List of United States senators from Massachusetts

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Multiple image Below is a chronological listing of the United States senators from Massachusetts. According to the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution adopted in 1913, U.S. senators are popularly elected for a six-year term. Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1, and terms begin on January 3, about two months after the vote. Before 1914, and the enforcement of the Seventeenth Amendment, the state's U.S. senators were chosen by the Massachusetts General Court, and before 1935, their terms began March 4.

The current senators are Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. Ted Kennedy was Massachusetts's longest-serving senator, serving from 1962 until his death in 2009. Massachusetts is one of fourteen states alongside California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Utah to have a younger senior senator and an older junior senator.

Mid-term vacancy appointment processes

Through the 20th century, mid-term vacancies were filled with the governor's appointee, with the appointment expiring at the next biennial state election. In 2004, the Democratic-controlled state legislature changed the vacancy-filling process, mandating that a special election occur, which removed the governor's appointment power. This statute was enacted over the veto by the governor, Mitt Romney. The leadership of the Massachusetts legislature at the time was concerned that the Republican Governor Mitt Romney would appoint a Republican if Democratic Senator John Kerry were elected president of the United States in the 2004 election.<ref name='New York Times-Belluck-2004-06-25'>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name='New York Times-Zezima-2004-07-02'>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name='Boston Globe-Greenberger-2004-07-31'>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name='American Prospect-2004-07-16'>Template:Cite news</ref> Generally, the law requires a special election within 145 to 160 days from the date of the filing of a Senate resignation. The law contemplates resignations that become effective some period of time after the filing of the resignation, so long as the election occurs after effective date of the resignation.<ref name = 'Massachusetts Acts of 2004-Chapter 236'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

While terminally ill with brain cancer, Ted Kennedy requested that the Massachusetts legislature change the law to allow an interim appointment. Kennedy died shortly thereafter, and the legislature quickly passed a bill providing for an interim appointment.<ref name="globe-2009-09-23">Template:Cite news</ref> On September 24, 2009, Governor Deval Patrick signed the bill, and appointed Paul G. Kirk, who had previously served as one of Kennedy's congressional aides and as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

List of senators

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=5 Template:List of United States senators Congress | rowspan=8 | 3 | Elected in 1798.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}, citing Connecticut Gazette (New London, CT). June 20, 1798.</ref>Template:PbResigned to become U.S. Secretary of War. | Mar 4, 1799 –
May 30, 1800 | Template:Party shading/Federalist | Federalist | align=right |
Samuel Dexter ! 3

|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | Elected to finish Dexter's term.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}, citing Hampshire Gazette (Northhampton). June 11, 1800. The Kentucky Gazette (Lexington, KY). Jul 3, 1800.</ref>Template:PbResigned. | rowspan=4 nowrap | Jun 6, 1800 –
Mar 3, 1803 | rowspan=4 Template:Party shading/Federalist | Federalist | rowspan=4 align=right |
Dwight Foster ! rowspan=4 | 4

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 5 | rowspan=3 align=left | File:John Quincy Adams cropped.jpg
John Quincy Adams | rowspan=3 Template:Party shading/Federalist | Federalist | rowspan=3 nowrap | Mar 4, 1803 –
Jun 8, 1808 | rowspan=3 | Elected in 1803.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}, citing Columbian Centinel. Massachusetts Federalist (Boston, MA). Feb 5, 1803. The Independent Chronicle (Boston, MA). Feb 7, 1803. Columbian Centinel. Massachusetts Federalist (Boston, MA). Feb 9, 1803. Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA). Feb 9, 1803. Boston Gazette (Boston, MA). Feb 10, 1803. Republican Star or Eastern Shore General Advertiser (Easton, MD). Mar 1, 1803. Frederick-Town Herald (Fredericktown, MD). Mar 5, 1803.</ref>Template:PbResigned, having lost re-election to the next term. | rowspan=4 | 4 | Template:List of United States senators Congress | Elected to finish Dexter's term. | rowspan=5 nowrap | Mar 4, 1803 –
Mar 3, 1811 | rowspan=5 Template:Party shading/Federalist | Federalist | rowspan=5 align=right | File:Timothy-Pickering.jpg
Timothy Pickering ! rowspan=5 | 5

|- style="height:2em" | Template:List of United States senators Congress | rowspan=4 | 4 | rowspan=4 | Re-elected in 1805.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}, citing The Providence Phoenix (Providence, RI). Feb 9, 1805.</ref>Template:PbLost re-election.

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|- style="height:2em" | rowspan=4 | Elected in 1808.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}, citing The Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield, MA). Jun 11, 1808.</ref>Template:PbResigned. | rowspan=6 | 5 | Template:List of United States senators Congress