List of Presidents per tempore of the United States Senate
This is a complete list of presidents per tempore of the United States Senate .
1789-1890
Before 1890, the Senate elected the President pro tempore only for the period when the Vice President was absent.
| congress | President pro tempore | Political party | Country | Term of office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1st Congress 1789–1791 |
John Langdon | New Hampshire | April 6 - April 21, 1789 | |
| August 7th - August 9th, 1789 | ||||
|
2nd Congress 1791–1793 |
Richard Henry Lee | Virginia | April 18 - October 8, 1792 | |
| John Langdon | New Hampshire | November 5 - December 4, 1792 | ||
| March 1 - March 3, 1793 | ||||
|
3rd Congress 1793–1795 |
March 4 - December 2, 1793 | |||
| Ralph Izard | South carolina | May 31 - November 9, 1794 | ||
| Henry Tazewell | February 20 - June 7, 1795 | |||
|
4th Congress 1795–1797 |
Democratic Republican Party | Virginia | December 7th - December 8th, 1795 | |
| Samuel Livermore | Federalist Party | New Hampshire | May 6 - December 4, 1796 | |
| William Bingham | Federalist Party | Pennsylvania | February 16 - March 3, 1797 | |
|
5th Congress 1797–1799 |
William Bradford | Federalist Party | Rhode Island | July 6 - October 1797 |
| Jacob Read | Federalist Party | South carolina | November 22nd - December 12th, 1797 | |
| Theodore Sedgwick | Federalist Party | Massachusetts | June 27 - December 5, 1798 | |
| John Laurance | Federalist Party | new York | December 6th - December 27th, 1798 | |
| James Ross | Federalist Party | Pennsylvania | March 1 - December 1, 1799 | |
|
6th Congress 1799–1801 |
Samuel Livermore | Federalist Party | New Hampshire | December 2 - December 29, 1799 |
| Uriah Tracy | Federalist Party | Connecticut | May 14 - November 16, 1800 | |
| John Eager Howard | Federalist Party | Maryland | November 21 - November 27, 1800 | |
| James Hillhouse | Federalist Party | Connecticut | February 28 - March 3, 1801 | |
|
7th Congress 1801-1803 |
Abraham Baldwin | Democratic Republican Party | Georgia | December 7, 1801 - January 14, 1802 |
| April 17 - December 13, 1802 | ||||
| Stephen R. Bradley | Democratic Republican Party | Vermont | December 14, 1802 - January 18, 1803 | |
| February 25, 1803 | ||||
| March 2 - October 16, 1803 | ||||
|
8th Congress 1803-1805 |
John Brown | Democratic Republican Party | Kentucky | October 17 - December 6, 1803 |
| January 23 - February 26, 1804 | ||||
| Jesse Franklin | Democratic Republican Party | Kentucky | March 10 - November 4, 1804 | |
| Joseph Anderson | Democratic Republican Party | Tennessee | January 15 - February 3, 1805 | |
| February 28 - March 2, 1805 | ||||
| March 2 - December 1, 1805 | ||||
|
9th Congress 1805-1807 |
Samuel Smith | Democratic Republican Party | Maryland | December 2 - December 15, 1805 |
| March 18 - November 30, 1806 | ||||
| March 2 - October 25, 1807 | ||||
|
10th Congress 1807-1809 |
April 16 - November 6, 1808 | |||
| Stephen R. Bradley | Democratic Republican Party | Vermont | December 28, 1808 - January 8, 1809 | |
| John Milledge | Democratic Republican Party | Georgia | January 30 - March 3, 1809 | |
|
11th Congress 1809-1811 |
March 4 - May 21, 1809 | |||
| Andrew Gregg | Democratic Republican Party | Pennsylvania | June 26 - December 18, 1809 | |
| John Gaillard | Democratic Republican Party | South carolina | February 28 - March 2, 1810 | |
| April 17 - December 11, 1810 | ||||
| John Pope | Democratic Republican Party | Kentucky | February 23 - November 3, 1811 | |
|
12th Congress 1811–1813 |
William H. Crawford | Democratic Republican Party | Georgia | March 24, 1812 - March 3, 1813 |
|
13th Congress 1813–1815 |
March 4 - March 23, 1813 | |||
| Joseph Bradley Varnum | Democratic Republican Party | Massachusetts | December 6, 1813 - February 3, 1814 | |
| John Gaillard | Democratic Republican Party | South carolina | November 25, 1814 - December 3, 1815 | |
|
14th Congress 1815-1817 |
December 4, 1815 - March 3, 1817 | |||
|
15th Congress 1817–1819 |
March 4, 1817 | |||
| March 6, 1817 - February 18, 1818 | ||||
| March 31, 1818 - January 5, 1819 | ||||
| James Barbour | Democratic Republican Party | Virginia | February 15 - December 5, 1819 | |
|
16th Congress 1819–1821 |
December 6th - December 26th, 1819 | |||
| John Gaillard | Democratic Republican Party | South carolina | January 25, 1820 - December 2, 1821 | |
|
17th Congress 1821–1823 |
December 3 - December 27, 1821 | |||
| February 1 - December 2, 1822 | ||||
| February 19 - November 30, 1823 | ||||
|
18th Congress 1823-1825 |
December 1, 1823 - January 20, 1824 | |||
| May 21, 1824 - March 3, 1825 | ||||
|
19th Congress 1825–1827 |
March 9 - December 4, 1825 | |||
| Nathaniel Macon | Democratic Republican Party | North Carolina | May 20 - December 3, 1826 | |
| January 2 - February 13, 1827 | ||||
| March 2 - December 2, 1827 | ||||
|
20th Congress 1827–1829 |
Samuel Smith | Jacksonian | Maryland | May 15 - December 18, 1828 |
|
21st Congress 1829–1831 |
Democratic Party | Maryland | March 13 - December 10, 1829 | |
| May 20 - December 31, 1830 | ||||
| March 1 - December 4, 1831 | ||||
|
22nd Congress 1831–1833 |
December 5 - December 11, 1831 | |||
| Littleton Waller Tazewell | Democratic Party | Virginia | July 9 - July 16, 1832 | |
| Hugh Lawson White | Democratic Party | Tennessee | December 3, 1832 - December 1, 1833 | |
|
23rd Congress 1833–1835 |
December 2 - December 15, 1833 | |||
| George Poindexter | Whig party | Mississippi | June 28 - November 30, 1834 | |
| John Tyler | Whig party | Virginia | March 3 - December 6, 1835 | |
|
24th Congress 1835-1837 |
William R. King | Democratic Party | Alabama | July 1 - December 4, 1836 |
| January 28 - March 3, 1837 | ||||
|
25th Congress, 1837–1839 |
March 7 - September 3, 1837 | |||
| October 13 - December 3, 1837 | ||||
| July 2 - December 18, 1838 | ||||
| February 25 - December 1, 1839 | ||||
|
26th Congress 1839–1841 |
December 2 - December 26, 1839 | |||
| July 3 - December 15, 1840 | ||||
| March 3, 1841 | ||||
|
27th Congress 1841–1843 |
March 4, 1841 | |||
| Samuel L. Southard | Whig party | New Jersey | March 11 - May 31, 1842 | |
| Willie Person Mangum | Whig party | North Carolina | May 31, 1842 - December 3, 1843 | |
|
28th Congress 1843–1845 |
December 4, 1843 - March 3, 1845 | |||
|
29th Congress 1845–1847 |
March 4, 1845 | |||
| Ambrose Hundley Sevier | Democratic Party | Arkansas | December 27, 1845 | |
| David Rice Atchison | Democratic Party | Missouri | August 8 - December 6, 1846 | |
| January 11 - January 13, 1847 | ||||
| March 3 - December 5, 1847 | ||||
| 30th Congress | February 2 - February 8, 1848 | |||
| June 1 - June 14, 1848 | ||||
| June 26 - June 29, 1848 | ||||
| July 29 - December 4, 1848 | ||||
| December 26, 1848 - January 1, 1849 | ||||
| March 2 - March 4, 1849 | ||||
|
31st Congress 1849–1851 |
March 5, 1849 | |||
| March 16 - December 2, 1849 | ||||
| William R. King | Democratic Party | Alabama | May 6 - May 19, 1850 | |
| July 11, 1850 - March 3, 1851 | ||||
|
32nd Congress, 1851-1853 |
March 4, 1851 - December 20, 1852 | |||
| David Rice Atchison | Democratic Party | Missouri | December 20, 1852 - March 3, 1853 | |
|
33rd Congress, 1853–1855 |
March 4, 1853 - December 4, 1854 | |||
| Lewis Cass | Democratic Party | Michigan | 4th December 1854 | |
| Jesse D. Bright | Democratic Party | Indiana | December 5, 1854 - December 2, 1855 | |
|
34th Congress, 1855-1857 |
December 3, 1855 - June 9, 1856 | |||
| Charles E. Stuart | Democratic Party | Michigan | June 9 - June 10, 1856 | |
| Jesse D. Bright | Democratic Party | Indiana | June 11, 1856 - January 6, 1857 | |
| James Murray Mason | Democratic Party | Virginia | January 6 - March 3, 1857 | |
|
35th Congress, 1857-1859 |
March 4, 1857 | |||
| Thomas Jefferson Rusk | Democratic Party | Texas | March 14 - July 29, 1857 | |
| Benjamin Fitzpatrick | Democratic Party | Alabama | December 7 - December 20, 1857 | |
| March 29 - May 2, 1858 | ||||
| June 14 - December 5, 1858 | ||||
| January 19, 1859 | ||||
| January 25 - February 9, 1859 | ||||
|
36th Congress, 1859–1861 |
March 9 - December 4, 1859 | |||
| December 19, 1859 - January 15, 1860 | ||||
| February 20 - February 26, 1860 | ||||
| Jesse D. Bright | Democratic Party | Indiana | June 12 - June 13, 1860 | |
| Benjamin Fitzpatrick | Democratic Party | Alabama | June 26 - December 2, 1860 | |
| Solomon Foot | Republican Party | Vermont | February 16 - February 17, 1861 | |
|
37th Congress, 1861–1863 |
March 23 - July 3, 1861 | |||
| July 18 - December 1, 1861 | ||||
| January 15, 1862 | ||||
| March 31 - May 21, 1862 | ||||
| June 19 - December 12, 1862 | ||||
| February 18 - March 3, 1863 | ||||
|
38th Congress, 1863-1865 |
March 4 - December 6, 1863 | |||
| December 18 - December 20, 1863 | ||||
| February 23, 1864 | ||||
| March 11 - March 13, 1864 | ||||
| April 11 - April 13, 1864 | ||||
| Daniel Clark | Republican Party | New Hampshire | April 26, 1864 - January 4, 1865 | |
| February 9 - February 19, 1865 | ||||
|
39th Congress, 1865–1867 |
Lafayette S. Foster | Republican Party | Connecticut | March 7, 1865 - March 2, 1867 |
| Benjamin Wade | Republican Party | Ohio | March 2 - March 3, 1867 | |
|
40th Congress, 1867–1869 |
March 4, 1867 - March 3, 1869 | |||
|
41st Congress, 1869–1871 |
Henry B. Anthony | Republican Party | Rhode Island | March 23 - March 28, 1869 |
| April 9 - December 5, 1869 | ||||
| May 28 - June 2, 1870 | ||||
| July 1 - July 5, 1870 | ||||
| July 14 - December 4, 1870 | ||||
|
42nd Congress, 1871–1873 |
March 10 - March 12, 1871 | |||
| April 17 - May 9, 1871 | ||||
| May 23 - December 3, 1871 | ||||
| December 21, 1871 - January 7, 1872 | ||||
| February 23 - February 25, 1872 | ||||
| June 8 - December 1, 1872 | ||||
| December 4 - December 8, 1872 | ||||
| December 13 - December 15, 1872 | ||||
| December 20, 1872 - January 5, 1873 | ||||
| January 24, 1873 | ||||
|
43rd Congress, 1873-1875 |
Matthew H. Carpenter | Republican Party | Wisconsin | March 12 - March 13, 1873 |
| March 26 - November 30, 1873 | ||||
| December 11, 1873 - December 6, 1874 | ||||
| December 23, 1874 - January 4, 1875 | ||||
| Henry B. Anthony | Republican Party | Rhode Island | January 25 - January 31, 1875 | |
| February 15 - February 17, 1875 | ||||
|
44th Congress, 1875–1877 |
Thomas W. Ferry | Republican Party | Michigan | March 9 - March 10, 1875 |
| March 19, 1875 - March 4, 1877 | ||||
|
45th Congress, 1877–1879 |
March 5, 1877 | |||
| February 26 - March 3, 1878 | ||||
| April 17 - December 1, 1878 | ||||
| March 3 - March 17, 1879 | ||||
|
46th Congress, 1879–1881 |
Allen G. Thurman | Democratic Party | Ohio | April 15 - November 30, 1879 |
| April 7 - April 14, 1880 | ||||
| May 6 - December 5, 1880 | ||||
|
47th Congress, 1881-1883 |
Thomas F. Bayard | Democratic Party | Delaware | October 10 - October 13, 1881 |
| David Davis | More independent | Illinois | October 13, 1881 - March 3, 1883 | |
| George F. Edmunds | Republican Party | Vermont | March 3 - December 2, 1883 | |
|
48th Congress, 1883–1885 |
December 3, 1883 - March 3, 1885 | |||
|
49th Congress, 1885–1887 |
John Sherman | Republican Party | Ohio | December 7, 1885 - February 26, 1887 |
| John James Ingalls | Republican Party | Kansas | February 26 - December 4, 1887 | |
|
50th Congress, 1887–1889 |
December 5, 1887 - March 3, 1889 | |||
|
51st Congress, 1889-1891 |
March 17, 1889 | |||
| April 2 - December 1, 1889 | ||||
| December 5 - December 10, 1889 | ||||
| February 28 - March 18, 1890 |
1890-1911
From 1890 to 1911 the President held his office pro tempore until a successor was elected.
| President pro tempore | Country | Political party | Term of office |
|---|---|---|---|
| John James Ingalls | Kansas | Republican Party | April 3, 1890 - March 2, 1891 |
| Charles F. Manderson | Tennessee | Republican Party | March 2, 1891 - March 22, 1893 |
| Isham G. Harris | New Hampshire | Democratic Party | March 22, 1893 - January 7, 1895 |
| Matt Whitaker ransomware | North Carolina | Democratic Party | January 7 - January 10, 1895 |
| Isham G. Harris | New Hampshire | Democratic Party | January 10 - March 4, 1895 |
| William P. Frye | Maine | Republican Party | February 7, 1896 - April 27, 1911 |
1911–1913: Rotating presidents
An exceptional situation in the pro tempore election of the president occurred between 1911 and 1913 due to the difficult majority situation: After the former incumbent William P. Frye died, the progressive and conservative wing of the Republicans and the Democrats in the Senate came to an agreement on a temporary compromise solution for the replacement, according to which the candidates of the political groups should take turns in the exercise of office.
| President pro tempore | Country | Political party | Term of office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | August 14, 1911 |
| Charles Curtis | Kansas | Republican Party | December 4, 1911 - December 12, 1911 |
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | January 15, 1912 - January 17, 1912 |
| Jacob Harold Gallinger | New Hampshire | Republican Party | February 12, 1912 - February 14, 1912 |
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | March 11, 1912 - March 12, 1912 |
| Frank B. Brandegee | Connecticut | Republican Party | March 25, 1912 - March 26, 1912 |
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | April 8, 1912 |
| Jacob Harold Gallinger | New Hampshire | Republican Party | April 26, 1912 - April 27, 1912 May 7, 1912 |
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | May 10, 1912 |
| Henry Cabot Lodge | Massachusetts | Republican Party | May 25, 1912 |
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | May 30, 1912 - June 3, 1912 June 13, 1912 - July 5, 1912 |
| Jacob Harold Gallinger | New Hampshire | Republican Party | July 6, 1912 - July 31, 1912 |
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | August 1 - August 10, 1912 |
| Jacob Harold Gallinger | New Hampshire | Republican Party | August 12 - August 26, 1912 |
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | August 27 - December 15, 1912 |
| Jacob Harold Gallinger | New Hampshire | Republican Party | December 16, 1912 and January 4, 1913 |
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | January 5 - January 18, 1913 |
| Jacob Harold Gallinger | New Hampshire | Republican Party | January 19 - February 1, 1913 |
| Augustus Octavius Bacon | Georgia | Democratic Party | February 2 - February 15, 1913 |
| Jacob Harold Gallinger | New Hampshire | Republican Party | February 16 - March 3, 1913 |
Since 1913
The electoral system used until 1911 has been in effect again since the 63rd Congress.
| congress | President pro tempore | Political party | Country | Term of office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
63rd Congress 64th Congress |
James Paul Clarke | Democratic Party | Arkansas | March 13, 1913 - October 1, 1916 |
|
64th Congress 65th Congress |
Willard Saulsbury Jr. | Democratic Party | Delaware | December 14, 1916 - March 3, 1919 |
|
66th Congress 67th Congress 68th Congress |
Albert B. Cummins | Republican Party | Iowa | May 19, 1919 - March 6, 1925 |
|
69th Congress 70th Congress 71st Congress 72nd Congress |
George H. Moses | Republican Party | New Hampshire | March 6, 1925 - March 3, 1933 |
|
73rd Congress 74th Congress 75th Congress 76th Congress |
Key Pittman | Democratic Party | Nevada | March 9, 1933 - November 10, 1940 |
| 76th Congress | William H. King | Democratic Party | Utah | November 19, 1940 - January 3, 1941 |
| 77th Congress | Pat Harrison | Democratic Party | Mississippi | January 6 - June 22, 1941 |
|
78th Congress 78th Congress |
Carter Glass | Democratic Party | Virginia | July 10, 1941 - January 6, 1945 |
| 79th Congress | Kenneth McKellar | Democratic Party | Tennessee | January 6, 1945 - January 4, 1947 |
| 80th Congress | Arthur H. Vandenberg | Republican Party | Michigan | January 4, 1947 - January 3, 1949 |
|
81st Congress 82nd Congress |
Kenneth McKellar | Democratic Party | Tennessee | January 3, 1949 - January 3, 1953 |
| 83rd Congress | Styles Bridges | Republican Party | New Hampshire | Jan. 3, 1953 - January 5, 1955 |
| 84th Congress | Walter F. George | Democratic Party | Georgia | Jan. 5, 1955 - January 3, 1957 |
|
85th Congress 86th Congress 87th Congress 88th Congress 89th Congress 90th Congress |
Carl Hayden | Democratic Party | Arizona | Jan. 3, 1957 - January 3, 1969 |
| 91st Congress | Richard B. Russell | Democratic Party | Georgia | Jan. 3, 1969 - January 21, 1971 |
| 92nd Congress | Allen J. Ellender | Democratic Party | Louisiana | Jan. 22, 1971 - July 27, 1972 |
|
92nd Congress 93rd Congress 94th Congress 95th Congress |
James Eastland | Democratic Party | Mississippi | July 28, 1972 - December 27, 1978 |
| 96th Congress | Warren Magnuson | Democratic Party | Washington | January 15, 1979 - December 3, 1980 |
| Milton Young | Republican Party | North Dakota | 4th December 1980 | |
| Warren Magnuson | Democratic Party | Washington | December 5, 1980 - January 3, 1981 | |
|
97th Congress 98th Congress 99th Congress |
Strom Thurmond | Republican Party | South carolina | January 5, 1981 - January 6, 1987 |
| 100th Congress | John C. Stennis | Democratic Party | Mississippi | January 6, 1987 - January 3, 1989 |
|
101st Congress 102nd Congress 103rd Congress |
Robert Byrd | Democratic Party | West Virginia | January 3, 1989 - January 4, 1995 |
|
104th Congress 105th Congress 106th Congress |
Strom Thurmond | Republican Party | South carolina | January 4, 1995 - January 3, 2001 |
| 107th Congress | Robert Byrd | Democratic Party | West Virginia | January 3 - January 20, 2001 |
| Strom Thurmond | Republican Party | South carolina | January 20 - June 6, 2001 | |
| Robert Byrd | Democratic Party | West Virginia | June 6, 2001 - January 3, 2003 | |
|
108th Congress 109th Congress |
Ted Stevens | Republican Party | Alaska | January 3, 2003 - January 4, 2007 |
|
110th Congress 111th Congress |
Robert Byrd | Democratic Party | West Virginia | January 4, 2007 - June 28, 2010 |
|
111th Congress 112th Congress |
Daniel Inouye | Democratic Party | Hawaii | June 28, 2010 - December 17, 2012 |
|
112th Congress 113th Congress |
Patrick Leahy | Democratic Party | Vermont | December 17, 2012 - January 6, 2015 |
|
114th Congress 115th Congress |
Orrin Hatch | Republican Party | Utah | January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2019 |
| 116th Congress | Chuck Grassley | Republican Party | Iowa | January 3, 2019 - today |
Number of presidents per tempore per state
Presidents pro tempore emeritus
| Presidents pro tempore emeritus | Political party | Country | Term of office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strom Thurmond | Republican Party | South carolina | June 6, 2001 - January 3, 2003 |
| Robert Byrd | Democratic Party | West Virginia | January 4, 2003 - January 3, 2007 |
| Ted Stevens | Republican Party | Alaska | January 4, 2007 - January 3, 2009 |
| Patrick Leahy | Democratic Party | Vermont | January 6, 2015 - today |
Remarks
Carter Glass was the last pro tempore president not to be the longest serving majority member at the time, save for Milton Young, who was given the honorary day in 1980. He was the senior Republican senator at the time and resigned from Congress at the end of that session.
Web links
- Overview on the Senate website (English)