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U.S. Senators from Oregon
Name/Party |
Term1 |
Authority/Remarks |
First Position2 |
||
Smith, Delazon3-D
|
Feb. 14-Mar. 3, 1859 |
Elected by Legislature 1858 |
Baker, Edward4-R
|
Dec. 5, 1860-Oct. 21, 1861 |
Elected by Legislature 1860; died in office |
Stark, Benjamin-D
|
Oct. 29, 1861-Sept. 11, 1862 |
Appointed by Governor Whiteaker to succeed Baker |
Harding, Benjamin F.-D
|
Sept. 11, 1862-1865 |
Elected by Legislature to succeed Baker |
Williams, George H.-R
|
1865-1871 |
Elected by Legislature 1864 |
Kelly, James K.-D
|
1871-1877 |
Elected by Legislature 1870 |
Grover, LaFayette-D
|
1877-1883 |
Elected by Legislature 1876 |
Dolph, Joseph N.-R
|
1883-1895 |
Elected by Legislature 1882; reelected 1889 |
McBride, George W.-R
|
1895-1901 |
Elected by Legislature 1895 |
Mitchell, John H.-R
|
1901-1905 |
Elected by Legislature 1901; died in office Dec. 8, 1905 |
Gearin, John M.-D
|
Dec. 12, 1905-Jan. 23, 1907 |
Appointed by Governor Chamberlain to succeed Mitchell |
Mulkey, Fred W.-R
|
Jan. 23-Mar. 2, 1907 |
Selected by general election 1906 for short term; elected by Legislature to serve remaining term of Mitchell and Gearin |
Bourne, Jonathan Jr.-R
|
1907-1913 |
Selected by general election 1906; elected by Legislature 1907 |
Lane, Harry-D
|
1913-May 23, 1917 |
Selected by general election 1912; elected by Legislature 1913; died in office |
McNary, Charles L.-R
|
May 29, 1917-Nov. 5, 1918 |
Appointed by Governor Withycombe to succeed Lane |
Mulkey, Fred W.-R
|
Nov. 5-Dec. 17, 1918 |
Elected 1918 for short term; resigned to permit reappointment of McNary |
McNary, Charles L.-R
|
Dec. 17, 1918-Feb. 24, 1944 |
Appointed 1918 for unexpired short term; elected 1918; reelected 1924, 1930, 1936, 1942; died in office |
Cordon, Guy-R
|
Mar. 4, 1944-1955 |
Appointed by Governor Snell to succeed McNary; elected 1944; reelected 1948 |
Neuberger, Richard L.-D
|
1955-Mar. 9, 1960 |
Elected 1954; died in office |
Lusk, Hall S.-D
|
Mar. 16, 1960-Nov. 8, 1960 |
Appointed by Governor Hatfield to succeed Neuberger |
Neuberger, Maurine-D
|
Nov. 8, 1960-1967 |
Elected 1960 for short and full terms |
Hatfield, Mark O.-R.
|
1967-1996 |
Elected 1966; reelected 1972, 1978, 1984, 1990 |
Smith, Gordon H.-R
|
1997-2009 |
Elected 1996; reelected 2002 |
Merkley, Jeff—D
|
2009– |
Elected 2008 |
Second Position2
Lane, Joseph-D
|
Feb. 14, 1859-1861 |
Elected by Legislature 1858 |
Nesmith, James W.-D
|
1861-1867 |
Elected by Legislature 1860 |
Corbett, Henry W.-R
|
1867-1873 |
Elected by Legislature 1866 |
Mitchell, John H.-R
|
1873-1879 |
Elected by Legislature 1872 |
Slater, James H.-D
|
1879-1885 |
Elected by Legislature 1878 |
Mitchell, John H.-R
|
1885-1897 |
Elected by Legislature 1885; reelected 1891 |
Corbett, Henry W.-R5
|
March, 1897 |
Appointed by Governor Lord, not seated |
Simon, Joseph-R
|
Oct. 6, 1898-1903 |
Elected by Legislature to fill vacancy |
Fulton, Charles W.-R
|
1903-1909 |
Elected by Legislature 1903 |
Chamberlain, George E.-D6
|
1909-1921 |
Selected by general election 1908; elected by Legislature; reelected by people 1914 |
Stanfield, Robert N.-R
|
1921-1927 |
Elected 1920 |
Steiwer, Frederick-R
|
1927-Feb. 1, 1938 |
Elected 1926; reelected 1932; resigned |
Reames, Alfred Evan-D
|
Feb. 1-Nov. 9, 1938 |
Appointed by Governor Martin to succeed Steiwer |
Barry, Alex G.-R
|
Nov. 9, 1938-1939 |
Elected 1938 for short term |
Holman, Rufus C.-R
|
1939-1945 |
Elected 1938 |
Morse, Wayne7-D
|
1945-1969 |
Elected 1944; reelected 1950, 1956, 1962 |
Packwood, Robert-R
|
1969-1995 |
Elected 1968; reelected 1974, 1980, 1986, 1992; resigned 1995 |
Wyden, Ron8-D
|
1996- |
Elected 1996, reelected 1998, 2004, 2010 |
1Unless otherwise noted, normal terms of office began on the fourth day of March and ended on the third day of March until 1933, when terms were changed to begin and end on the third day of January unless a different date was set by Congress.
2Delazon Smith and Joseph Lane drew lots in 1859 for the short and long term senate seats. Smith won the short term of only 17 days expiring March 3, 1859 (designated first position). Lane won the long term expiring March 3, 1861 (designated second position).
3When the Legislature first met after statehood in May 1859, Smith was defeated for reelection, and no successor was named. Consequently, Oregon had only one U.S. senator from March 3, 1859 until Baker was elected October 1, 1860.
4Senator Edward Baker was killed in the Battle of Balls Bluff, Va. while serving as a colonel in the Civil War, the only U.S. senator to serve in military action while a senator. His statue, cast of horatio stone and marble, stands 6 ft. 5 in. tall in the Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C.
5When the Legislature failed to elect a successor to Mitchell, Governor Lord appointed Henry Corbett. After conflict, however, the U.S. Senate decided the governor did not have this authority and refused to seat Corbett. Therefore, Oregon was represented by only one U.S. senator from March 4, 1897 to October 6, 1898.
6Direct election of U.S. senators resulted from Oregon's ratification of Article XVII of the U.S. Constitution January 23, 1913 (effective May 31, 1913). Oregon initiated a direct primary for selecting candidates in 1904.
7Wayne Morse was elected as a Republican in 1944 and reelected as a Republican in 1950. He changed to Independent in 1952 and to Democrat in 1955. He was reelected as a Democrat in 1956 and 1962.
8Elected to fill the unexpired term of Robert Packwood due to Senator Packwood's resignation. The elections, both primary and general, to fill Senator Packwood's seat were conducted by mail. The special primary and general elections were the first statewide vote-by-mail elections to fill a federal office in United States history.