Appointed Senators [A history lesson]

United States Senate ^

[PDR]

The 17th 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 17th 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. The states of Oregon, Wisconsin and Massachusetts do not allow the governor to appoint, but rather require special elections to fill a vacancy. Oklahoma allows the governor to appoint under certain circumstances, and a few states require the governor to appoint a replacement of the same political party as the previous incumbent. Typically, a replacement holds office until the next scheduled statewide election. For more information on how vacancies are filled, see this Report from the Congressional Research Service (pdf).

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Appointed Senators since 1913

Rienzi M. Johnston (D-TX) Date Appointed: January 14, 1913 Elected: Did not seek election.

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John N. Heiskell (D-AR) Date Appointed: January 6, 1913 Elected: Did not seek election.

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William S. West (D-GA) Date Appointed: March 2, 1914 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Johnson N. Camden, Jr. (D-KY) Date Appointed: June 16, 1914 Elected: Yes, on November 3, 1914.

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Thomas Taggart (D-IN) Date Appointed: March 20, 1916 Elected: No, was defeated on November 7, 1916.

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Charles L. McNary (R-OR) Date Appointed: May 29, 1917 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Charles B. Henderson (D-NV) Date Appointed: January 12, 1918 Elected: Yes, on November 5, 1918.

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John F. Nugent (D-ID) Date Appointed: January 22, 1918 Elected: Yes, on November 5, 1918.

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David Baird (R-NJ) Date Appointed: February 23, 1918 Elected: Yes, on November 5, 1918.

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Walter Guion (D-LA) Date Appointed: April 22, 1918 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Xenophon P. Wilfley (D-MO) Date Appointed: April 30, 1918 Elected: No, did not win nomination.

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Christie Benet (D-SC) Date Appointed: July 6, 1918 Elected: No, defeated on November 5, 1918.

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Irving W. Drew (R-NH) Date Appointed: September 2, 1918 Elected: Did not seek election.

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George B. Martin (D-KY) Date Appointed: September 7, 1918 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Charles L. McNary (R-OR) Date Appointed: December 18, 1918 Elected: Yes, on November 5, 1918.

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Carter Glass (D-VA) Date Appointed: November 18, 1919 Elected: Yes, on November 3, 1920.

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Braxton B. Comer (D-AL) Date Appointed: March 5, 1920 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Holm O. Bursum (R-NM) Date Appointed: March 11, 1921 Elected: Yes, on September 20, 1921.

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Thomas Coleman du Pont (R-DE) Date Appointed: July 7, 1921 Elected: No, defeated on November 7, 1922.

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William E. Crow (R-PA) Date Appointed: October 17, 1921 Elected: Did not seek election.

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George W. Pepper (R-PA) Date Appointed: January 9, 1922 Elected: Yes, on November 7, 1922.

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Charles A. Rawson (R-IA) Date Appointed: February 24, 1922 Elected: Did not seek election.

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David A. Reed (R-PA) Date Appointed: August 8, 1922 Elected: Yes, on November 7, 1922.

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Rebecca L. Felton (D-GA) Date Appointed: October 3, 1922 Elected: Did not seek election.

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James Couzens (R-MI) Date Appointed: November 29, 1922 Elected: Yes, on November 4, 1924

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Alva B. Adams (D-CO) Date Appointed: May 17, 1923 Elected: No, defeated on November 4, 1924 (not a candidate in special election of same date)

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William M. Butler (R-MA) Date Appointed: November 13, 1924 Elected: No, defeated on November 2, 1926.

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George H. Williams (R-MO) Date Appointed: May 25, 1925 Elected: No, defeated on November 2, 1926.

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Arthur R. Robinson (R-IN) Date Appointed: October 20, 1925 Elected: Yes, on November 2, 1926

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Gerald P. Nye (R-ND) Date Appointed: November 14, 1925 Elected: Yes, on June 30, 1926

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David W. Stewart (R-IA) Date Appointed: August 7, 1926 Elected: Yes, on November 2, 1926.

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Bronson Cutting (R-NM) Date Appointed: December 29, 1927 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Arthur H. Vandenberg (R-MI) Date Appointed: March 31, 1928 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1928.

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Cyrus Locher (D-OH) Date Appointed: April 4, 1928 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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John Thomas (R-ID) Date Appointed: June 30, 1928 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1928.

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Daniel O. Hastings (R-DE) Date Appointed: December 10, 1928 Elected: Yes, on November 4, 1930.

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Henry J. Allen (R-KS) Date Appointed: April 1, 1929 Elected: No, defeated on November 4, 1930.

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William E. Brock (D-TN) Date Appointed: September 2, 1929 Elected: Yes, on November 4, 1930.

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Roscoe C. McCulloch (R-OH) Date Appointed: November 5, 1929 Elected: No, defeated on November 4, 1930.

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David Baird, Jr. (R-NJ) Date Appointed: November 30, 1929 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Patrick J. Sullivan (R-WY) Date Appointed: December 5, 1929 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Joseph R. Grundy (R-PA) Date Appointed: December 11, 1929 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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John M. Robsion (R-KY) Date Appointed: January 9, 1930 Elected: No, defeated in election for the vacancy and for full term on November 4, 1930.

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Cameron Morrison (D-NC) Date Appointed: December 13, 1930 Elected: No, failed to win nomination.

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Frank C. Partridge (R-VT) Date Appointed: December 23, 1930 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Hattie W. Caraway (D-AR) Date Appointed: November 13, 1931 Elected: Yes, on January 12, 1932.

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W. Warren Barbour (R-NJ) Date Appointed: December 1, 1931 Elected: Yes, on November 8, 1932.

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John S. Cohen (D-GA) Date Appointed: April 25, 1932 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Walter Walker (D-CO) Date Appointed: September 26, 1932 Elected: No, defeated on November 8, 1932.

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Elijah S. Grammer (R-WA) Date Appointed: November 22, 1932 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Nathan L. Bachman (D-TN) Date Appointed: February 28, 1933 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1934.

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Harry F. Byrd (D-VA) Date Appointed: March 4, 1933 Elected: Yes, on November 7, 1933.

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John E. Erickson (D-MT) Date Appointed: March 13, 1933 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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William H. Thompson (D-NE) Date Appointed: May 24, 1933 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Carl Atwood Hatch (D-NM) Date Appointed: October 10, 1933 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1934.

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Ernest W. Gibson (R-VT) Date Appointed: November, 1933 Elected: Yes, on January 16, 1934

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Joseph C. O'Mahoney (D-WY) Date Appointed: December 18, 1933 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1934.

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Dennis Chavez (D-NM) Date Appointed: May 11, 1935 Elected: Yes, on November 3, 1936.

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Elmer A. Benson (FL-MN) Date Appointed: December 27, 1935 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Rose McConnell Long (D-LA) Date Appointed: January 31, 1936 Elected: Yes, on April 21, 1936.

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Scott M. Loftin (D-FL) Date Appointed: May 26, 1936 Elected: Did not seek election.

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William L. Hill (D-FL) Date Appointed: July 1, 1936 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Herbert E. Hitchcock (D-SD) Date Appointed: December 29, 1936 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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George L. Berry (D-TN) Date Appointed: May 6, 1937 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Dixie Bibb Graves (D-AL) Date Appointed: August 20, 1937 Elected: Did not seek election.

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J. Lister Hill (D-AL) Date Appointed: January 10, 1938 Elected: Yes, on April 26, 1938.

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John G. Milton (D-NJ) Date Appointed: January 18, 1938 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Alfred E. Reames (D-OR) Date Appointed: February 1, 1938 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Thomas M. Storke (D-CA) Date Appointed: November 9, 1938 Elected: Did not seek election.

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James M. Slattery (D-IL) Date Appointed: April 14, 1939 Elected: No, defeated on November 6, 1940.

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Albert B. Chandler (D-KY) Date Appointed: October 10, 1939 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1940.

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John Thomas (R-ID) Date Appointed: January 27, 1940 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1940.

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Ernest W. Gibson, Jr. (R-VT) Date Appointed: June 24, 1940 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Joseph H. Ball (R-MN) Date Appointed: October 14, 1940 Elected: Yes, on November 3, 1942.

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Berkeley L. Bunker (D-NV) Date Appointed: November 27, 1940 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Joseph Rosier (D-WV) Date Appointed: January 13, 1941 Elected: No, defeated on November 17, 1942.

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G. Lloyd Spencer (D-AR) Date Appointed: April 1, 1941 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Andrew J. Houston (D-TX) Date Appointed: April 21, 1941 Elected: Did not seek election.

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James O. Eastland (D-MS) Date Appointed: June 30, 1941 Elected: Did not seek election at this time, but was elected to the Senate in 1942.

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Alva Moore Lumpkin (D-SC) Date Appointed: July 17, 1941 Elected: No, died in office on August 1, 1941.

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Roger C. Peace (D-SC) Date Appointed: August 5, 1941 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Eugene D. Millikin (R-CO) Date Appointed: December 20, 1941 Elected: Yes, on November 3, 1942.

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Arthur Walsh (D-NJ) Date Appointed: November 26, 1943 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Samuel D. Jackson (D-IN) Date Appointed: January 28, 1944 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Sinclair Weeks (R-MA) Date Appointed: February 8, 1944 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Guy Cordon (R-OR) Date Appointed: March 4, 1944 Elected: Yes, on November 8, 1944.

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Wilton E. Hall (D-SC) Date Appointed: November 20, 1944 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Frank P. Briggs (D-MO) Date Appointed: January 18, 1945 Elected: No, defeated on November 5, 1946.

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Thomas C. Hart (R-CT) Date Appointed: February 15, 1945 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Milton R. Young (R-ND) Date Appointed: March 12, 1945 Elected: Yes, on June 25, 1946.

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Edward P. Carville (D-NV) Date Appointed: July 25, 1945 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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William F. Knowland (R-CA) Date Appointed: August 14, 1945 Elected: Yes, on November 5, 1946

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James W. Huffman (D-OH) Date Appointed: October 8, 1945 Elected: No, defeated on November 5, 1946.

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Charles C. Gossett (D-ID) Date Appointed: November 17, 1945 Elected: No, defeated on November 5, 1946.

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William A. Stanfill (R-KY) Date Appointed: November 19, 1945 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Thomas G. Burch (D-VA) Date Appointed: May 31, 1946 Elected: Did not seek election.

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George R. Swift (D-AL) Date Appointed: June 15, 1946 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Spessard L. Holland (D-FL) Date Appointed: September 25, 1946 Elected: Yes, on November 5, 1946.

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Ralph E. Flanders (R-VT) Date Appointed: November 1, 1946 Elected: Yes, on November 5, 1946.

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William B. Umstead (D-NC) Date Appointed: December 18, 1946 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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William C. Feazel (D-LA) Date Appointed: May 18, 1948 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Vera C. Bushfield (R-SD) Date Appointed: October 6, 1948 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Garrett L. Withers (D-KY) Date Appointed: January 20, 1949 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Frank P. Graham (D-NC) Date Appointed: March 29, 1949 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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John Foster Dulles (R-NY) Date Appointed: July 7, 1949 Elected: No, defeated on November 8, 1949.

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Edward L. Leahy (D-RI) Date Appointed: August 24, 1949 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Henry C. Dworshak (R-ID) Date Appointed: October 14, 1949 Elected: Yes, on November 7, 1950.

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Harry Darby (R-KS) Date Appointed: December 2, 1949 Elected: Did not seek election.

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William Benton (D-CT) Date Appointed: December 17, 1949 Elected: Yes, on November 7, 1950.

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Thomas R. Underwood (D-KY) Date Appointed: March 19, 1951 Elected: No, defeated on November 4, 1952.

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Blair Moody (D-MI) Date Appointed: April 22, 1951 Elected: No, defeated on November 4, 1952.

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Frederick A. Seaton (R-NE) Date Appointed: December 10, 1951 Elected: Did not seek election.

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William A. Purtell (R-CT) Date Appointed: August 29, 1952 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Thomas H. Kuchel (R-CA) Date Appointed: January 2, 1953 Elected: Yes, on November 2, 1954.

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Alton A. Lennon (D-NC) Date Appointed: July 10, 1953 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Robert W. Upton (R-NH) Date Appointed: August 14, 1953 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Thomas A. Burke (D-OH) Date Appointed: October 12, 1953 Elected: No, defeated on November 2, 1954.

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Eva Bowring (R-NE) Date Appointed: April 16, 1954 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Sam J. Ervin, Jr. (D-NC) Date Appointed: June 5, 1954 Elected: Yes, on November 2, 1954.

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Edward D. Crippa (R-WY) Date Appointed: June 24, 1954 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Sam W. Reynolds (R-NE) Date Appointed: July 3, 1954 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Charles E. Daniel (D-SC) Date Appointed: September 6, 1954 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Ernest S. Brown (R-NV) Date Appointed: October 1, 1954 Elected: No, defeated on November 2, 1954.

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William R. Laird, III (D-WV) Date Appointed: March 13, 1956 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Thomas A. Wofford (D-SC) Date Appointed: April 5, 1956 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Robert Humphreys (D-KY) Date Appointed: June 21, 1956 Elected: Did not seek election.

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William A. Blakley (D-TX) Date Appointed: January 15, 1957 Elected: Did not seek election.

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John D. Hoblitzell, Jr. (R-WV) Date Appointed: January 25, 1958 Elected: No, defeated on November 4, 1958.

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B. Everett Jordan (D-NC) Date Appointed: April 19, 1958 Elected: Yes, on November 4, 1958.

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C. Norman Brunsdale (R-ND) Date Appointed: November 19, 1959 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Hall Lusk (D-OR) Date Appointed: March 16, 1960 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Edward V. Long (D-MO) Date Appointed: September 23, 1960 Elected: Yes, on November 8, 1960.

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Benjamin Smith (D-MA) Date Appointed: December 27, 1960 Elected: Did not seek election.

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William Blakley (D-TX) Date Appointed: January 3, 1961 Elected: No, defeated on May 27, 1961.

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J. Joseph Hickey (D-WY) Date Appointed: January 3, 1961 Elected: No, defeated on November 6, 1962.

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Maurice J. Murphy, Jr. (R-NH) Date Appointed: December 7, 1961 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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James B. Pearson (R-KS) Date Appointed: January 31, 1962 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1962

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Joseph H. Bottum (R-SD) Date Appointed: July 9, 1962 Elected: No, defeated on November 6, 1962.

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Len Jordan (R-ID) Date Appointed: August 6, 1962 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1962.

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Edwin Mechem (R-NM) Date Appointed: November 30, 1962 Elected: No, defeated on November 3, 1964.

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J. Howard Edmondson (D-OK) Date Appointed: January 7, 1963 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Herbert S. Walters (D-TN) Date Appointed: August 20, 1963 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Pierre Salinger (D-CA) Date Appointed: August 4, 1964 Elected: No, defeated on November 3, 1964.

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Walter F. Mondale (D-MN) Date Appointed: December 30, 1964 Elected: Yes, on November 8, 1966.

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Donald S. Russell (D-SC) Date Appointed: April 22, 1965 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Harry F. Byrd, Jr. (D/I-VA) Date Appointed: November 12, 1965 Elected: Yes, on November 8, 1966.

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Robert P. Griffin (R-MI) Date Appointed: May 11, 1966 Elected: Yes, on November 8, 1966.

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Charles E. Goodell (R-NY) Date Appointed: September 10, 1968 Elected: No, defeated on November 3, 1970.

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Theodore (Ted) Stevens (R-AK) Date Appointed: December 24, 1968 Elected: Yes, on November 3, 1970.

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Ralph Tyler Smith (R-IL) Date Appointed: September 17, 1969 Elected: No, defeated on November 3, 1970.

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David H. Gambrell (D-GA) Date Appointed: February 1, 1971 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Robert T. Stafford (R-VT) Date Appointed: September 16, 1971 Elected: Yes, on January 7, 1972.

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Elaine S. Edwards (D-LA) Date Appointed: August 1, 1972 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Howard M. Metzenbaum (D-OH) Date Appointed: January 4, 1974 Elected: No, defeated for nomination, but was successfully elected to the Senate in 1976.

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Wendell R. Anderson (D-MN) Date Appointed: December 30, 1976 Elected: No, defeated on November 7, 1978.

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Kaneaster Hodges, Jr. (D-AR) Date Appointed: December 10, 1977 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Paul G. Hatfield (D-MT) Date Appointed: January 22, 1978 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Muriel B. Humphrey (D-MN) Date Appointed: January 25, 1978 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Maryon P. Allen (D-AL) Date Appointed: June 6, 1978 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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George J. Mitchell (D-ME) Date Appointed: May 17, 1980 Elected: Yes, on November 2, 1982.

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Nicholas F. Brady (R-NJ) Date Appointed: April 12, 1982 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Daniel J. Evans (R-WA) Date Appointed: September 8, 1983 Elected: Yes, on November 8, 1983

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James T. Broyhill (R-NC) Date Appointed: July 3, 1986 Elected: No, defeated on November 5, 1986.

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David K. Karnes (R-NE) Date Appointed: March 11, 1987 Elected: No, defeated on November 8, 1988.

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Dan Coats (R-IN) Date Appointed: January 3, 1989 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1990

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Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) Date Appointed: May 16, 1990 Elected: Yes, on November 6, 1990

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John Seymour (R-CA) Date Appointed: January 3, 1991 Elected: No, defeated on November 3, 1992.

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Harris Wofford (D-PA) Date Appointed: May 9, 1991 Elected: Yes, on November 5, 1991.

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Jocelyn Burdick (D-ND) Date Appointed: September 16, 1992 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Harlan Mathews (D-TN) Date Appointed: January 2, 1993 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Robert C. Krueger (D-TX) Date Appointed: January 21, 1993 Elected: No, defeated on June 5, 1993.

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Sheila Frahm (R-KS) Date Appointed: June 11, 1996 Elected: No, defeated for nomination.

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Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) Date Appointed: November 2, 1999 Elected: Yes, on November 7, 2000.

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Zell Miller (D-GA) Date Appointed: July 24, 2000 Elected: Yes, on November 7, 2000.

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Jean Carnahan (D-MO) Date Appointed: Effective January 3, 2001 Elected: No, defeated on November 5, 2002

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Dean Barkley (I-MN) Date Appointed: November 4, 2002 Elected: Did not seek election.

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Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Date Appointed: December 20, 2002 Elected: Yes, on November 2, 2004

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Robert Menendez (D-NJ) Date Appointed: January 17, 2006

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[Perdogg]

Wasn't Jar Jar Binks appointed to the Senate??? ;)

[PDR]

Is that supposed to be funny? 'Cause if it is, I don't get it.

[A CA Guy]

Nice posting of historic stats there PDR. :-)

[twigs]

But then Harris Wofford was defeated at the next regularly scheduled election by Rick Santorum. Sigh.

[ccc_jr]

Worst amendment ever. Totally destroyed the balance of power between the states and the federal government & turned our constitutional republic into a democracy. The mess of federal spending and abuse of power can be traced back to this horrible amendment.

[steve8714]

Hopefully Senator Johnson will recover, but he may have a long period of recuperation and be unable to perform his duties. He probably will not resign, so his party can keep control of the Senate.

[LdSentinal]

Thanks!

[TeenagedConservative]

INDEED!

[Irontank]

The 17th Amendment (along with the ratification of the 16th Amendment and the creation of the Federal Reserve...all done in 1913) were three significant advances of the all-powerful centralized government in Washington DC...all enacted in the same fateful year

1913 was a very bad year as it signaled the end of the decentralized constitutional American Republic that had existed until that time

The direct election of Senators, the federal income tax and the Fed all laid the groundwork for the steady advances of socialism in America we have seen since the 1930's

[lonerepubinma]

Benjamin Smith (D-MA) Date Appointed: December 27, 1960 Elected: Did not seek election

This is the load that "old man Joe Kennedy" installed to fill JFK's seat until the "fat One" could run for office.

[MadHatChemist]

If the 17th amendment explicitly give the governor of each state the power to appoint a senator until an election occurs, then how can the states deny that right of the governors without violating the Constitution?

[Political Junkie Too]

Wasn't Jar Jar Binks appointed to the Senate??? ;)

Are you referring to Barack Obama and his recent comment to Maureen Dowd?

Obama won a regular election, he was not appointed. You may be thinking of how his opponent, Jack Ryan, dropped out late in the race after messy divorce facts came out, and was replaced by Alan Keyes.

-PJ

[Perdogg]

Star wars thing! Nice posting. Sorry.

[GoBucks2002]

The mess of federal spending and abuse of power can be traced back to this horrible amendment.

Consideration should also be given to the once preceeding this amendment, which allowed the camel's nose under the tent of an income tax.

[what's up]

I thought the Jar Jar comment sort of humorous, myself :)

[Rurudyne]

Let me briefly say that the 17th Amendment was a huge mistake.

Justified as an enhancement of democracy it actually had the opposite effect.

Before the 17th it was the case that there were numerous independent and regional parties that prospered at the state and local level. One of the factors that influenced this was the fact that, because of the universal appointment of Senators, a political organization could hope to be nationally significant simply because they could be locally significant.

Thus one could support a regional party––say the Grange––and by means of local success hope to influence the direction of the nation. There was no argument that these votes were wasted.

Also, the same could be said of the major State political machines. Before the 17th these were the principal political influences on US Senators. For example: it was the State parties––by proxy of the State legislatures––that had the significant advisory role in any matters that might pass through the Senate ... especially the approval of Justices, judges, Ambassadors or foreign policy.

But the 17th reversed all of that.

Under the 17th the ability to elect a Senator fell under the auspices of the national parties rather than the state. It was no longer the case that an independent movement could hope to nominate––or influence the choice of candidate––simply because they were locally successful. The same was also true of the formerly powerful State parties as the adoption of this article began the process of converting them from the powerhouses they were to wholly owned––or pwned––franchises of the big National parties.

Likewise, the influence that was previously enjoyed by State legislatures now became the domain of the national parties. This meant that all of the special functions which the Senate enjoyed were no longer influenced by the fact that it is a lot easier to piss off a small number of elected officials to whom you are beholden for your job than to irk the electorate––who often vote on spurious, misinformed or even uninformed basis. The result is not only that the unelected National parties have the essential final say in matters like who gets to serve on the bench, but that the Senators are now quite secure in their jobs so long as nothing goes especially wrong.

So the net result of the 17th has been to transfer influence from elected and accountable State officials to unelected partisans. Further, it undermined the rich diversity of political choice present prior to its adoption and helped to whittle it down to just the two.

I could go on, but you get the drift.

It is no small coincidence that the 17th became law at the same time that the Income Tax was enabled. Both represent a massive power grab for the Federal Government and the major parties at the expense of the several States, the People and all independent political movements.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

You are soo right! Repeal the 16th and 17th Amendments!

Either we are equal or we are not. Good people ought to be armed where they will, with wits and guns. Merry Christmas

[PDR]

the amendment allows the legislatures to enact laws empowering the governor to make appointments (or to place conditions on said appointments) as in the ccase of Wisconsin.

[fabriclady]

Harry Reid must have lied today. Does anyone believe he looked at Senator Johnson and he looked good. Reid sure is a bold one.
I pray for Senator Johnsons recovery.