Resignation from the United States Senate

A member of the United States Senate can resign by writing a letter of resignation to the governor of the state that the senator represents. Under Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of the United States, and under the Seventeenth Amendment, in case of a vacancy in the Senate resulting from resignation, the executive authority of the state (today known in every state as the governor) can make a temporary appointment to fill the vacancy if so authorized by the state legislature. A special election may follow depending on timing and state law. Whenever a senator needs to be appointed or elected, the Secretary of the Senate mails one of three forms to the state's governor to inform that person of the proper wording to certify the appointment of a new Senator.

The first resignation from the Senate was that of William Paterson of New Jersey on November 13, 1790, who resigned in order to accept the office of Governor of New Jersey. His resignation was only the third time a person ceased to hold a seat in the Senate, which had first convened during the preceding year, 1789. The earlier ones resulted from the death of Senator William Grayson of Virginia, and the expiration of the term of the temporary senator John Walker of Virginia, who was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to hold that office until a successor could be elected in November.

Before 1796, eight senators resigned. Nine senators resigned during that year—a record-high number that stands to this day. Most resignations have been motivated either by declining health or a decision to accept another office. Sixteen persons have resigned from the Senate twice and two have resigned three times.

1789 to 1799 Name State Date of resignationNotesWilliam PatersonNew JerseyNovember 13, 1790Resigned to become Governor of New Jersey.Samuel JohnsonConnecticutMarch 3, 1791Richard LeeVirginiaOctober 8, 1792Charles CarrollMarylandNovember 30, 1792George ReadDelawareSeptember 18, 1793James MonroeVirginiaMarch 27, 1794John Taylor of CarolineVirginiaMay 11, 1794James JacksonGeorgiaNovember 16, 1795Oliver EllsworthConnecticutMarch 8, 1796Rufus KingNew YorkMay 23, 1796Caleb StrongMassachusettsJune 1, 1796George CabotMassachusettsJune 9, 1796Jonathan Trumbull Jr.ConnecticutJune 10, 1796Moses RobinsonVermontOctober 15, 1796Richard PottsMarylandOctober 24, 1796Pierce ButlerSouth CarolinaOctober 25, 1796Frederick FrelinghuysenNew JerseyNovember 12, 1796William CockeTennesseeSeptember 26, 1797William BradfordRhode IslandOctober ??, 1797Isaac TichenorVermontOctober 17, 1797Resigned to become Governor of Vermont.John HenryMarylandDecember 10, 1797Philip SchuylerNew YorkJanuary 3, 1798John ViningDelawareJanuary 19, 1798Andrew JacksonTennesseeApril 1, 1798John Sloss HobartNew YorkApril 16, 1798John HunterSouth CarolinaNovember 26, 1798John RutherfurdNew JerseyDecember 5, 1798Joseph AndersonTennesseeMarch 3, 1799

1800 to 1849 NameStateDate of resignationNotesSamuel DexterMassachusettsMay 30, 1800Resigned to take office as United States Secretary of War.John LauranceNew YorkAugust 1, 1800Benjamin GoodhueMassachusettsNovember 8, 1800James LloydMarylandDecember 1, 1800James SchuremanNew JerseyFebruary 16, 1801Henry Latimer DelawareFebruary 28, 1801Ray GreeneRhode IslandMarch 5, 1801Charles PinckneySouth CarolinaJune 6, 1801Samuel LivermoreNew HampshireJune 12, 1801Elijah PaineVermontSeptember 1, 1801John Armstrong Jr.New YorkFebruary 5, 1802James SheafeNew HampshireJune 14, 1802Dwight FosterMassachusettsMarch 2, 1803DeWitt ClintonNew YorkNovember 4, 1803Theodorus BaileyNew YorkJanuary 16, 1804John Armstrong Jr.New YorkFebruary 23, 1804Abraham B. VenableVirginiaJune 7, 1804John Armstrong Jr.New YorkJune 30, 1804William H. WellsDelawareNovember 6, 1804William GilesVirginiaDecember 3, 1804Andrew MooreVirginiaDecember 3, 1804Resigned his Class 2 senatorship when elected to fill a vacant Class 1 senatorship.John BreckinridgeKentuckyAugust 7, 1805Robert WrightMarylandNovember 12, 1806John AdairKentuckyNovember 18, 1806David StoneNorth CarolinaFebruary 17, 1807James FennerRhode IslandSeptember ??, 1807Israel SmithVermontOctober 1, 1807John SmithOhioApril 25, 1808Resigned after being indicted but not expelled in a 19–10 vote.John Quincy AdamsMassachusettsJune 8, 1808Samuel MaclayPennsylvaniaJanuary 4, 1809Aaron KitchellNew JerseyMarch 3, 1809Daniel SmithTennesseeMarch 31, 1809John MilledgeGeorgiaNovember 14, 1809Buckner ThrustonKentuckyDecember 18, 1809Nahum ParkerNew HampshireJune 1, 1810James HillhouseConnecticutJune 10, 1810Return J. Meigs Jr.OhioDecember 8, 1810Thomas SumterSouth CarolinaDecember 16, 1810Jenkin WhitesideTennesseeOctober 8, 1811Christopher ChamplinRhode IslandOctober 12, 1811Jean Noel DestréhanLouisianaOctober 1, 1812James BayardDelawareMarch 3, 1813Dudley ChaseVermontMarch 3, 1813William CrawfordGeorgiaMarch 23, 1813James LloydMassachusettsMay 1, 1813Chauncey GoodrichConnecticutMay 13, 1813George W. CampbellTennesseeFebruary 11, 1814Michael LeibPennsylvaniaFebruary 14, 1814George BibbKentuckyAugust 23, 1814Thomas WorthingtonOhioDecember 1, 1814Jesse BledsoeKentuckyDecember 24, 1814David StoneNorth CarolinaDecember 24, 1814William GilesVirginiaMarch 3, 1815Francis Locke Jr.North CarolinaDecember 5, 1815William T. BarryKentuckyMay 1, 1816Christopher GoreMassachusettsMay 30, 1816John TaylorSouth CarolinaNovember ??, 1816Wyatt BibbGeorgiaNovember 9, 1816James TurnerNorth CarolinaNovember 21, 1816Goodloe HarperMarylandDecember 6, 1816Jeremiah MasonNew HampshireJune 16, 1817James FiskVermontJanuary 8, 1818George W. CampbellTennesseeApril 20, 1818Eli AshmunMassachusettsMay 10, 1818George TroupGeorgiaSeptember 23, 1818John ForsythGeorgiaFebruary 17, 1819John J. CrittendenKentuckyMarch 3, 1819John Wayles EppesVirginiaDecember 4, 1819Prentiss MellenMassachusettsMay 15, 1820Walter LeakeMississippiMay 15, 1820William LoganKentuckyMay 28, 1820James WilsonNew JerseyJanuary 8, 1821Freeman WalkerGeorgiaAugust 6, 1821Harrison Gray OtisMassachusettsMay 30, 1822John Williams WalkerAlabamaDecember 12, 1822James PleasantsVirginiaDecember 15, 1822Caesar Augustus RodneyDelawareJanuary 29, 1823Samuel SouthardNew JerseyMarch 3, 1823James BrownLouisianaDecember 10, 1823Ninian EdwardsIllinoisMarch 3, 1824Henry JohnsonLouisianaMay 27, 1824James BarbourVirginiaMarch 7, 1825David HolmesMississippiSeptember 25, 1825Andrew JacksonTennesseeOctober 14, 1825James DeWolfRhode IslandOctober 31, 1825Edward LloydMarylandJanuary 14, 1826James LloydMassachusettsMay 23, 1826Henry HarrisonOhioMay 20, 1828Albion ParrisMaineAugust 26, 1828Thomas CobbGeorgiaNovember 7, 1828Nathaniel MaconNorth CarolinaDecember 14, 1828Ephraim BatemanNew JerseyJanuary 12, 1829Mahlon DickersonNew JerseyJanuary 30, 1829John BerrienGeorgiaMarch 9, 1829John BranchNorth CarolinaMarch 9, 1829John EatonTennesseeMarch 9, 1829Louis McLaneDelawareApril 16, 1829Edward LivingstonLouisianaMay 24, 1831Issac BarnardPennsylvaniaDecember 6, 1831Powhatan EllisMississippiJuly 16, 1832Littleton TazewellVirginiaJuly 16, 1832Robert HayneSouth CarolinaDecember 13, 1832William MarcyNew YorkJanuary 1, 1833George TroupGeorgiaNovember 8, 1833William RivesVirginiaFebruary 22, 1834John ForsythGeorgiaJune 27, 1834Ezekiel ChambersMarylandDecember 20, 1834Peleg SpragueMaineJanuary 1, 1835Charles GayarréLouisianaJanuary ??, 1836John TylerVirginiaFebruary 29, 1836Ether ShepleyMaineMarch 3, 1836Willie MangumNorth CarolinaMarch 19, 1836Isaac HillNew HampshireMay 30, 1836Arnold NaudainDelawareJune 16, 1836Benjamin LeighVirginiaJuly 4, 1836John ClaytonDelawareDecember 29, 1836Alexander PorterLouisianaJanuary 5, 1837Richard ParkerVirginiaMarch 13, 1837John McKinleyAlabamaApril 22, 1837Pendleton KingGeorgiaNovember 1, 1837John BlackMississippiJanuary 22, 1838Felix GrundyTennesseeJuly 4, 1838James F. TrotterMississippiJuly 10, 1838Ephraim FosterTennesseeMarch 3, 1839Richard BayardDelawareSeptember 19, 1839Lawson WhiteTennesseeJanuary 13, 1840Robert StrangeNorth CarolinaNovember 16, 1840Bedford BrownNorth CarolinaNovember 16, 1840John DavisMassachusettsJanuary 5, 1841Daniel WebsterMassachusettsFebruary 22, 1841Resigned to become United States Secretary of State.Comer ClayAlabamaNovember 15, 1841Franklin PierceNew HampshireFebruary 28, 1842Alexander MoutonLouisianaMarch 1, 1842Henry ClayKentuckyMarch 31, 1842Samuel PrentissVermontApril 11, 1842Samuel SouthardNew JerseyJune 26, 1842Reuel WilliamsMaineFebruary 15, 1843John CalhounSouth CarolinaMarch 3, 1843William SpragueRhode IslandJanuary 17, 1844William KingAlabamaApril 15, 1844Nathaniel TallmadgeNew YorkJune 17, 1844Silas Wright Jr.New YorkNovember 26, 1844John BerrienGeorgiaMarch 1, 1845Elliot HugerSouth CarolinaMarch 3, 1845Levi WoodburyNew HampshireSeptember 20, 1845William Haywood Jr.North CarolinaJuly 25, 1846Walter ColquittGeorgiaFebruary 4, 1848Ambrose SevierArkansasMarch 15, 1848Lewis CassMichiganMay 29, 1848John CrittendenKentuckyJune 12, 1848Arthur P. BagbyAlabamaJune 16, 1848John M. ClaytonDelawareFebruary 2, 1849Reverdy JohnsonMarylandMarch 7, 1849

1850 to 1899