List of United States senators from North Carolina

North Carolina ratified the Constitution on November 21, 1789, after the beginning of the 1st Congress. Its current senators are Republicans Thom Tillis and Richard Burr.

Current delegation

Richard Burr (R)

Thom Tillis (R)

List of senators

Class 2 Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2014. The next election will be in 2020.						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.
#	Senator	Party	Dates in office	Electoral history	T		T	Electoral history	Dates in office	Party	Senator	#
Vacant			November 21, 1789 – November 27, 1789	North Carolina ratified the Constitution November 21, 1789 but didn't elect its senators until November 27, 1789.	1	1st	1	North Carolina ratified the Constitution November 21, 1789 but didn't elect its senators until November 27, 1789.	November 21, 1789 – November 27, 1789	Vacant
1	Samuel Johnston	Pro- Administration	November 27, 1789 – March 3, 1793	Elected November 27, 1789. Lost re-election.				Elected November 27, 1789. [data unknown/missing]	November 27, 1789 – March 3, 1795	Pro- Administration	Benjamin Hawkins	1
						2nd
2	Alexander Martin	Anti- Administration	March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1799	Elected in 1792. Lost re-election.	2	3rd				Anti- Administration
		Democratic- Republican				4th	2	Elected in 1795. [data unknown/missing]	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1801	Democratic- Republican	Timothy Bloodworth	2
						5th
3	Jesse Franklin	Democratic- Republican	March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1805	Elected in 1799. Lost re-election.	3	6th
						7th	3	Elected in 1800. Resigned to return to the State Superior Court.	March 4, 1801 – February 17, 1807[1]	Democratic- Republican	David Stone	3
						8th
Vacant			March 4, 1805 – December 22, 1805	Montfort Stokes was elected in 1804 but refused the position.	4	9th
4	James Turner	Democratic- Republican	December 22, 1805 – November 21, 1816	Elected to finish the vacant term.
									February 17, 1807[1] – March 3, 1807	Vacant
						10th	4	Elected in 1806. Retired.	March 4, 1807 – March 3, 1813	Democratic- Republican	Jesse Franklin	4
						11th
				Re-elected November 26, 1810. Resigned due to ill health.	5	12th
						13th	5	Elected in 1812. Resigned.	March 4, 1813 – December 24, 1814	Democratic- Republican	David Stone	5
									December 24, 1814 – December 1814	Vacant
								Elected to finish Stone's term. Resigned without having qualified.	December 1814 – December 5, 1815	Democratic- Republican	Francis Locke Jr.	6
						14th
									December 5, 1815 – December 13, 1815	Vacant
								Elected to finish Locke's term.	December 13, 1815 – November 14, 1828	Democratic- Republican	Nathaniel Macon	7
Vacant			November 21, 1816 – December 4, 1816
5	Montfort Stokes	Democratic- Republican	December 4, 1816 – March 3, 1823	Elected to finish Turner's term.
				Elected December 4, 1816. Lost re-election.	6	15th
						16th	6	Re-elected in 1818.
						17th
6	John Branch	Crawford Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 9, 1829	Elected in 1822.	7	18th				Crawford Republican
		Jacksonian				19th	7	Re-elected in 1825. Resigned.		Jacksonian
						20th
									November 14, 1828 – December 15, 1828	Vacant
								Elected to finish Macon's term. Retired.	December 15, 1828 – March 3, 1831	Jacksonian	James Iredell Jr.	8
				Re-elected in 1828. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Navy.	8	21st
Vacant			March 9, 1829 – December 9, 1829
7	Bedford Brown	Jacksonian	December 9, 1829 – November 16, 1840	Elected to finish Branch's term.
						22nd	8	Elected in 1830. Resigned.	March 4, 1831 – March 19, 1836	Jacksonian	Willie Mangum	9
						23rd				Anti-Jacksonian
				Re-elected in 1835. Resigned rather than disobey instructions from the N.C. General Assembly.	9	24th
									March 19, 1836 – December 5, 1836	Vacant
								Elected to finish Mangum's term.	December 5, 1836 – November 16, 1840	Jacksonian	Robert Strange	10
		Democratic				25th	9	Elected to full term in 1836. Resigned rather than disobey instructions from the N.C. General Assembly.		Democratic
						26th
Vacant			November 16, 1840 – November 25, 1840						November 16, 1840 – November 25, 1840	Vacant
8	Willie Mangum	Whig	November 25, 1840 – March 3, 1853	Elected to finish Brown's term.				Elected to finish Strange's term. [data unknown/missing]	November 25, 1840 – March 3, 1843	Whig	William Alexander Graham	11
				Elected in 1841.	10	27th
						28th	10	Elected in 1843. Resigned rather than disobey instructions from the N.C. General Assembly.	March 4, 1843 – July 25, 1846	Democratic	William H. Haywood Jr.	12
						29th
									July 25, 1846 – November 25, 1846	Vacant
								Elected to finish Haywood's term.	November 25, 1846 – March 3, 1855	Whig	George Badger	13
				Re-elected in 1847. Lost re-election.	11	30th
						31st	11	Re-elected in 1849. Retired.
						32nd
Vacant			March 4, 1853 – December 6, 1854	Legislature failed to elect	12	33rd
9	David Reid	Democratic	December 6, 1854 – March 3, 1859	Elected to finish vacant term. Lost re-election.
						34th	12	Elected in 1855. Resigned to become U.S. District Court Judge.	March 4, 1855 – May 5, 1858	Democratic	Asa Biggs	14
						35th
									May 5, 1858 – May 7, 1858	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Biggs's term.	May 7, 1858 – March 11, 1861	Democratic	Thomas Clingman	15
								Elected November 23, 1858 to finish Biggs's term.
10	Thomas Bragg	Democratic	March 4, 1859 – March 6, 1861	Elected in 1858 or 1859. Resigned and subsequently expelled for support of the Confederate States.	13	36th
						37th	13	Re-elected in 1861. Resigned and subsequently expelled for support of the Confederate States.
								Civil War and Reconstruction	March 11, 1861 – July 14, 1868	Vacant
Vacant			July 11, 1861 – July 14, 1868	Civil War and Reconstruction
						38th
					14	39th
						40th	14
11	Joseph Abbott	Republican	July 14, 1868 – March 3, 1871	Elected in 1868 to finish vacant term. Lost renomination.				Elected in 1868 to finish vacant term. Retired.	July 14, 1868 – March 3, 1873	Republican	John Pool	16
						41st
Vacant			March 4, 1871 – January 30, 1872	Legislature failed to elect	15	42nd
12	Matt W. Ransom	Democratic	January 30, 1872 – March 3, 1895	Elected to finish vacant term.
						43rd	15	Elected in 1872. Lost re-election.	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1879	Democratic	Augustus Merrimon	17
						44th
				Re-elected in 1876.	16	45th
						46th	16	Elected in 1879.	March 4, 1879 – April 14, 1894	Democratic	Zebulon Vance	18
						47th
				Re-elected in 1883.	17	48th
						49th	17	Re-elected in 1884.
						50th
				Re-elected in 1889. Lost re-election.	18	51st
						52nd	18	Re-elected in 1890. Died.
						53rd
									April 14, 1894 – April 19, 1894	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Vance's term. Successor qualified.	April 19, 1894 – January 23, 1895	Democratic	Thomas J. Jarvis	19
								Elected November 7, 1894 to finish Vance's term. Qualified January 23, 1895.	January 23, 1895 – March 3, 1903	Republican	Jeter Pritchard	20
13	Marion Butler	Populist	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1901	Elected in 1894. Lost re-election.	19	54th
						55th	19	Re-elected January 20, 1897.[2] Lost re-election.
						56th
14	Furnifold M. Simmons	Democratic	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1931	Elected January 22, 1901.[3]	20	57th
						58th	20	Elected in 1903.	March 4, 1903 – December 12, 1930	Democratic	Lee S. Overman	21
						59th
				Re-elected January 22, 1907.[4]	21	60th
						61st	21	Re-elected January 19, 1909
						62nd
				Re-elected January 21, 1913	22	63rd
						64th	22	Re-elected in 1914.
						65th
				Re-elected in 1918.	23	66th
						67th	23	Re-elected in 1920.
						68th
				Re-elected in 1924. Lost renomination.	24	69th
						70th	24	Re-elected in 1926. Died.
						71st
								Appointed to continue Overman's term. Lost election to finish Overman's term.	December 13, 1930 – December 4, 1932	Democratic	Cameron A. Morrison	22
15	Josiah Bailey	Democratic	March 4, 1931 – December 15, 1946	Elected in 1930.	25	72nd
								Elected to finish Overman's term.	December 5, 1932 – January 3, 1945	Democratic	Robert Reynolds	23
						73rd	25	Elected to full term in 1932.
						74th
				Re-elected in 1936.	26	75th
						76th	26	Re-elected in 1938. Retired.
						77th
				Re-elected in 1942. Died.	27	78th
						79th	27	Elected in 1944.	January 3, 1945 – May 12, 1954	Democratic	Clyde R. Hoey	24
Vacant			December 15, 1946 – December 18, 1946
16	William B. Umstead	Democratic	December 18, 1946 – December 30, 1948	Appointed to continue Bailey's term. Lost election to finish Bailey's term.
						80th
17	J. Melville Broughton	Democratic	December 31, 1948 – March 6, 1949	Elected to finish Bailey's term.
				Elected to full term in 1948. Died.	28	81st
Vacant			March 6, 1949 – March 29, 1949
18	Frank Graham	Democratic	March 29, 1949 – November 26, 1950	Appointed to continue Broughton's term. Lost nomination to finish Broughton's term.
19	Willis Smith	Democratic	November 27, 1950 – June 26, 1953	Elected to finish Broughton's term. Died.
						82nd	28	Re-elected in 1950. Died.
						83rd
									May 12, 1954 – June 5, 1954	Vacant
								Appointed to continue Hoey's term. Elected November 2, 1954 to finish Hoey's term.	June 5, 1954 – December 31, 1974	Democratic	Sam Ervin	25
Vacant			June 26, 1953 – July 10, 1953
20	Alton A. Lennon	Democratic	July 10, 1953 – November 28, 1954	Appointed to continue Smith's term. Lost nomination to finish Smith's term.
21	W. Kerr Scott	Democratic	November 29, 1954 – April 16, 1958	Elected November 2, 1954 to finish Smith's term.
				Elected to full term in 1954. Died.	29	84th
						85th	29	Re-elected in 1956.
Vacant			April 16, 1958 – April 19, 1958
22	B. Everett Jordan	Democratic	April 19, 1958 – January 3, 1973	Appointed to continue Scott's term. Elected November 4, 1958 to finish Scott's term.
						86th
				Re-elected in 1960.	30	87th
						88th	30	Re-elected in 1962.
						89th
				Re-elected in 1966. Lost renomination.	31	90th
						91st	31	Re-elected in 1968. Retired and resigned early.
						92nd
23	Jesse Helms	Republican	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 2003	Elected in 1972.	32	93rd
									December 31, 1974 – January 3, 1975	Vacant
						94th	32	Elected in 1974. Lost re-election.	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981	Democratic	Robert B. Morgan	26
						95th
				Re-elected in 1978.	33	96th
						97th	33	Elected in 1980. Died.	January 3, 1981 – June 29, 1986	Republican	John P. East	27
						98th
				Re-elected in 1984.	34	99th
									June 29, 1986 – July 14, 1986	Vacant
								Appointed to continue East's term. Lost election to finish East's term.	July 14, 1986 – November 4, 1986	Republican	James T. Broyhill	28
								Elected to finish East's term.	November 5, 1986 – January 3, 1993	Democratic	Terry Sanford	29
						100th	34	Elected to full term in 1986. Lost re-election.
						101st
				Re-elected in 1990.	35	102nd
						103rd	35	Elected in 1992. Lost re-election.	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1999	Republican	Lauch Faircloth	30
						104th
				Re-elected in 1996. Retired.	36	105th
						106th	36	Elected in 1998. Retired to run for U.S. President.	January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005	Democratic	John Edwards	31
						107th
24	Elizabeth Dole	Republican	January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2009	Elected in 2002. Lost re-election.	37	108th
						109th	37	Elected in 2004.	January 3, 2005 – Present	Republican	Richard Burr	32
						110th
25	Kay Hagan	Democratic	January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2015	Elected in 2008. Lost re-election.	38	111th
						112th	38	Re-elected in 2010.
						113th
26	Thom Tillis	Republican	January 3, 2015 – Present	Elected in 2014.	39	114th
						115th	39	Re-elected in 2016.
						116th
To be decided in the 2020 election.					40	117th
						118th	40	To be decided in the 2022 election.
#	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 August 2020, there are four living former senators from North Carolina. The most recent and most recently serving senator to die was Kay Hagan (served 2009–2015) on October 28, 2019.

Senator	Years in office	Date of birth (and age)
Jim Broyhill	July 14, 1986 – November 4, 1986	(1927-08-19) August 19, 1927
Lauch Faircloth	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1999	(1928-01-14) January 14, 1928
John Edwards	January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005	(1953-06-10) June 10, 1953
Elizabeth Dole	January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2009	(1936-07-29) July 29, 1936

References

1. This date is approximate. Stone's resignation letter was read on February 17, but it could have been delivered on as early as February 11, 1807, according to the Annals of Congress (pages 66 to 68).
2. "PRITCHARD IN PRITCHARD IN NORTH CAROLINA". The New York Times. January 21, 1897. p. 2.
3. "North Carolina Elects a Democrat". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
4. The Tribune Almanac and Political Register 1908. New York: The Tribune Association. 1908. p. 259.

See also

• United States congressional delegations from North Carolina
• List of United States Representatives from North Carolina