Pennsylvania ratified the United States Constitution on December 12, 1787, and elects its U.S. senators to class 1 and class 3. Officeholders are popularly elected, for a six-year term, beginning January 3. Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Before 1914, they were chosen by the Pennsylvania General Assembly; before 1935, their terms began March 4. The state's current U.S. senators are Democrats Bob Casey Jr. (since 2007) and John Fetterman (since 2023). Arlen Specter was Pennsylvania's longest-serving senator (1981–2011).
Class 1Class 1 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2000, 2006, 2012, and 2018. The next election will be in 2024. | C | Class 3Class 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. | ||||||||||
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# | Senator | Party | Dates in office | Electoral history | T | T | Electoral history | Dates in office | Party | Senator | # | |
1 | William Maclay |
Anti- Admin. |
Mar 4, 1789 – Mar 3, 1791 |
Elected in 1788.Lost re-election. | 1 | 1st | 1 | Elected in 1788.Retired. | Mar 4, 1789 – Mar 3, 1795 |
Pro- Admin. |
Robert Morris |
1 |
Vacant | Mar 4, 1791 – Dec 1, 1793 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 2 | 2nd | ||||||||
2 | Albert Gallatin |
Anti- Admin. |
Dec 2, 1793 – Feb 28, 1794 |
Elected to finish the vacant term.Election voided. | ||||||||
3rd | ||||||||||||
Vacant | Mar 1, 1794 – Apr 23, 1794 |
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3 | James Ross |
Pro- Admin. |
Apr 24, 1794 – Mar 3, 1803 |
Elected to finish the vacant term that happened from 1791 to 1793. | ||||||||
Federalist | 4th | 2 | Elected in 1795.Retired. | Mar 4, 1795 – Mar 3, 1801 |
Federalist | William Bingham |
2 | |||||
Re-elected in 1797.Retired. | 3 | 5th | ||||||||||
6th | ||||||||||||
7th | 3 | Elected in 1801.Resigned to become Supervisor of Revenue of Pennsylvania. | Mar 4, 1801 – Jun 30, 1801 |
Democratic- Republican |
Peter Muhlenberg |
3 | ||||||
Jun 30, 1801 – Dec 17, 1801 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Muhlenberg's term.Retired. | Dec 17, 1801 – Mar 3, 1807 |
Democratic- Republican |
George Logan |
4 | ||||||||
4 | Samuel Maclay | Democratic- Republican |
Mar 4, 1803 – Jan 4, 1809 |
Elected in 1802.Resigned. | 4 | 8th | ||||||
9th | ||||||||||||
10th | 4 | Elected in 1806.Retired. | Mar 4, 1807 – Mar 3, 1813 |
Democratic- Republican |
Andrew Gregg |
5 | ||||||
Vacant | Jan 4, 1809 – Jan 9, 1809 |
Vacant | ||||||||||
5 | Michael Leib |
Democratic- Republican |
Jan 9, 1809 – Feb 14, 1814 |
Elected in 1809 to finish Maclay's term, having been elected to the next term.[1] | ||||||||
Elected in 1808.[2]Resigned to become Postmaster of Philadelphia. | 5 | 11th | ||||||||||
12th | ||||||||||||
13th | 5 | Elected in 1812.[3]Retired. | Mar 4, 1813 – Mar 3, 1819 |
Democratic- Republican |
Abner Lacock |
6 | ||||||
Vacant | Feb 14, 1814 – Feb 24, 1814 |
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6 | Jonathan Roberts |
Democratic- Republican |
Feb 24, 1814 – Mar 3, 1821 |
Elected to finish Leib's term. | ||||||||
Re-elected in late 1814. | 6 | 14th | ||||||||||
15th | ||||||||||||
16th | 6 | Elected in 1818.Retired. | Mar 4, 1819 – Mar 3, 1825 |
Democratic- Republican |
Walter Lowrie |
7 | ||||||
Vacant | Mar 4, 1821 – Dec 10, 1821 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 7 | 17th | ||||||||
7 | William Findlay |
Democratic- Republican |
Dec 10, 1821 – Mar 3, 1827 |
Elected late in 1821.Retired. | ||||||||
18th | ||||||||||||
Jacksonian | 19th | 7 | Elected in 1825.Lost re-election. | Mar 4, 1825 – Mar 3, 1831 |
National Republican |
William Marks |
8 | |||||
8 | Isaac D. Barnard |
Jacksonian | Mar 4, 1827 – Dec 6, 1831 |
Elected in 1826.Resigned to due ill health. | 8 | 20th | ||||||
21st | ||||||||||||
22nd | 8 | Elected in 1830.Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Russia. | Mar 4, 1831 – Jun 30, 1834 |
Jacksonian | William Wilkins |
9 | ||||||
Vacant | Dec 6, 1831 – Dec 13, 1831 |
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9 | George M. Dallas |
Jacksonian | Dec 13, 1831 – Mar 3, 1833 |
Elected to finish Barnard's term.Retired. | ||||||||
Vacant | Mar 4, 1833 – Dec 7, 1833 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 9 | 23rd | ||||||||
10 | Samuel McKean |
Jacksonian | Dec 7, 1833 – Mar 3, 1839 |
Elected late in 1833. | ||||||||
Jun 30, 1834 – Dec 6, 1834 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected to finish Wilkins's term. | Dec 6, 1834 – Mar 5, 1845 |
Jacksonian | James Buchanan |
10 | ||||||||
24th | ||||||||||||
Democratic | 25th | 9 | Re-elected in 1836. | Democratic | ||||||||
Vacant | Mar 4, 1839 – Jan 14, 1840 |
Legislature failed to elect. | 10 | 26th | ||||||||
11 | Daniel Sturgeon |
Democratic | Jan 14, 1840 – Mar 3, 1851 |
Elected late in 1840. | ||||||||
27th | ||||||||||||
28th | 10 | Re-elected in 1843.Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1845.Retired. | 11 | 29th | ||||||||||
Mar 5, 1845 – Mar 13, 1845 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected in 1845 to finish Buchanan's term.Retired. | Mar 13, 1845 – Mar 3, 1849 |
Democratic | Simon Cameron |
11 | ||||||||
30th | ||||||||||||
31st | 11 | Elected in 1849. | Mar 4, 1849 – Mar 3, 1855 |
Whig | James Cooper |
12 | ||||||
12 | Richard Brodhead |
Democratic | Mar 4, 1851 – Mar 3, 1857 |
Elected in 1851. | 12 | 32nd | ||||||
33rd | ||||||||||||
34th | 12 | Legislature failed to elect. | Mar 4, 1855 – Jan 14, 1856 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Elected late in 1856.Retired. | Jan 14, 1856 – Mar 3, 1861 |
Democratic | William Bigler |
13 | ||||||||
13 | Simon Cameron |
Republican | Mar 4, 1857 – Mar 4, 1861 |
Elected in 1857.Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of War. | 13 | 35th | ||||||
36th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | Mar 4, 1861 – Mar 14, 1861 |
37th | 13 | Elected in 1861.Lost re-election. | Mar 4, 1861 – Mar 3, 1867 |
Republican | Edgar Cowan |
14 | ||||
14 | David Wilmot |
Republican | Mar 14, 1861 – Mar 3, 1863 |
Elected in 1861 to finish Cameron's term.Retired. | ||||||||
15 | Charles R. Buckalew |
Democratic | Mar 4, 1863 – Mar 3, 1869 |
Elected in 1863. | 14 | 38th | ||||||
39th | ||||||||||||
40th | 14 | Elected in 1867. | Mar 4, 1867 – Mar 12, 1877 |
Republican | Simon Cameron |
15 | ||||||
16 | John Scott |
Republican | Mar 4, 1869 – Mar 3, 1875 |
Elected in 1869.Retired. | 15 | 41st | ||||||
42nd | ||||||||||||
43rd | 15 | Re-elected in 1873.Resigned. | ||||||||||
17 | William A. Wallace |
Democratic | Mar 4, 1875 – Mar 3, 1881 |
Elected in 1875.Lost re-election. | 16 | 44th | ||||||
45th | ||||||||||||
Mar 12, 1877 – Mar 20, 1877 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Elected in 1877 to finish his father's term. | Mar 20, 1877 – Mar 3, 1897 |
Republican | J. Donald Cameron |
16 | ||||||||
46th | 16 | Re-elected in 1879. | ||||||||||
18 | John I. Mitchell |
Republican | Mar 4, 1881 – Mar 3, 1887 |
Elected in 1881. | 17 | 47th | ||||||
48th | ||||||||||||
49th | 17 | Re-elected in 1885. | ||||||||||
19 | Matthew Quay |
Republican | Mar 4, 1887 – Mar 3, 1899 |
Elected in early 1887. | 18 | 50th | ||||||
51st | ||||||||||||
52nd | 18 | Re-elected in 1891.Retired. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1893.Legislature failed to re-elect. | 19 | 53rd | ||||||||||
54th | ||||||||||||
55th | 19 | Elected in 1897. | Mar 4, 1897 – Dec 31, 1921 |
Republican | Boies Penrose |
17 | ||||||
Vacant | Mar 4, 1899 – Jan 16, 1901 |
Quay was appointed to continue the term, but the Senate rejected his appointment. | 20 | 56th | ||||||||
Matthew Quay |
Republican | Jan 16, 1901 – May 28, 1904 |
Elected late in 1901.Died. | |||||||||
57th | ||||||||||||
58th | 20 | Re-elected in 1903. | ||||||||||
20 | Philander C. Knox |
Republican | Jun 10, 1904 – Mar 3, 1909 |
Appointed to continue Quay's term.Elected in 1905 to finish Quay's term.[4] | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1905.[5]Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of State. | 21 | 59th | ||||||||||
60th | ||||||||||||
Vacant | Mar 4, 1909 – Mar 17, 1909 |
61st | 21 | Re-elected in 1909. | ||||||||
21 | George T. Oliver |
Republican | Mar 17, 1909 – Mar 3, 1917 |
Elected to finish Knox's term | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1911.Retired. | 22 | 62nd | ||||||||||
63rd | ||||||||||||
64th | 22 | Re-elected in 1914. | ||||||||||
22 | Philander C. Knox |
Republican | Mar 4, 1917 – Oct 12, 1921 |
Elected in 1916.Died. | 23 | 65th | ||||||
66th | ||||||||||||
67th | 23 | Re-elected in 1920.Died. | ||||||||||
Vacant | Oct 12, 1921 – Oct 24, 1921 |
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23 | William E. Crow |
Republican | Oct 24, 1921 – Aug 2, 1922 |
Appointed to continue Knox's term.Died. | ||||||||
Dec 31, 1921 – Jan 9, 1922 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Penrose's term.Elected to finish Penrose's term.Lost renomination. | Jan 9, 1922 – Mar 3, 1927 |
Republican | George W. Pepper |
18 | ||||||||
Vacant | Aug 2, 1922 – Aug 8, 1922 |
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24 | David A. Reed |
Republican | Aug 8, 1922 – Jan 3, 1935 |
Appointed to continue Knox's term.Elected to finish Knox's term. | ||||||||
Elected in 1922. | 24 | 68th | ||||||||||
69th | ||||||||||||
70th | 24 | William Scott Vare (R) was elected in 1926, but the Governor refused to certify the election and the Senate refused to qualify him. | Mar 4, 1927 – Dec 9, 1929 |
Vacant | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1928.Lost re-election. | 25 | 71st | ||||||||||
Appointed to continue Vare's term.Lost nomination to finish Vare's term. | Dec 11, 1929 – Dec 1, 1930 |
Republican | Joseph R. Grundy |
19 | ||||||||
Elected in 1930 to finish Vare's term | Dec 2, 1930 – Jan 3, 1945 |
Republican | James J. Davis |
20 | ||||||||
72nd | ||||||||||||
73rd | 25 | Re-elected in 1932. | ||||||||||
25 | Joe Guffey |
Democratic | Jan 3, 1935 – Jan 3, 1947 |
Elected in 1934. | 26 | 74th | ||||||
75th | ||||||||||||
76th | 26 | Re-elected in 1938.Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1940.Lost re-election. | 27 | 77th | ||||||||||
78th | ||||||||||||
79th | 27 | Elected in 1944.Lost re-election. | Jan 3, 1945 – Jan 3, 1951 |
Democratic | Francis Myers |
21 | ||||||
26 | Edward Martin |
Republican | Jan 3, 1947 – Jan 3, 1959 |
Elected in 1946. | 28 | 80th | ||||||
81st | ||||||||||||
82nd | 28 | Elected in 1950.Lost re-election. | Jan 3, 1951 – Jan 3, 1957 |
Republican | James H. Duff |
22 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1952.Retired. | 29 | 83rd | ||||||||||
84th | ||||||||||||
85th | 29 | Elected in 1956. | Jan 3, 1957 – Jan 3, 1969 |
Democratic | Joseph S. Clark Jr. |
23 | ||||||
27 | Hugh Scott |
Republican | Jan 3, 1959 – Jan 3, 1977 |
Elected in 1958. | 30 | 86th | ||||||
87th | ||||||||||||
88th | 30 | Re-elected in 1962.Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1964. | 31 | 89th | ||||||||||
90th | ||||||||||||
91st | 31 | Elected in 1968. | Jan 3, 1969 – Jan 3, 1981 |
Republican | Richard Schweiker |
24 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1970.Retired. | 32 | 92nd | ||||||||||
93rd | ||||||||||||
94th | 32 | Re-elected in 1974.Retired. | ||||||||||
28 | John Heinz |
Republican | Jan 3, 1977 – Apr 4, 1991 |
Elected in 1976. | 33 | 95th | ||||||
96th | ||||||||||||
97th | 33 | Elected in 1980. | Jan 3, 1981 – Jan 3, 2011 |
Republican | Arlen Specter |
25 | ||||||
Re-elected in 1982. | 34 | 98th | ||||||||||
99th | ||||||||||||
100th | 34 | Re-elected in 1986. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 1988.Died. | 35 | 101st | ||||||||||
102nd | ||||||||||||
Vacant | Apr 4, 1991 – May 9, 1991 |
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29 | Harris Wofford |
Democratic | May 9, 1991 – Jan 3, 1995 |
Appointed to continue Heinz's term.Elected to finish Heinz's term.Lost re-election. | ||||||||
103rd | 35 | Re-elected in 1992. | ||||||||||
30 | Rick Santorum |
Republican | Jan 3, 1995 – Jan 3, 2007 |
Elected in 1994. | 36 | 104th | ||||||
105th | ||||||||||||
106th | 36 | Re-elected in 1998. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 2000.Lost re-election. | 37 | 107th | ||||||||||
108th | ||||||||||||
109th | 37 | Re-elected in 2004.Changed party on Apr 28, 2009.Lost renomination. | ||||||||||
31 | Bob Casey Jr. |
Democratic | Jan 3, 2007 – present |
Elected in 2006. | 38 | 110th | ||||||
111th | ||||||||||||
Democratic | ||||||||||||
112th | 38 | Elected in 2010. | Jan 3, 2011 – Jan 3, 2023 |
Republican | Pat Toomey |
26 | ||||||
Re-elected in 2012. | 39 | 113th | ||||||||||
114th | ||||||||||||
115th | 39 | Re-elected in 2016.Retired. | ||||||||||
Re-elected in 2018.Lost re-election.[6] | 40 | 116th | ||||||||||
117th | ||||||||||||
118th | 40 | Elected in 2022. | Jan 3, 2023 – present |
Democratic | John Fetterman |
27 | ||||||
32 | David McCormick |
Republican | Taking office Jan 3, 2025 |
Elected in 2024.[6] | 41 | 119th | ||||||
120th | ||||||||||||
121st | 41 | 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 1 | Class 3 |