having already been elected to the next term.
Elected in 1918. 12 66th
67th 12 Elected in 1920.
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1921 –
Mar 3, 1927
Republican
Robert N. Stanfield
10
68th
Re-elected in 1924. 13 69th
70th 13 Elected in 1926. Mar 4, 1927 –
Jan 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
  Jan 31, 1938 –
Feb 1, 1938
Vacant
Appointed to continue Steiwer's term.
Retired when successor elected.
Feb 1, 1938 –
Nov 8, 1938
Democratic
Alfred Reames
12
Elected to finish Steiwer's term.
Retired.
Nov 9, 1938 –
Jan 3, 1939
Republican
Alexander Barry
13
76th 15 Elected in 1938.
Lost renomination.
Jan 3, 1939 –
Jan 3, 1945
Republican
Rufus C. Holman
14
77th
Re-elected in 1942.
Died.
16 78th
Vacant Feb 25, 1944 –
Mar 13, 1944
 
18
Guy Cordon
Republican Mar 13, 1944 –
Jan 3, 1955
Appointed to continue McNary's term.
Elected in 1944 to finish McNary's term.
79th 16 Elected in 1944. Jan 3, 1945 –
Jan 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 Jan 3, 1955 –
Mar 9, 1960
Elected in 1954.
Died.
18 84th Democratic[8]
85th 18 Re-elected in 1956.
86th
Vacant Mar 9, 1960 –
Mar 23, 1960
 
20
Hall S. Lusk
Democratic Mar 23, 1960 –
Nov 9, 1960
Appointed to continue Neuberger's term.
Retired when successor elected.
21
Maurine Neuberger
Democratic Nov 9, 1960 –
Jan 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 Jan 3, 1967 –
Jan 3, 1997
Elected in 1966.
Didn't take seat until Jan 10, 1967, in order to finish his term as Governor of Oregon.
20 90th
91st 20 Elected in 1968. Jan 3, 1969 –
Oct 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
  Oct 1, 1995 –
Feb 6, 1996
Vacant
Elected in 1996 to finish Packwood's term. Feb 6, 1996 –
present
Democratic
Ron Wyden
17
23
Gordon Smith
Republican Jan 3, 1997 –
Jan 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 Jan 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 Re-elected in 2022.
119th
To be determined in the 2026 election. 30 120th
121st 30 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 Class 3

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Initiative, Referendum and Recall Introduction". Oregon Blue Book. Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State. 2006. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  2. ^ "U.S. senators from Oregon". Oregon Blue Book. Salem, Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State. 2006. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  3. ^ Carey, Charles Henry (1922). History of Oregon. Chicago, Illinois: Pioneer Publishing. pp. 837–838.
  4. ^ "George Wycliffe McBride". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  5. ^ "OREGON SENATOR CHOSEN". The New York Times. February 22, 1903. p. 3.
  6. ^ a b The World Almanac and Encyclopedia 1908. The Press Publishing Co., New York World. 1907. p. 263.
  7. ^ a b c d Selected by popular vote, but formally elected by the state legislature
  8. ^ a b c Wayne Morse was elected as a Republican in 1944 and re-elected as a Republican in 1950. He changed to Independent in 1952 and to Democratic in 1955. He was re-elected as a Democrat in 1956 and 1962.

External links[edit]