The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution (1913) established direct election of senators, as well as a means of filling vacant Senate seats. If a vacancy occurs due to a senator's death, resignation, or expulsion, the Seventeenth Amendment allows state legislatures to empower the governor to appoint a replacement to complete the term or to hold office until a special election can take place. There are a few exceptions to this rule. Some states require a special election to fill a vacancy. A few states require the governor to appoint a replacement of the same political party as the previous incumbent. The date when a senator appointed to fill a vacancy is succeeded by a senator elected to fill the remainder of the term depends on a number of factors. For more information on how vacancies are filled, see this Report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service and the Senate Document The Term of Senator: When Does It Begin and End? (pdf).
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Appointed Senators since 1913
The names of current senators appear in bold print.
| Name and party | Date appointed | Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Johnston, Rienzi M. (D-TX) | Jan 4, 1913 | Did not seek election. |
 | Heiskell, John N. (D-AR) | Jan 6, 1913 | Did not seek election. |
 | West, William S. (D-GA) | Mar 2, 1914 | Did not seek election. |
 | Camden, Johnson, Jr. (D-KY) | Jun 16, 1914 | Yes, on Nov 3, 1914. |
 | Taggart, Thomas (D-IN) | Mar 20, 1916 | No, was defeated on Nov 7, 1916. |
 | McNary, Charles L. (R-OR) | May 29, 1917 | Yes, to full term beginning Mar 4, 1918. Was not a candidate in the special election on the same date to fill remainder of term ending Mar 3, 1918, but was subsequently appointed to fill remainder of the term ending Mar 3, 1918. |
 | Henderson, Charles B. (D-NV) | Jan 12, 1918 | Yes, on Nov 5, 1918. |
 | Nugent, John F. (D-ID) | Jan 22, 1918 | Yes, on Nov 5, 1918. |
 | Baird, David (R-NJ) | Feb 23, 1918 | Yes, on Nov 5, 1918. |
 | Guion, Walter (D-LA) | Apr 22, 1918 | Did not seek election. |
 | Wilfley, Xenophon P. (D-MO) | Apr 30, 1918 | No, did not win nomination. |
 | Benet, Christie (D-SC) | Jul 6, 1918 | No, did not win nomination. |
 | Drew, Irving W. (R-NH) | Sep 2, 1918 | Did not seek election. |
 | Martin, George B. (D-KY) | Sep 7, 1918 | Did not seek election. |
 | Glass, Carter (D-VA) | Nov 18, 1919 | Yes, on Nov 3, 1920. |
 | Comer, Braxton B. (D-AL) | Mar 5, 1920 | Did not seek election. |
 | Bursum, Holm O. (R-NM) | Mar 11, 1921 | Yes, on Sep 20, 1921. |
 | du Pont, Thomas Coleman (R-DE) | Jul 7, 1921 | No, defeated on Nov 7, 1922, but was successfully elected in 1924. |
 | Crow, William E. (R-PA) | Oct 17, 1921 | Died on Aug 2, 1922. |
 | Pepper, George W. (R-PA) | Jan 9, 1922 | Yes, on Nov 7, 1922. |
 | Rawson, Charles A. (R-IA) | Feb 24, 1922 | Did not seek election. |
 | Reed, David A. (R-PA) | Aug 8, 1922 | Yes, on Nov 7, 1922. |
 | Felton, Rebecca L. (D-GA) | Oct 3, 1922 | Did not seek election. |
 | Couzens, James (R-MI) | Nov 29, 1922 | Yes, on Nov 4, 1924. |
 | Adams, Alva B. (D-CO) | May 17, 1923 | No, defeated on Nov 4, 1924, but was successfully elected in 1932. |
 | Butler, William M. (R-MA) | Nov 13, 1924 | No, defeated on Nov 2, 1926. |
 | Williams, George H. (R-MO) | May 25, 1925 | No, defeated on Nov 2, 1926. |
 | Robinson, Arthur R. (R-IN) | Oct 20, 1925 | Yes, on Nov 2, 1926. |
 | Nye, Gerald P. (R-ND) | Nov 14, 1925 | Yes, on Jun 30, 1926. |
 | Stewart, David W. (R-IA) | Aug 7, 1926 | Yes, on Nov 2, 1926. |
 | Cutting, Bronson (R-NM) | Dec 29, 1927 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1928, to full term beginning Mar 4, 1929; was not a candidate for special election on the same date to fill remainder of the term ending Mar 3, 1929. |
 | Vandenberg, Arthur H. (R-MI) | Mar 31, 1928 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1928. |
 | Locher, Cyrus (D-OH) | Apr 4, 1928 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Thomas, John (R-ID) | Jun 30, 1928 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1928. |
 | Hastings, Daniel O. (R-DE) | Dec 10, 1928 | Yes, on Nov 4, 1930. |
 | Allen, Henry J. (R-KS) | Apr 1, 1929 | No, defeated on Nov 4, 1930. |
 | Brock, William E. (D-TN) | Sep 2, 1929 | Yes, on Nov 4, 1930. |
 | McCulloch, Roscoe C. (R-OH) | Nov 5, 1929 | No, defeated on Nov 4, 1930. |
 | Baird, David, Jr. (R-NJ) | Nov 30, 1929 | Did not seek election. |
 | Sullivan, Patrick J. (R-WY) | Dec 5, 1929 | Did not seek election. |
 | Grundy, Joseph R. (R-PA) | Dec 11, 1929 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Robsion, John M. (R-KY) | Jan 9, 1930 | No, defeated on Nov 4, 1930. |
 | Morrison, Cameron (D-NC) | Dec 13, 1930 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Partridge, Frank C. (R-VT) | Dec 23, 1930 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Caraway, Hattie W. (D-AR) | Nov 13, 1931 | Yes, on Jan 12, 1932. |
 | Barbour, W. Warren (R-NJ) | Dec 1, 1931 | Yes, on Nov 8, 1932. |
 | Cohen, John S. (D-GA) | Apr 25, 1932 | Did not seek election. |
 | Walker, Walter (D-CO) | Sep 26, 1932 | No, defeated on Nov 8, 1932. |
 | Grammer, Elijah S. (R-WA) | Nov 22, 1932 | Did not seek election. |
 | Bachman, Nathan L. (D-TN) | Feb 28, 1933 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1934. |
 | Byrd, Harry F. (D-VA) | Mar 4, 1933 | Yes, on Nov 7, 1933. |
 | Erickson, John E. (D-MT) | Mar 13, 1933 | No, defeated for nomination. |
| Thompson, William H. (D-NE) | May 24, 1933 | Did not seek election. | |
 | Hatch, Carl Atwood (D-NM) | Oct 10, 1933 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1934. |
 | Gibson, Ernest W. (R-VT) | Nov 21, 1933 | Yes, on Jan 16, 1934. |
 | O'Mahoney, Joseph C. (D-WY) | Dec 18, 1933 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1934. |
 | Chavez, Dennis (D-NM) | May 11, 1935 | Yes, on Nov 3, 1936. |
 | Benson, Elmer A. (FL-MN) | Dec 27, 1935 | Did not seek election. |
 | Long, Rose McConnell (D-LA) | Jan 31, 1936 | Yes, on Apr 21, 1936. |
 | Loftin, Scott M. (D-FL) | May 26, 1936 | Did not seek election. |
 | Hill, William L. (D-FL) | Jul 1, 1936 | Did not seek election. |
 | Hitchcock, Herbert E. (D-SD) | Dec 29, 1936 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Berry, George L. (D-TN) | May 6, 1937 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Graves, Dixie Bibb (D-AL) | Aug 20, 1937 | Did not seek election. |
 | Hill, J. Lister (D-AL) | Jan 10, 1938 | Yes, on Apr 26, 1938. |
 | Milton, John G. (D-NJ) | Jan 18, 1938 | Did not seek election. |
 | Reames, Alfred E. (D-OR) | Feb 1, 1938 | Did not seek election. |
 | Storke, Thomas M. (D-CA) | Nov 9, 1938 | Did not seek election. |
 | Slattery, James M. (D-IL) | Apr 14, 1939 | No, defeated on Nov 6, 1940. |
 | Chandler, Albert B. (D-KY) | Oct 10, 1939 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1940. |
| Thomas, John (R-ID) | Jan 27, 1940 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1940. |
 | Gibson, Ernest W., Jr. (R-VT) | Jun 24, 1940 | Did not seek election. |
 | Ball, Joseph H. (R-MN) | Oct 14, 1940 | Yes, on Nov 3, 1942. |
 | Bunker, Berkeley L. (D-NV) | Nov 27, 1940 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Rosier, Joseph (D-WV) | Jan 13, 1941 | No, defeated on Nov 17, 1942. |
 | Spencer, G. Lloyd (D-AR) | Apr 1, 1941 | Did not seek election. |
 | Houston, Andrew J. (D-TX) | Apr 21, 1941 | Died on June 26, 1941 |
 | Eastland, James O. (D-MS) | Jun 30, 1941 | Did not seek election at this time, but was elected to the Senate in 1942. |
 | Lumpkin, Alva Moore (D-SC) | Jul 17, 1941 | No, died in office on Aug 1, 1941. |
 | Peace, Roger C. (D-SC) | Aug 5, 1941 | Did not seek election. |
 | Millikin, Eugene D. (R-CO) | Dec 20, 1941 | Yes, on Nov 3, 1942. |
 | Walsh, Arthur (D-NJ) | Nov 26, 1943 | Did not seek election. |
 | Jackson, Samuel D. (D-IN) | Jan 28, 1944 | Did not seek election. |
 | Weeks, Sinclair (R-MA) | Feb 8, 1944 | Did not seek election. |
 | Cordon, Guy (R-OR) | Mar 4, 1944 | Yes, on Nov 8, 1944. |
 | Hall, Wilton E. (D-SC) | Nov 20, 1944 | Did not seek election. |
 | Mitchell, Hugh B. (D-WA) | Jan 10, 1945 | No, defeated on Nov 5, 1946. |
 | Briggs, Frank P. (D-MO) | Jan 18, 1945 | No, defeated on Nov 5, 1946. |
 | Hart, Thomas C. (R-CT) | Feb 15, 1945 | Did not seek election. |
 | Young, Milton R. (R-ND) | Mar 12, 1945 | Yes, on Jun 25, 1946. |
 | Carville, Edward P. (D-NV) | Jul 25, 1945 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Knowland, William F. (R-CA) | Aug 14, 1945 | Yes, on Nov 5, 1946. |
 | Huffman, James W. (D-OH) | Oct 8, 1945 | No, defeated on Nov 5, 1946. |
 | Gossett, Charles C. (D-ID) | Nov 17, 1945 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Stanfill, William A. (R-KY) | Nov 19, 1945 | Did not seek election. |
 | Burch, Thomas G. (D-VA) | May 31, 1946 | Did not seek election. |
 | Swift, George R. (D-AL) | Jun 15, 1946 | Did not seek election. |
 | Holland, Spessard L. (D-FL) | Sep 25, 1946 | Yes, on Nov 5, 1946. |
 | Flanders, Ralph E. (R-VT) | Nov 1, 1946 | Yes, on Nov 5, 1946. |
 | Umstead, William B. (D-NC) | Dec 18, 1946 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Feazel, William C. (D-LA) | May 18, 1948 | Did not seek election. |
 | Bushfield, Vera C. (R-SD) | Oct 6, 1948 | Did not seek election. |
 | Withers, Garrett L. (D-KY) | Jan 20, 1949 | Did not seek election. |
 | Graham, Frank P. (D-NC) | Mar 29, 1949 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Dulles, John Foster (R-NY) | Jul 7, 1949 | No, defeated on Nov 8, 1949. |
 | Leahy, Edward L. (D-RI) | Aug 24, 1949 | Did not seek election. |
 | Dworshak, Henry C. (R-ID) | Oct 14, 1949 | Yes, on Nov 7, 1950. |
 | Darby, Harry (R-KS) | Dec 2, 1949 | Did not seek election. |
 | Benton, William (D-CT) | Dec 17, 1949 | Yes, on Nov 7, 1950. |
 | Underwood, Thomas R. (D-KY) | Mar 19, 1951 | No, defeated on Nov 4, 1952. |
 | Moody, Blair (D-MI) | Apr 23, 1951 | No, defeated on Nov 4, 1952. |
 | Seaton, Frederick A. (R-NE) | Dec 10, 1951 | Did not seek election. |
 | Purtell, William A. (R-CT) | Aug 29, 1952 | Was not a candidate in special election to fill remainer of the term to which he was appointed, but was elected to Class 1 seat in 1952. |
 | Kuchel, Thomas H. (R-CA) | Jan 2, 1953 | Yes, on Nov 2, 1954. |
 | Lennon, Alton A. (D-NC) | Jul 10, 1953 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Upton, Robert W. (R-NH) | Aug 14, 1953 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Burke, Thomas A. (D-OH) | Oct 13, 1953 | No, defeated on Nov 2, 1954. |
 | Bowring, Eva (R-NE) | Apr 16, 1954 | Did not seek election. |
 | Ervin, Sam J., Jr. (D-NC) | Jun 5, 1954 | Yes, on Nov 2, 1954. |
 | Crippa, Edward D. (R-WY) | Jun 24, 1954 | Did not seek election. |
 | Reynolds, Sam W. (R-NE) | Jul 3, 1954 | Did not seek election. |
 | Daniel, Charles E. (D-SC) | Sep 6, 1954 | Did not seek election. |
 | Brown, Ernest S. (R-NV) | Oct 1, 1954 | No, defeated on Nov 2, 1954. |
 | Laird, William R., III (D-WV) | Mar 13, 1956 | Did not seek election. |
 | Wofford, Thomas A. (D-SC) | Apr 5, 1956 | Did not seek election. |
 | Humphreys, Robert (D-KY) | Jun 21, 1956 | Did not seek election. |
 | Blakley, William A. (D-TX) | Jan 15, 1957 | Did not seek election. |
 | Hoblitzell, John, Jr. (R-WV) | Jan 25, 1958 | No, defeated on Nov 4, 1958. |
 | Jordan, B. Everett (D-NC) | Apr 19, 1958 | Yes, on Nov 4, 1958. |
 | Brunsdale, C. Norman (R-ND) | Nov 19, 1959 | Did not seek election. |
 | Lusk, Hall (D-OR) | Mar 16, 1960 | Did not seek election. |
 | Long, Edward V. (D-MO) | Sep 23, 1960 | Yes, on Nov 8, 1960. |
 | Smith, Benjamin (D-MA) | Dec 27, 1960 | Did not seek election. |
| Blakley, William (D-TX) | Jan 3, 1961 | No, defeated on May 27, 1961. |
 | Hickey, J. Joseph (D-WY) | Jan 3, 1961 | No, defeated on Nov 6, 1962. |
 | Murphy, Maurice J., Jr. (R-NH) | Dec 7, 1961 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Pearson, James B. (R-KS) | Jan 31, 1962 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1962 |
 | Bottum, Joseph H. (R-SD) | Jul 9, 1962 | No, defeated on Nov 6, 1962. |
 | Jordan, Len (R-ID) | Aug 6, 1962 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1962. |
 | Mechem, Edwin (R-NM) | Nov 30, 1962 | No, defeated on Nov 3, 1964. |
 | Edmondson, J. Howard (D-OK) | Jan 7, 1963 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Walters, Herbert S. (D-TN) | Aug 20, 1963 | Did not seek election. |
 | Salinger, Pierre (D-CA) | Aug 4, 1964 | No, defeated on Nov 3, 1964. |
 | Mondale,Walter F. (D-MN) | Dec 30, 1964 | Yes, on Nov 8, 1966. |
 | Russell, Donald S. (D-SC) | Apr 22, 1965 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Byrd, Harry F., Jr. (D/I-VA) | Nov 12, 1965 | Yes, on Nov 8, 1966. |
 | Griffin, Robert P. (R-MI) | May 11, 1966 | Yes, on Nov 8, 1966. |
 | Goodell, Charles E. (R-NY) | Sep 10, 1968 | No, defeated on Nov 3, 1970. |
 | Stevens, Theodore (Ted) (R-AK) | Dec 24, 1968 | Yes, on Nov 3, 1970. |
 | Smith, Ralph Tyler (R-IL) | Sep 17, 1969 | No, defeated on Nov 3, 1970. |
 | Gambrell, David H. (D-GA) | Feb 1, 1971 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Stafford, Robert T. (R-VT) | Sep 16, 1971 | Yes, on Jan 7, 1972. |
 | Edwards, Elaine S. (D-LA) | Aug 1, 1972 | Did not seek election. |
 | Metzenbaum, Howard M. (D-OH) | Jan 4, 1974 | No, defeated for nomination, but was successfully elected to the Senate in 1976. |
 | Wyman, Louis C. (R-NH) | Dec 31, 1974 | No, defeated on Sep 16, 19751 |
 | Cotton, Norris H. (R-NH) | Aug 8, 1975 | Did not seek election. |
 | Anderson, Wendell R. (D-MN) | Dec 30, 1976 | No, defeated on Nov 7, 1978. |
 | Hodges, Kaneaster, Jr. (D-AR) | Dec 10, 1977 | Did not seek election. |
 | Hatfield, Paul G. (D-MT) | Jan 22, 1978 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Humphrey, Muriel B. (D-MN) | Jan 25, 1978 | Did not seek election. |
 | Allen, Maryon P. (D-AL) | Jun 8, 1978 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Mitchell, George J. (D-ME) | May 17, 1980 | Yes, on Nov 2, 1982. |
 | Brady, Nicholas F. (R-NJ) | Apr 12, 1982 | Did not seek election. |
 | Evans, Daniel J.(R-WA) | Sep 8, 1983 | Yes, on Nov 8, 1983 |
 | Broyhill, James T. (R-NC) | Jul 14, 1986 | No, defeated on Nov 5, 1986. |
 | Karnes, David K. (R-NE) | Mar 11, 1987 | No, defeated on Nov 8, 1988. |
 | Coats, Dan (R-IN) | Dec 27, 1988 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1990 |
 | Akaka, Daniel K. (D-HI) | May 16, 1990 | Yes, on Nov 6, 1990 |
 | Seymour, John (R-CA) | Jan 7, 1991 | No, defeated on Nov 3, 1992. |
 | Wofford, Harris (D-PA) | May 8, 1991 | Yes, on Nov 5, 1991. |
 | Burdick, Jocelyn (D-ND) | Sep 12, 1992 | Did not seek election. |
 | Mathews, Harlan (D-TN) | Dec 29, 1992 | Did not seek election. |
 | Krueger, Robert C. (D-TX) | Jan 21, 1993 | No, defeated on Jun 5, 1993. |
 | Frahm, Sheila (R-KS) | Jun 11, 1996 | No, defeated for nomination. |
 | Chafee, Lincoln (R-RI) | Nov 2, 1999 | Yes, on Nov 7, 2000. |
 | Miller, Zell (D-GA) | Jul 24, 2000 | Yes, on Nov 7, 2000. |
 | Carnahan, Jean (D-MO) | Effective Jan 3, 2001 | No, defeated on Nov 5, 2002. |
 | Barkley, Dean (I-MN) | Nov 4, 2002 | Did not seek election. |
 | Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK) | Dec 20, 2002 | Yes, on Nov 2, 2004. |
 | Menendez, Robert (D-NJ) | Jan 17, 2006 | Yes, on Nov 7, 2006. |
 | Barrasso, John A. (R-WY) | Jun 22, 2007 | Yes, on Nov 4, 2008. |
 | Wicker, Roger F. (R-MS) | Dec 31, 2007 | Yes, on Nov 4, 2008. |
 | Burris, Roland W. (D-IL)2 | Dec 31, 2008 | Did not seek election. |
 | Kaufman, Edward E. (D-DE) | Jan 15, 2009 | Did not seek election. |
 | Bennet, Michael F. (D-CO) | Jan 21, 2009 | Yes, on Nov 2, 2010. |
 | Gillibrand, Kirsten E. (D-NY)3 | Jan 26, 2009 | Yes, on Nov 2, 2010. |
 | LeMieux, George S. (R-FL) | Sep 9, 2009 | Did not seek election. |
 | Kirk, Paul G., Jr. (D-MA) | Sep 24, 2009 | Did not seek election. |
 | Goodwin, Carte P. (D-WV) | Jul 16, 2010 | Did not seek election. |
 | Heller, Dean
(R-NV) 4 | May 3, 2011 | Yes, on Nov 6, 2012. |
 | Schatz, Brian (D-HI) | Dec 26, 2012 | Yes, on Nov 4, 2014. |
 | Scott, Tim (R-SC) | Jan 2, 2013 | Yes, on Nov 4, 2014. |
 | Cowan, William "Mo" (D-MA) | Feb 1, 2013 | Did not seek election. |
 | Chiesa, Jeffrey S. (R-NJ) | Jun 6, 2013 | Did not seek election. |
 | Walsh, John E. (D-MT) | Feb 9, 2014 | Did not seek election. |
 | Strange, Luther J., III (R-AL) | Feb 9, 2017 | Not a candidate in the general election, having been defeated in a primary runoff election on September 26, 2017. |
 | Smith, Tina (D-MN) | Jan 3, 2018 | Yes, on November 6, 2018. |
 | Hyde-Smith, Cindy (R-MS) | Apr 2, 2018 | Yes, in a run-off election on November 27, 2018. |
 | Kyl, Jon (R-AZ) | Sep 4, 2018 |
1. Wyman had run against John Durkin in the November 1974 general election for seat being vacated by Norris Cotton, but the election results were contested. In the meantime, Norris Cotton resigned his seat on Dec. 31, 1974, and the governor appointed Wyman to serve the last 3 days of Cotton's term. The seat was then vacant from Jan. 3, 1975, until Aug. 8, 1975, when Cotton was appointed to fill the vacancy pending the results of a special election to be held in September between Wyman and Durkin. Durkin handily won the special election.
2. Appointed December 31, 2008, but credentials were not in order until January 15, 2009.
3. Appointed January 23, 2009, and appointment took effect upon her resignation from the House of Representatives on January 26, 2009. Took the oath of office on January 27, 2009.
4. Appointed May 3, 2011, but did not resign his House seat until May 9, 2011.
