List of United States senators from South Carolina

South Carolina ratified the United States Constitution on May 23, 1788. Its Senate seats were declared vacant in July 1861 owing to its secession from the Union. They were again filled from July 1868. The state's current U.S. senators are Republicans Lindsey Graham, serving since 2003, and Tim Scott, serving since 2013. Strom Thurmond was the state's longest-serving senator (1954–1956, 1956–2003).

Current delegation

List of senators

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Class 2
Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. The next election will be in 2026.
C Class 3
Class 3 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2010, 2014 (special election), 2016, and 2022. The next election will be in 2028.
# Senator Party Dates in office Electoral history T T Electoral history Dates in office Party Senator #
1  
Pierce Butler
Pro-Admin. Mar 4, 1789 –
Oct 25, 1796
Elected in 1789. 1 1st 1 Elected in 1789.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1789 –
Mar 3, 1795
Pro-Admin.  
Ralph Izard
1
Anti-
Admin.
2nd
Re-elected in 1793.
Resigned.
2 3rd
Democratic-
Republican
4th 2 Elected in 1794 or 1795.
Lost re-election.
Mar 4, 1795 –
Mar 3, 1801
Federalist  
Jacob Read
2
Vacant Oct 25, 1796 –
Dec 8, 1796
 
2 John Hunter Democratic-
Republican
Dec 8, 1796 –
Nov 26, 1798
Elected to finish Butler's term.
Resigned.
5th
3  
Charles Pinckney
Democratic-
Republican
Dec 6, 1798 –
Jun 6, 1801
Elected to finish Butler's term.
Re-elected in 1799.
Resigned to become U.S. Minister to Spain.
3 6th
7th 3 Elected in 1800.
Died.
Mar 4, 1801 –
Oct 26, 1802
Democratic-
Republican
 
John E. Colhoun
3
Vacant Jun 6, 1801 –
Dec 15, 1801
 
4  
Thomas Sumter
Democratic-
Republican
Dec 15, 1801 –
Dec 16, 1810
Elected in 1801 to finish Pinckney's term.
  Oct 26, 1802 –
Nov 4, 1802
Vacant
Elected to finish Colhoun's term.
Resigned.
Nov 4, 1802 –
Nov 21, 1804
Democratic-
Republican
 
Pierce Butler
4
8th
  Nov 21, 1804 –
Dec 6, 1804
Vacant
Elected to finish Colhoun's term. Dec 6, 1804 –
Feb 26, 1826
Democratic-
Republican
 
John Gaillard
5
Re-elected in 1804.
Resigned.
4 9th
10th 4 Re-elected in 1806.
11th
Vacant Dec 16, 1810 –
Dec 31, 1810
 
5  
John Taylor
Democratic-
Republican
Dec 31, 1810 –
Nov 1816
Elected to finish Sumter's term.
Re-elected in 1810.
Resigned.
5 12th
13th 5 Re-elected in 1812.
14th
Vacant Nov 1816 –
Dec 4, 1816
 
6  
William Smith
Democratic-
Republican
Dec 4, 1816 –
Mar 3, 1823
Elected to finish Taylor's term.
Re-elected in 1816.
Lost re-election.
6 15th
16th 6 Re-elected in 1818.
17th
7  
Robert Y. Hayne
Democratic-
Republican
Mar 4, 1823 –
Dec 13, 1832
Elected in 1822. 7 18th
Jacksonian 19th 7 Re-elected in 1824.
Died.
Jacksonian
  Feb 26, 1826 –
Mar 8, 1826
Vacant
Appointed to continue Gaillard's term. Mar 8, 1826 –
Nov 29, 1826
Jacksonian  
William Harper
6
Elected to finish Gaillard's term.
Lost re-election.
Nov 29, 1826 –
Mar 3, 1831
Jacksonian  
William Smith
7
20th
Re-elected in 1828.
Resigned to become South Carolina Governor.
8 21st
Nullifier 22nd 8 Elected in 1830.
Resigned due to ill health.
Mar 4, 1831 –
Mar 3, 1833
Nullifier  

Stephen Decatur Miller

8
Vacant Dec 13, 1832 –
Dec 29, 1832
 
8  
John C. Calhoun
Nullifier Dec 29, 1832 –
Mar 3, 1843
Elected to finish Hayne's term.
23rd   Mar 3, 1833 –
Nov 26, 1833
Vacant
Elected to finish Miller's term. Nov 26, 1833 –
Nov 29, 1842
Nullifier  
William C. Preston
9
Re-elected in 1834. 9 24th
Democratic 25th 9 Re-elected in 1837.
Resigned.
Whig
26th
Re-elected in 1840.
Resigned.
10 27th
  Nov 29, 1842 –
Dec 23, 1842
Vacant
Elected to finish Preston's term. Dec 23, 1842 –
Aug 17, 1846
Democratic  
George McDuffie
10
9  

Daniel Elliott Huger

Democratic Mar 4, 1843 –
Mar 3, 1845
Elected to finish Calhoun's term.
Resigned.
28th 10 Re-elected in 1842 or 1843.
Vacant Mar 3, 1845 –
Nov 26, 1845
  29th
10  
John C. Calhoun
Democratic Nov 26, 1845 –
Mar 31, 1850
Re-elected to finish his own term.
  Aug 17, 1846 –
Dec 4, 1846
Vacant
Appointed to continue McDuffie's term.
Elected to finish McDuffie's term.
Dec 4, 1846 –
May 25, 1857
Democratic  
Andrew Butler
11
Re-elected in 1846.
Died.
11 30th
31st 11 Re-elected in 1848.
Vacant Mar 31, 1850 –
Apr 11, 1850
 
11  
Franklin H. Elmore
Democratic Apr 11, 1850 –
May 29, 1850
Appointed to continue Calhoun's term.
Died.
Vacant May 29, 1850 –
Jun 4, 1850
 
12  
Robert W. Barnwell
Democratic Jun 4, 1850 –
Dec 8, 1850
Appointed to continue Calhoun's term.
Retired when his successor was elected.
Vacant Dec 8, 1850 –
Dec 18, 1850
 
13  
Robert Rhett
Democratic Dec 18, 1850 –
May 7, 1852
Elected to finish Calhoun's term.
Resigned.
32nd
Vacant May 7, 1852 –
May 10, 1852
 
14  
William F. De Saussure
Democratic May 10, 1852 –
Mar 3, 1853
Appointed to continue Calhoun's term.
Elected Nov 29, 1852 to finish Calhoun's term.[1]
15  
Josiah Evans
Democratic Mar 4, 1853 –
May 6, 1858
Elected in 1852 or 1853.
Died.
12 33rd
34th 12 Re-elected in 1854.
Died.
35th
  May 25, 1857 –
Dec 7, 1857
Vacant
Elected to finish Butler's term.
Withdrew.
Dec 7, 1857 –
Nov 11, 1860
Democratic  
James H. Hammond
12
Vacant May 6, 1858 –
May 11, 1858
 
16  
Arthur P. Hayne
Democratic May 11, 1858 –
Dec 2, 1858
Appointed to continue Evans' term.
Retired when his successor was elected.
17  
James Chesnut Jr.
Democratic Dec 3, 1858 –
Nov 10, 1860
Elected to finish Evans' term.
Re-elected in 1858.
Withdrew and was later expelled for his support of the Confederacy.
13 36th
Vacant Nov 10, 1860 –
Jul 15, 1868
Civil War and Reconstruction.
Civil War and Reconstruction. Nov 11, 1860 –
Jul 16, 1868
Vacant
37th 13
38th
14 39th
40th 14
18  
Thomas J. Robertson
Republican Jul 15, 1868 –
Mar 3, 1877
Elected to finish the vacant term.
Elected to finish the vacant term. Jul 16, 1868 –
Mar 3, 1873
Republican  
Frederick A. Sawyer
13
41st
Re-elected in 1870.
Retired.
15 42nd
43rd 15 Elected in 1872 or 1873. Mar 4, 1873 –
Mar 3, 1879
Republican  
John J. Patterson
14
44th
19  
Matthew Butler
Democratic Mar 4, 1877 –
Mar 3, 1895
Elected in 1876. 16 45th
46th 16 Elected in 1878. Mar 4, 1879 –
Mar 3, 1891
Democratic  
Wade Hampton III
15
47th
Re-elected in 1882. 17 48th
49th 17 Re-elected in 1884.
Lost re-election.
50th
Re-elected in 1888.
Lost renomination.
18 51st
52nd 18 Elected in 1890.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1891 –
Mar 3, 1897
Democratic  
John L. M. Irby
16
53rd
20  
Benjamin Tillman
Democratic Mar 4, 1895 –
Jul 3, 1918
Elected in 1894. 19 54th
55th 19 Elected in 1897.
Died.
Mar 4, 1897 –
May 20, 1897
Democratic  
Joseph Earle
17
  May 20, 1897 –
May 27, 1897
Vacant
Appointed to continue Earle's term.
Elected in 1898 to finish Earle's term.[2]
Retired.
May 27, 1897 –
Mar 3, 1903
Democratic  
John McLaurin
18
56th
Re-elected in 1901. 20 57th
58th 20 Elected in 1903.[3]
Died.
Mar 4, 1903 –
Feb 20, 1908
Democratic  
Asbury Latimer
19
59th
Re-elected in 1907.[4] 21 60th
  Feb 20, 1908 –
Mar 6, 1908
Vacant
Elected in 1908 to finish Latimer's term.
Retired.
Mar 6, 1908 –
Mar 3, 1909
Democratic  
Frank B. Gary
20
61st 21 Elected in 1909. Mar 4, 1909 –
Nov 17, 1944
Democratic  
Ellison D. Smith
21
62nd
Re-elected in 1913.
Died.
22 63rd
64th 22 Re-elected in 1914.
65th
Vacant Jul 3, 1918 –
Jul 6, 1918
 
21  
Christie Benet
Democratic Jul 6, 1918 –
Nov 5, 1918
Appointed to continue Tillman's term.
Lost election to finish Tillman's term.
22  
William P. Pollock
Democratic Nov 6, 1918 –
Mar 3, 1919
Elected to finish Tillman's term.
Retired.
23  
Nathaniel Dial
Democratic Mar 4, 1919 –
Mar 3, 1925
Elected in 1918.
Lost renomination.
23 66th
67th 23 Re-elected in 1920.
68th
24  
Cole L. Blease
Democratic Mar 4, 1925 –
Mar 3, 1931
Elected in 1924.
Lost renomination.
24 69th
70th 24 Re-elected in 1926.
71st
25  
James F. Byrnes
Democratic Mar 4, 1931 –
Jul 8, 1941
Elected in 1930. 25 72nd
73rd 25 Re-elected in 1932.
74th
Re-elected in 1936.
Resigned to become a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
26 75th
76th 26 Re-elected in 1938.
Lost renomination before dying.
77th
Vacant Jul 8, 1941 –
Jul 22, 1941
 
26  
Alva Lumpkin
Democratic Jul 22, 1941 –
Aug 1, 1941
Appointed to continue Byrnes's term.
Died.
27  
Roger Peace
Democratic Aug 5, 1941 –
Nov 4, 1941
Appointed to continue Byrnes's term.
Retired when successor elected.
28  
Burnet R. Maybank
Democratic Nov 5, 1941 –
Sep 1, 1954
Elected to finish Byrnes's term.
Re-elected in 1942. 27 78th
  Nov 17, 1944 –
Nov 20, 1944
Vacant
Appointed to finish Smith's term.
Retired when successor was elected to the next full term.
Nov 20, 1944 –
Jan 3, 1945
Democratic  
Wilton E. Hall
22
79th 27 Elected in 1944. Jan 3, 1945 –
Apr 18, 1965
Democratic  
Olin D. Johnston
23
80th
Re-elected in 1948.
Died.
28 81st
82nd 28 Re-elected in 1950.
83rd
Vacant Sep 1, 1954 –
Sep 6, 1954
 
29  
Charles E. Daniel
Democratic Sep 6, 1954 –
Dec 23, 1954
Appointed to finish Maybank's term.
Resigned early to give successor preferential seniority.
30  
Strom Thurmond
Democratic Dec 24, 1954 –
Apr 4, 1956
Appointed to finish Maybank's term, having been elected to the next term.
Elected in 1954.[5]
Resigned.
29 84th
31  
Thomas A. Wofford
Democratic Apr 5, 1956 –
Nov 6, 1956
Appointed to continue Thurmond's term.
Retired.
32  
Strom Thurmond
Democratic Nov 7, 1956 –
Jan 3, 2003
Elected in 1956 to finish his own term.
85th 29 Re-elected in 1956.
86th
Re-elected in 1960.
Changed party on Sep 16, 1964.
30 87th
88th 30 Re-elected in 1962.
Died.
Republican
89th
  Apr 18, 1965 –
Apr 22, 1965
Vacant
Appointed to continue Johnston's term.
Lost nomination to finish Johnston's term.
Apr 22, 1965 –
Nov 8, 1966
Democratic  
Donald S. Russell
24
Elected to finish Johnston's term. Nov 9, 1966 –
Jan 3, 2005
Democratic  
Fritz Hollings
25
Re-elected in 1966. 31 90th
91st 31 Re-elected in 1968.
92nd
Re-elected in 1972. 32 93rd
94th 32 Re-elected in 1974.
95th
Re-elected in 1978. 33 96th
97th 33 Re-elected in 1980.
98th
Re-elected in 1984. 34 99th
100th 34 Re-elected in 1986.
101st
Re-elected in 1990. 35 102nd
103rd 35 Re-elected in 1992.
104th
Re-elected in 1996.
Retired.
36 105th
106th 36 Re-elected in 1998.
Retired.
107th
33  
Lindsey Graham
Republican Jan 3, 2003 –
present
Elected in 2002. 37 108th
109th 37 Elected in 2004. Jan 3, 2005 –
Jan 2, 2013
Republican  
Jim DeMint
26
110th
Re-elected in 2008. 38 111th
112th 38 Re-elected in 2010.
Resigned.
Appointed to continue DeMint's term.
Elected in 2014 to finish DeMint's term.
Jan 2, 2013 –
present
Republican  
Tim Scott
27
113th
Re-elected in 2014. 39 114th
115th 39 Re-elected in 2016.
116th
Re-elected in 2020. 40 117th
118th 40 Re-elected in 2022.
Retiring at the end of the term.[6]
119th
To be determined in the 2026 election. 41 120th
121st 41 To be determined in the 2028 election.
# Senator Party Years in office Electoral history T C T Electoral history Years in office Party Senator #
Class 2 Class 3

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Byrd, p. 164.
  2. ^ Byrd, p. 166.
  3. ^ "South Carolina's Choice". The New York Times. January 28, 1903. p. 8.
  4. ^ The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1908. New York: The Tribune Association. 1908. p. 260.
  5. ^ "THURMOND, James Strom". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  6. ^ "Tim Scott says 2022 Senate race will be his last".

References

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