List of United States senators from Colorado
Colorado was admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876 and elects U.S. senators to Senate Class 2 and Class 3. Its current U.S. senators are Democrats Michael Bennet (serving since 2009) and John Hickenlooper (serving since 2021). Henry M. Teller was Colorado's longest-serving senator (1876–1882; 1885–1909).
List of senators
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 1998, 2004, 2010, and 2016. The next election will be in 2022. | ||||||||||
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# | Senator | Party | Dates in office | Electoral history | T | T | Electoral history | Dates in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Vacant | Aug 1, 1876 – Nov 15, 1876 |
Colorado did not elect its senators until three months after statehood. | 1 | 44th | 1 | Colorado did not elect its senators until three months after statehood. | Aug 1, 1876 – Nov 15, 1876 |
Vacant | ||||
1 | ![]() Henry M. Teller |
Republican | Nov 15, 1876 – Apr 17, 1882 |
Elected in 1876. | Elected in 1876.Retired. | Nov 15, 1876 – Mar 3, 1879 |
Republican | ![]() Jerome B. Chaffee |
1 | |||
Elected to next term in 1876 or 1877.Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior. | 2 | 45th | ||||||||||
46th | 2 | Elected in 1879.Lost re-nomination. | Mar 4, 1879 – Mar 3, 1885 |
Republican | ![]() Nathaniel P. Hill |
2 | ||||||
47th | ||||||||||||
2 | ![]() George M. Chilcott |
Republican | Apr 17, 1882 – Jan 27, 1883 |
Appointed to continue Teller's term.Did not run to finish the term. | ||||||||
3 | ![]() Horace Tabor |
Republican | Jan 27, 1883 – Mar 3, 1883 |
Elected to finish Teller's term.Retired. | ||||||||
4 | ![]() Thomas M. Bowen |
Republican | Mar 4, 1883 – Mar 3, 1889 |
Election date unknown.Unknown if retired or lost re-election. | 3 | 48th | ||||||
49th | 3 | Elected in 1885. | Mar 4, 1885 – Mar 3, 1909 |
Republican | ![]() Henry M. Teller |
3 | ||||||
50th | ||||||||||||
5 | ![]() Edward O. Wolcott |
Republican | Mar 4, 1889 – Mar 3, 1901 |
Elected in 1889. | 4 | 51st | ||||||
52nd | 4 | Re-elected in 1891. | ||||||||||
53rd | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1895.Lost re-election. | 5 | 54th | ||||||||||
55th | 5 | Re-elected in 1897.[1] | Silver Republican | |||||||||
56th | ||||||||||||
6 | ![]() Thomas M. Patterson |
Democratic | Mar 4, 1901 – Mar 3, 1907 |
Elected in 1901.Retired. | 6 | 57th | ||||||
58th | 6 | Re-elected in 1903.Retired. | Democratic | |||||||||
59th | ||||||||||||
7 | ![]() Simon Guggenheim |
Republican | Mar 4, 1907 – Mar 3, 1913 |
Elected in 1907.Retired. | 7 | 60th | ||||||
61st | 7 | Elected in 1909.Died. | Mar 4, 1909 – Jan 11, 1911 |
Democratic | ![]() Charles J. Hughes Jr. |
4 | ||||||
Jan 11, 1911 – Jan 15, 1913 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
62nd | ||||||||||||
Elected to finish Hughes's term. | Jan 15, 1913 – Mar 3, 1921 |
Democratic | ![]() Charles S. Thomas |
5 | ||||||||
8 | ![]() John F. Shafroth |
Democratic | Mar 4, 1913 – Mar 3, 1919 |
Elected in 1913.Lost re-election. | 8 | 63rd | ||||||
64th | 8 | Re-elected in 1914.Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
65th | ||||||||||||
9 | ![]() Lawrence C. Phipps |
Republican | Mar 4, 1919 – Mar 3, 1931 |
Elected in 1918. | 9 | 66th | ||||||
67th | 9 | Elected in 1920.Died. | Mar 4, 1921 – Mar 24, 1923 |
Republican | ![]() Samuel D. Nicholson |
6 | ||||||
68th | ||||||||||||
Mar 24, 1923 – May 17, 1923 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Nicholson's term.Retired. | May 17, 1923 – Nov 30, 1924 |
Democratic | ![]() Alva B. Adams |
7 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Nicholson's term.Lost renomination. | Dec 1, 1924 – Mar 3, 1927 |
Republican | ![]() Rice W. Means |
8 | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1924.Retired. | 10 | 69th | ||||||||||
70th | 10 | Elected in 1926.Died. | Mar 4, 1927 – Aug 27, 1932 |
Republican | ![]() Charles W. Waterman |
9 | ||||||
71st | ||||||||||||
10 | ![]() Edward P. Costigan |
Democratic | Mar 4, 1931 – Jan 3, 1937 |
Elected in 1930.Retired. | 11 | 72nd | ||||||
Aug 27, 1932 – Sep 26, 1932 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Waterman's term.Lost election to finish Waterman's term. | Sep 26, 1932 – Dec 6, 1932 |
Democratic | ![]() Walter Walker |
10 | ||||||||
Elected to finish Waterman's term.Lost election to next term. | Dec 7, 1932 – Mar 3, 1933 |
Republican | ![]() Karl C. Schuyler |
11 | ||||||||
73rd | 11 | Elected in 1932. | Mar 4, 1933 – Dec 1, 1941 |
Democratic | ![]() Alva B. Adams |
12 | ||||||
74th | ||||||||||||
11 | ![]() Edwin C. Johnson |
Democratic | Jan 3, 1937 – Jan 3, 1955 |
Elected in 1936. | 12 | 75th | ||||||
76th | 12 | Re-elected in 1938.Died. | ||||||||||
77th | ||||||||||||
Dec 1, 1941 – Dec 20, 1941 |
Vacant | |||||||||||
Appointed to continue Adams's term.Elected in 1942 to finish Adams's term.[2] | Dec 20, 1941 – Jan 3, 1957 |
Republican | ![]() Eugene Millikin |
13 | ||||||||
Re-elected in 1942. | 13 | 78th | ||||||||||
79th | 13 | Elected to a full term in 1944. | ||||||||||
80th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1948.Retired. | 14 | 81st | ||||||||||
82nd | 14 | Re-elected in 1950.Retired. | ||||||||||
83rd | ||||||||||||
12 | ![]() Gordon Allott |
Republican | Jan 3, 1955 – Jan 3, 1973 |
Elected in 1954. | 15 | 84th | ||||||
85th | 15 | Elected in 1956.Lost re-election. | Jan 3, 1957 – Jan 3, 1963 |
Democratic | ![]() John A. Carroll |
14 | ||||||
86th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1960. | 16 | 87th | ||||||||||
88th | 16 | Elected in 1962. | Jan 3, 1963 – Jan 3, 1975 |
Republican | ![]() Peter H. Dominick |
15 | ||||||
89th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1966.Lost re-election. | 17 | 90th | ||||||||||
91st | 17 | Re-elected in 1968.Lost re-election. | ||||||||||
92nd | ||||||||||||
13 | ![]() Floyd Haskell |
Democratic | Jan 3, 1973 – Jan 3, 1979 |
Elected in 1972.Lost re-election. | 18 | 93rd | ||||||
94th | 18 | Elected in 1974. | Jan 3, 1975 – Jan 3, 1987 |
Democratic | ![]() Gary Hart |
16 | ||||||
95th | ||||||||||||
14 | ![]() William L. Armstrong |
Republican | Jan 3, 1979 – Jan 3, 1991 |
Elected in 1978. | 19 | 96th | ||||||
97th | 19 | Re-elected in 1980.Retired. | ||||||||||
98th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 1984.Retired. | 20 | 99th | ||||||||||
100th | 20 | Elected in 1986.Retired. | Jan 3, 1987 – Jan 3, 1993 |
Democratic | ![]() Tim Wirth |
17 | ||||||
101st | ||||||||||||
15 | ![]() Hank Brown |
Republican | Jan 3, 1991 – Jan 3, 1997 |
Elected in 1990.Retired. | 21 | 102nd | ||||||
103rd | 21 | Elected in 1992.Changed parties in 1995. | Jan 3, 1993 – Jan 3, 2005 |
Democratic | ![]() Ben Nighthorse Campbell |
18 | ||||||
104th | ||||||||||||
Republican | ||||||||||||
16 | ![]() Wayne Allard |
Republican | Jan 3, 1997 – Jan 3, 2009 |
Elected in 1996. | 22 | 105th | ||||||
106th | 22 | Re-elected in 1998.Retired. | ||||||||||
107th | ||||||||||||
Re-elected in 2002.Retired. | 23 | 108th | ||||||||||
109th | 23 | Elected in 2004.Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior. | Jan 3, 2005 – Jan 20, 2009 |
Democratic | ![]() Ken Salazar |
19 | ||||||
110th | ||||||||||||
17 | ![]() Mark Udall |
Democratic | Jan 3, 2009 – Jan 3, 2015 |
Elected in 2008.Lost re-election. | 24 | 111th | ||||||
Appointed to finish Salazar's term. | Jan 21, 2009 – Present |
Democratic | ![]() Michael Bennet |
20 | ||||||||
112th | 24 | Elected to a full term in 2010. | ||||||||||
113th | ||||||||||||
18 | ![]() Cory Gardner |
Republican | Jan 3, 2015 – Jan 3, 2021 |
Elected in 2014.Lost re-election. | 25 | 114th | ||||||
115th | 25 | Re-elected in 2016. | ||||||||||
116th | ||||||||||||
19 | ![]() John Hickenlooper |
Democratic | Jan 3, 2021 – Present |
Elected in 2020. | 26 | 117th | ||||||
118th | 26 | To be determined in the 2022 election. | ||||||||||
119th | ||||||||||||
To be determined in the 2026 election. | 27 | 120th | ||||||||||
# | Senator | Party | Years in office | Electoral history | T | T | Electoral history | Years in office | Party | Senator | # | |
Class 2 | Class 3 |
Living former senators
As of October 2022[update], there are eight living former U.S. senators from Colorado. The most recent and most recently serving senator to die was William L. Armstrong (served 1979–1991) on July 5, 2016.
Senator | Term of office | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
Gary Hart | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1987 | November 28, 1936 |
Tim Wirth | January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1993 | September 22, 1939 |
Hank Brown | January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1997 | February 12, 1940 |
Ben Nighthorse Campbell | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2005 | April 13, 1933 |
Wayne Allard | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2009 | December 2, 1943 |
Ken Salazar | January 3, 2005 – January 20, 2009 | March 2, 1955 |
Mark Udall | January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2015 | July 18, 1950 |
Cory Gardner | January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2021 | August 22, 1974 |
Superlatives
Longest service
Senator | First served | Last served | Length of service |
---|---|---|---|
Henry M. Teller | November 15, 1876 | April 17, 1882 | Combined total: 29 years, 153 days (10,738 days) |
March 4, 1885 | March 3, 1909 | ||
Gordon Allott | January 3, 1955 | January 3, 1973 | 18 years, 0 days (6,575 days) |
Edwin C. Johnson | January 3, 1937 | January 3, 1955 | 18 years, 0 days (6,574 days) |
Eugene Millikin | December 20, 1941 | January 3, 1957 | 15 years, 14 days (5,493 days) |
Michael Bennet | January 21, 2009 | Present | 15 years, 161 days (5,639 days) |
Shortest service
Excludes incumbent Hickenlooper
Senator | First served | Last served | Length of service |
---|---|---|---|
Horace Tabor | January 27, 1883 | March 3, 1883 | 1 month and 4 days (35 days) |
Walter Walker | September 26, 1932 | December 6, 1932 | 2 months, 1 week and 3 days (71 days) |
Karl C. Schuyler | December 7, 1932 | March 3, 1933 | 2 months, 3 weeks and 3 days (86 days) |
George M. Chilcott | April 17, 1882 | January 27, 1883 | 9 months, 1 week and 3 days (285 days) |
Charles J. Hughes Jr. | March 4, 1909 | January 11, 1911 | 1 year, 10 months and 1 week (678 days) |
Youngest at beginning of service
Senator | Date of birth | First served | Age |
---|---|---|---|
Gary Hart | November 28, 1936 | January 3, 1975 | 38 years, 1 month and 6 days |
Simon Guggenheim | December 30, 1867 | March 4, 1907 | 39 years, 2 months and 4 days |
Cory Gardner | August 22, 1974 | January 3, 2015 | 40 years, 4 months and 12 days |
Edward O. Wolcott | March 26, 1848 | March 4, 1889 | 40 years, 11 months and 6 days |
William L. Armstrong | March 16, 1937 | January 3, 1979 | 41 years, 9 months and 18 days |
Oldest at end of service
Senator | Date of birth | Last served | Age |
---|---|---|---|
Henry M. Teller | May 23, 1830 | March 3, 1909 | 78 years, 9 months and 8 days |
Ben Nighthorse Campbell | April 13, 1933 | January 3, 2005 | 71 years, 8 months and 21 days |
Charles S. Thomas | December 6, 1849 | March 3, 1921 | 71 years, 2 months and 25 days |
Edwin C. Johnson | January 1, 1884 | January 3, 1955 | 71 years and 2 days |
Charles W. Waterman | November 2, 1861 | August 27, 1932 | 70 years, 9 months and 25 days |
See also
- United States congressional delegations from Colorado
- List of United States representatives from Colorado
- Elections in Colorado
Notes
- ^ "Teller in Colorado". The New York Times. January 21, 1897. p. 2.
- ^ Byrd, p. 86.
References
- Byrd, Robert C. (October 1, 1993). Wolff, Wendy (ed.). The Senate, 1789-1989: Historical Statistics, 1789-1992. United States Senate Historical Office (volume 4 Bicentennial ed.). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160632563.
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