List of United States senators from Iowa

Iowa was admitted to the Union on December 28, 1846, and elects United States senators to Class 2 and Class 3. The state's current U.S. senators are Republicans Chuck Grassley (serving since 1981) and Joni Ernst (serving since 2015).

Current delegation

List of senators

Class 2

Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that were elected for two U.S. Congresses in the first elections of 1848, and then the seat was contested every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. The seat in recent years have 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 were elected for one United States Congress in the first elections of 1848, and then the seat was contested every three Congresses (six years) thereafter. The seat in recent years have been contested in 1998, 2004, 2010 and 2016. The next election will be in 2022.

# Senator Party Dates in office Electoral history T T Electoral history Dates in office Party Senator #
Vacant December 28, 1846 –
December 7, 1848
Legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[1] 29th Legislature failed to elect due to a three-way split that prevented any candidate from earning the required number of 30 legislators' votes.[1] December 28, 1846 –
December 7, 1848
Vacant
30th
1
George W. Jones
Democratic December 7, 1848 –
March 3, 1859
Elected in 1848. 1 1 Elected in 1848. December 7, 1848 –
February 22, 1855
Democratic
Augustus C. Dodge
1
31st 2 Re-elected in 1849.

Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Spain, having lost re-election.
32nd
Re-elected in 1852.

Lost renomination.
2 33rd
  February 22, 1855 –
March 3, 1855
Vacant
34th 3 Elected in 1855.

Elected invalidated, as the Iowa Senate had not participated in it.
March 4, 1855 –
January 5, 1857
Free Soil
James Harlan
2
  January 5, 1857 –
January 29, 1857
Vacant
Re-elected to finish his vacant term. January 29, 1857 –
May 15, 1865
Republican
James Harlan
35th
2
James W. Grimes
Republican March 4, 1859 –
December 6, 1869
Elected in 1858. 3 36th
37th 4 Re-elected in 1860.

Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
38th
Re-elected in 1864.

Resigned due to ill health.
4 39th
  May 15, 1865 –
January 13, 1866
Vacant
Elected to finish Harlan's term.[2]

Lost nomination for the next term.
January 13, 1866 –
March 3, 1867
Republican
Samuel J. Kirkwood
3
40th 5 Elected January 13, 1866.[3]

Lost re-election.
March 4, 1867 –
March 3, 1873
Republican
James Harlan
4
41st
Vacant December 6, 1869 –
January 18, 1870
 
3
James B. Howell
Republican January 18, 1870 –
March 3, 1871
Elected to finish Grimes's term.

Retired.
4
George G. Wright
Republican March 4, 1871 –
March 3, 1877
Elected in 1870.

Retired.
5 42nd
43rd 6 Elected January 17, 1872.[4] March 4, 1873 –
August 4, 1908
Republican
William B. Allison
5
44th
5
Samuel J. Kirkwood
Republican March 4, 1877 –
March 7, 1881
Elected in 1876 or 1877.

Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
6 45th
46th 7 Re-elected January 23, 1878.[5]
47th
6
James W. McDill
Republican March 8, 1881 –
March 3, 1883
Appointed to continue Kirkwood's term.

Elected January 25, 1882, to finish Kirkwood's term.[6]

Retired.
7
James F. Wilson
Republican March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1895
Elected January 25, 1882.[7] 7 48th
49th 8 Re-elected January 23, 1884.[8]
50th
Re-elected in 1888.

Retired.
8 51st
52nd 9 Re-elected March 5, 1890.[9]
53rd
8
John H. Gear
Republican March 4, 1895 –
July 14, 1900
Elected January 17, 1894.[10]

Re-elected January 17, 1900,[11] but died.
9 54th
55th 10 Re-elected January 22, 1896.[12]
56th
Vacant July 14, 1900 –
August 22, 1900
 
9
Jonathan P. Dolliver
Republican August 22, 1900 –
October 15, 1910
Appointed to finish Gear's term.
Appointed to begin the vacant term.

Elected January 22, 1902, to finish the vacant term.[13]
10 57th
58th 11 Re-elected January 22, 1902.[14]

Renominated in 1908 but died before the general election.
59th
Re-elected January 23, 1907.

Died.
11 60th
  August 4, 1908 –
November 24, 1908
Vacant
Elected to finish Allison's term. November 24, 1908 –
July 30, 1926
Republican
Albert B. Cummins
6
61st 12 Re-elected January 19, 1909.
Vacant October 15, 1910 –
November 12, 1910
 
10
Lafayette Young
Republican November 12, 1910 –
April 11, 1911
Appointed to continue Dolliver's term.

Lost election to finish Dolliver's term.
62nd
11
William S. Kenyon
Republican April 12, 1911 –
February 24, 1922
Elected to finish Dolliver's term.
Re-elected January 21, 1913. 12 63rd
64th 13 Re-elected in 1914.
65th
Re-elected in 1918.

Resigned to become Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals.
13 66th
67th 14 Re-elected in 1920.

Lost renomination, then died.
12
Charles A. Rawson
Republican February 24, 1922 –
December 1, 1922
Appointed to continue Kenyon's term.

Retired when his successor was elected.
13
Smith W. Brookhart
Republican December 1, 1922 –
April 12, 1926
Elected to finish Kenyon's term.
68th
Re-elected in 1924.

Lost election challenge.
14 69th
14
Daniel F. Steck
Democratic April 12, 1926 –
March 3, 1931
Successfully challenged his predecessor's election.

Lost re-election.
  July 30, 1926 –
August 7, 1926
Vacant
Appointed to continue Cummins's term.

Elected on November 10, 1926, to finish Cummins's term.[15]

Retired.
August 7, 1926 –
March 3, 1927
Republican
David W. Stewart
7
70th 15 Elected in 1926.

Lost renomination and then lost re-election as an Independent.
March 4, 1927 –
March 3, 1933
Republican
Smith W. Brookhart
8
71st
15
Lester J. Dickinson
Republican March 4, 1931 –
January 3, 1937
Elected in 1930.

Lost re-election.
15 72nd
73rd 16 Elected in 1932.

Died.
March 4, 1933 –
July 16, 1936
Democratic
Richard L. Murphy
9
74th
  July 16, 1936 –
November 3, 1936
Vacant
Elected to finish Murphy's term. November 3, 1936 –
January 3, 1945
Democratic
Guy Gillette
10
16
Clyde L. Herring
Democratic January 3, 1937 –
January 3, 1943
Elected in 1936.
Didn't take seat until January 15, 1937, as he wanted to remain Governor of Iowa. However, he was still elected and qualified as senator.

Lost re-election.
16 75th
76th 17 Re-elected in 1938.

Lost re-election.
77th
17
George A. Wilson
Republican January 3, 1943 –
January 3, 1949
Elected in 1942.
Didn't take seat until January 14, 1943, as he wanted to remain Governor of Iowa. However, he was still elected and qualified as senator.

Lost re-election.
17 78th
79th 18 Elected in 1944. January 3, 1945 –
January 3, 1969
Republican
Bourke B. Hickenlooper
11
80th
18
Guy Gillette
Democratic January 3, 1949 –
January 3, 1955
Elected in 1948.

Lost re-election.
18 81st
82nd 19 Re-elected in 1950.
83rd
19
Thomas E. Martin
Republican January 3, 1955 –
January 3, 1961
Elected in 1954.

Retired.
19 84th
85th 20 Re-elected in 1956.
86th
20
Jack Miller
Republican January 3, 1961 –
January 3, 1973
Elected in 1960. 20 87th
88th 21 Re-elected in 1962

Retired.
89th
Re-elected in 1966.

Lost re-election.
21 90th
91st 22 Elected in 1968.

Retired.
January 3, 1969 –
January 3, 1975
Democratic
Harold Hughes
12
92nd
21
Dick Clark
Democratic January 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1979
Elected in 1972.

Lost re-election.
22 93rd
94th 23 Elected in 1974.

Lost re-election.
January 3, 1975 –
January 3, 1981
Democratic
John Culver
13
95th
22
Roger Jepsen
Republican January 3, 1979 –
January 3, 1985
Elected in 1978.

Lost re-election.
23 96th
97th 24 Elected in 1980. January 3, 1981 –
Present
Republican
Chuck Grassley
14
98th
23
Tom Harkin
Democratic January 3, 1985 –
January 3, 2015
Elected in 1984. 24 99th
100th 25 Re-elected in 1986.
101st
Re-elected in 1990. 25 102nd
103rd 26 Re-elected in 1992.
104th
Re-elected in 1996. 26 105th
106th 27 Re-elected in 1998.
107th
Re-elected in 2002. 27 108th
109th 28 Re-elected in 2004.
110th
Re-elected in 2008

Retired.
28 111th
112th 29 Re-elected in 2010.
113th
24
Joni Ernst
Republican January 3, 2015 –
Present
Elected in 2014. 29 114th
115th 30 Re-elected in 2016.
116th
Re-elected in 2020. 30 117th
118th 31 To be decided in the 2022 election.
119th
To be determined in the 2026 election. 31 120th
# Senator Party Years in office Electoral history T   T Electoral history Years in office Party Senator #
Class 2 Class 3

Living former U.S. senators from Iowa

As of February 2021, there are two living former U.S. senators from Iowa. The most recent and most recently serving senator to die was Roger Jepsen (served 1979–1985) on November 13, 2020.

Senator Term of office Date of birth (and age)
Dick Clark 1973–1979 (1928-09-14) September 14, 1928
Tom Harkin 1985–2015 (1939-11-19) November 19, 1939

See also

Notes

  1. Clark, pp. 17–46, 72–79.
  2. Clark, p. 141: Kirkwood 118 votes, J. F. Stomenan (Democratic) 20
  3. Clark, p. 141: Harlan 118 votes, H. H. Trimble (Democratic) 20
  4. Clark, p. 167.
  5. Clark, p. 185: Allison 104 votes, Daniel F. Miller 35 votes, E. N. Gates 3 votes.
  6. Clark, p. 199: M. M. Ham and Daniel Campbell lost.
  7. Clark, p. 199: L. G. Kinne and D. P. Stubbs lost.
  8. Clark, p. 209: Allison 90 votes, Benton J. Hall 48 votes, D. M. Clark 10 votes, L. G. Kinne 1 vote.
  9. Clark, p. 221: Allison 79 votes, S.T. Bestow (Democratic) 63 votes, William Larrabee 8 votes.
  10. Clark, p. 234: Gear beat Democrat Horace Boies by votes unknown.
  11. Clark, p. 245: Gear 111 votes, Fred E. White (Democratic) 32 votes.
  12. Clark, p. 238: Allison 118 votes, Washington I. Babb (Democratic) 25 votes, Frank Q. Stuart 1 vote.
  13. Clark, p. 247: Dolliver 119 votes, John J. Seerley (Democratic) 20 votes.
  14. Clark, p. 247: Allison 119 votes, E. H. Thayer (Democratic) 20 votes.
  15. Byrd, p. 107.

References

  • Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.). "The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992". United States Senate Historical Office (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
  • Clark, Dan Elbert (1913). "History of Senatorial Elections in Iowa". Iowa City, Iowa.
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