List of United States senators from Rhode Island

Rhode Island ratified the United States Constitution on May 29, 1790 and elects its U.S. senators to class 1 and class 2. The state's current U.S. senators are Democrats Jack Reed (since 1997) and Sheldon Whitehouse (since 2007). Claiborne Pell was Rhode Island's longest-serving senator (1961–1997).

List of senators

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | May 29, 1790 –Jun 12, 1790 | Rhode Island did not elect its U.S. senators until Jun 7, 1790. | rowspan=2 | 1 | rowspan=2 | rowspan=3 | 1 | Rhode Island did not elect its U.S. senators until Jun 7, 1790. | nowrap | May 29, 1790 –Jun 12, 1790 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=11 | 1 | rowspan=11 align=left | Theodore Foster

| rowspan=3 | Pro-Admin. | rowspan=11 nowrap | Jun 12, 1790 –Mar 3, 1803 | Elected in 1790. | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1790. | rowspan=2 nowrap | Jun 12, 1790 –Mar 3, 1793 | rowspan=2 | Anti-Admin. | rowspan=2 align=right | Joseph Stanton Jr. ! rowspan=2 | 1

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1791. | rowspan=3 | 2

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=5 | 2 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1793.Resigned. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1793 –Oct 1797 | | Pro-Admin. | rowspan=3 align=right | William Bradford ! rowspan=3 | 2

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=8 | Federalist | | rowspan=2 | Federalist

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=7 | Re-elected in 1797.Retired. | rowspan=7 | 3 | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em"

| nowrap | Oct 1797 –Nov 13, 1797 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=1 | Elected in 1797 to finish Bradford's term. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Nov 13, 1797 –Mar 5, 1801 | rowspan=3 | Federalist | rowspan=3 align=right | Ray Greene ! rowspan=3 | 3

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=7 | 3 | rowspan=2 | Re-elected in 1798.Resigned.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em"

| nowrap | Mar 5, 1801 –May 6, 1801 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | Elected in 1801 to finish Greene's term.Lost re-election. | rowspan=4 nowrap | May 6, 1801 –Mar 3, 1805 | rowspan=4 | Democratic-Republican | rowspan=4 align=right | Christopher Ellery ! rowspan=4 | 4

|- style="height:2em" ! 2 | align=left | Samuel J. Potter | | Democratic-Republican | nowrap | Mar 4, 1803 –Sep 26, 1804 | Elected in 1802.Died. | rowspan=7 | 4 | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Sep 26, 1804 –Oct 29, 1804

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=5 | 3 | rowspan=5 align=left | Benjamin Howland | rowspan=5 | Democratic-Republican | rowspan=5 nowrap | Oct 29, 1804 –Mar 3, 1809 | rowspan=5 | Elected in 1804 to finish Potter's term.Retired.

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=7 | 4 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1804.Resigned. | rowspan=2 nowrap | Mar 4, 1805 –Sep 1807 | rowspan=2 | Democratic-Republican | rowspan=2 align=right | James Fenner ! rowspan=2 | 5

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em"

| nowrap | Sep 1807 –Oct 26, 1807 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | Elected to finish Fenner's term. | rowspan=4 nowrap | Oct 26, 1807 –Mar 3, 1811 | rowspan=4 | Democratic-Republican | rowspan=4 align=right | Elisha Mathewson ! rowspan=4 | 6

|- style="height:2em" ! 4 | align=left | Francis Malbone | | Federalist | nowrap | Mar 4, 1809 –Jun 4, 1809 | Elected in 1808., citing United States' Gazette (Philadelphia, PA). Jan 14, 1809.Died. | rowspan=7 | 5 | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Jun 4, 1809 –Jun 26, 1809

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=2 | 5 | rowspan=2 align=left | Christopher G. Champlin | rowspan=2 | Federalist | rowspan=2 nowrap | Jun 26, 1809 –Oct 12, 1811 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1809 to finish Malbone's term.Resigned.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | rowspan=5 | 5 | rowspan=5 | Elected in 1810.Retired. | rowspan=5 nowrap | Mar 4, 1811 –Mar 3, 1817 | rowspan=5 | Democratic-Republican | rowspan=5 align=right | Jeremiah B. Howell ! rowspan=5 | 7

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Oct 12, 1811 –Oct 28, 1811

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=7 | 6 | rowspan=7 align=left | William Hunter | rowspan=7 | Federalist | rowspan=7 nowrap | Oct 28, 1811 –Mar 3, 1821 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1811 to finish Malbone's term.

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=5 | Re-elected in 1814. | rowspan=5 | 6

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=5 | 6 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1816.Died. | rowspan=2 nowrap | Mar 4, 1817 –Dec 25, 1820 | rowspan=2 | Federalist | rowspan=2 align=right | James Burrill Jr. ! rowspan=2 | 8

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em"

| nowrap | Dec 25, 1820 –Jan 9, 1821 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1821 to finish Burrill's term. | rowspan=12 nowrap | Jan 9, 1821 –Mar 3, 1841 | rowspan=3 | Democratic-Republican | rowspan=12 align=right | Nehemiah R. Knight ! rowspan=12 | 9

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 7 | rowspan=3 align=left | James DeWolf | rowspan=2 | Democratic-Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1821 –Oct 31, 1825 | rowspan=3 | Election date unknown.Resigned. | rowspan=4 | 7

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=4 | 7 | rowspan=4 | Re-elected in 1823.

|- style="height:2em" | | NationalRepublican | rowspan=2 | rowspan=7 | NationalRepublican

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=7 | 8 | rowspan=7 align=left | Asher Robbins | rowspan=6 | NationalRepublican | rowspan=7 nowrap | Oct 31, 1825 –Mar 3, 1839 | Elected in 1825 to finish DeWolf's term.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1827. | rowspan=3 | 8

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 8 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1829.

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1833. | rowspan=3 | 9

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 9 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1835.

|- style="height:2em" | | Whig | | rowspan=2 | Whig

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=2 | 9 | rowspan=2 align=left | Nathan F. Dixon I | rowspan=2 | Whig | rowspan=2 nowrap | Mar 4, 1839 –Jan 29, 1842 | rowspan=2 | Election date unknown.Died. | rowspan=7 | 10

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | rowspan=7 | 10 | rowspan=7 | Elected in 1841.Lost re-election. | rowspan=7 nowrap | Mar 4, 1841 –Mar 3, 1847 | rowspan=7 | Whig | rowspan=7 align=right | James F. Simmons ! rowspan=7 | 10

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Jan 29, 1842 –Feb 18, 1842

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=2 | 10 | rowspan=2 align=left | William Sprague III | rowspan=2 | Whig | rowspan=2 nowrap | Feb 18, 1842 –Jan 17, 1844 | rowspan=2 | Elected in 1842 to finish Dixon's term.Resigned.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Jan 17, 1844 –Jan 25, 1844

|- style="height:2em" ! 11 | align=left | John Brown Francis | | Law and Order | nowrap | Jan 25, 1844 –Mar 3, 1845 | Elected in 1844 to finish Sprague's term.Retired.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 12 | rowspan=3 align=left | Albert C. Greene | rowspan=3 | Whig | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1845 –Mar 3, 1851 | rowspan=3 | Election date unknown.Retired. | rowspan=3 | 11

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 11 | rowspan=3 | Election date unknown. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1847 –Mar 3, 1853 | rowspan=3 | Whig | rowspan=3 align=right | John Hopkins Clarke ! rowspan=3 | 11

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=4 | 13 | rowspan=4 align=left | Charles T. James | rowspan=4 | Democratic | rowspan=4 nowrap | Mar 4, 1851 –Mar 3, 1857 | rowspan=4 | Election date unknown.Retired. | rowspan=4 | 12

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | rowspan=4 | 12

| nowrap | Mar 4, 1853 –Jul 20, 1853 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Elected late.Retired. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Jul 20, 1853 –Mar 3, 1859 | rowspan=3 | Democratic | rowspan=3 align=right | Philip Allen ! rowspan=3 | 12

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 14 | rowspan=3 align=left | James F. Simmons | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1857 –Aug 15, 1862 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1856.Resigned. | rowspan=5 | 13

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=5 | 13 | rowspan=5 | Elected in 1858. | rowspan=17 nowrap | Mar 4, 1859 –Sep 2, 1884 | rowspan=17 | Republican | rowspan=17 align=right | Henry B. Anthony ! rowspan=17 | 13

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Aug 15, 1862 –Dec 1, 1862

|- style="height:2em" ! 15 | align=left | Samuel G. Arnold | | Constitutional Union | nowrap | Dec 1, 1862 –Mar 3, 1863 | Elected in 1862 to finish Simmons's term.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=6 | 16 | rowspan=6 align=left | William Sprague IV | rowspan=6 | Republican | rowspan=6 nowrap | Mar 4, 1863 –Mar 3, 1875 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1862. | rowspan=3 | 14

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 14 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1864.

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1868.Retired. | rowspan=3 | 15

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 15 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1870.

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=4 | 17 | rowspan=4 align=left | Ambrose Burnside | rowspan=4 | Republican | rowspan=4 nowrap | Mar 4, 1875 –Sep 13, 1881 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1874. | rowspan=3 | 16

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=5 | 16 | rowspan=5 | Re-elected in 1876.

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" | Re-elected in 1880.Died. | rowspan=8 | 17 | rowspan=3

|- style="height:2em" | colspan=3 | Vacant | nowrap | Sep 13, 1881 –Oct 5, 1881

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=20 | 18 | rowspan=20 align=left | Nelson W. Aldrich | rowspan=20 | Republican | rowspan=20 nowrap | Oct 5, 1881 –Mar 3, 1911 | rowspan=6 | Elected in 1881 to finish Burnside's term.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | rowspan=6 | 17 | Re-elected in 1882.Died.

|- style="height:2em"

| nowrap | Sep 2, 1884 –Nov 19, 1884 | colspan=3 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | Appointed to continue Anthony's term. | nowrap | Nov 19, 1884 –Jan 20, 1885 | | Republican | align=right | William P. Sheffield ! 14

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1885 to finish Anthony's term. | rowspan=4 nowrap | Jan 20, 1885 –Apr 9, 1889 | rowspan=4 | Republican | rowspan=4 align=right | Jonathan Chace ! rowspan=4 | 15

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | Re-elected in 1886. | rowspan=4 | 18

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | rowspan=4 | 18 | Re-elected in 1888.Resigned.

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1889 to finish Chace's term.Retired. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Apr 10, 1889 –Mar 3, 1895 | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 align=right | Nathan F. Dixon III ! rowspan=3 | 16

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1892. | rowspan=3 | 19

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 19 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1894. | rowspan=6 nowrap | Mar 4, 1895 –Mar 3, 1907 | rowspan=6 | Republican | rowspan=6 align=right | George P. Wetmore ! rowspan=10 | 17

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1898. | rowspan=3 | 20

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 20 | rowspan=3 | Re-elected in 1900.

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | Re-elected Jan 18, 1905.Retired. | rowspan=4 | 21

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=2 | rowspan=4 | 21 | Legislature failed to elect. | nowrap | Mar 4, 1907 –Jan 22, 1908 | colspan=2 | Vacant

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1908 to finish the vacant term.Retired. | rowspan=3 nowrap | Jan 22, 1908–Mar 3, 1913 | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 align=right | George P. Wetmore

|- style="height:2em"

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 19 | rowspan=3 align=left | Henry F. Lippitt | rowspan=3 | Republican | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1911 –Mar 3, 1917 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1910.Lost re-election. | rowspan=3 | 22

|- style="height:2em" | | rowspan=3 | 22 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1913. | rowspan=6 nowrap | Mar 4, 1913 –Aug 18, 1924 | rowspan=6 | Republican | rowspan=6 align=right | LeBaron Bradford Colt