History / Congress

U.S. Senate seat, South Carolina (class 2)

52 members have held this seat since Mar 4, 1789. Now: Darline Graham R.

Holders
52
31 D · 17 R · 2 N · 1 DR · 1 J
Longest tenure
18 years
J. Strom Thurmond
Current
3 months
Darline Graham, since Jul 14, 2026
history/seat/sc-sen-2Every holder, newest first
+52
180018201840186018801900192019401960198020002020Pierce Butler · 1789-03-04 – 1793-03-04 · Democratic RepublicanPierce Butler · 1793-12-02 – 1797-03-04 · RepublicanCharles Pinckney · 1798-12-06 – 1799-03-04 · RepublicanCharles Pinckney · 1799-12-02 – 1801-03-04 · RepublicanThomas Sumter · 1801-12-15 – 1805-03-04 · RepublicanThomas Sumter · 1805-12-02 – 1810-12-17 · RepublicanJohn Taylor · 1810-12-31 – 1816-11-16 · RepublicanWilliam Smith · 1816-12-04 – 1823-03-04 · RepublicanRobert Young Hayne · 1823-12-01 – 1829-03-04 · JacksonRobert Young Hayne · 1829-12-07 – 1833-03-04 · NullifierJohn Caldwell Calhoun · 1835-12-07 – 1841-03-04 · DemocratJohn Caldwell Calhoun · 1841-05-31 – 1844-01-01 · DemocratJohn Caldwell Calhoun · 1845-12-01 – 1847-03-04 · DemocratJohn Caldwell Calhoun · 1847-12-06 – 1851-03-04 · DemocratWilliam Ford De Saussure · 1852-01-01 – 1853-03-04 · DemocratJosiah James Evans · 1853-12-05 – 1859-03-04 · DemocratThomas James Robertson · 1868-01-01 – 1877-03-04 · RepublicanMatthew Calbraith Butler · 1877-10-15 – 1883-03-04 · DemocratMatthew Calbraith Butler · 1883-12-03 – 1889-03-04 · DemocratMatthew Calbraith Butler · 1889-12-02 – 1895-03-04 · DemocratBenjamin Ryan Tillman · 1895-12-02 – 1901-03-04 · DemocratBenjamin Ryan Tillman · 1901-12-02 – 1907-03-04 · DemocratBenjamin Ryan Tillman · 1907-12-02 – 1913-03-04 · DemocratBenjamin Ryan Tillman · 1913-04-07 – 1918-07-04 · DemocratChristie Benet · 1918-07-06 – 1918-11-06 · DemocratWilliam Pegues Pollock · 1918-11-06 – 1919-03-04 · DemocratNathaniel Barksdale Dial · 1919-05-19 – 1925-03-04 · DemocratColeman Livingston Blease · 1925-12-07 – 1931-03-04 · DemocratJames Francis Byrnes · 1931-12-07 – 1941-07-09 · DemocratAlva Moore Lumpkin · 1941-07-22 – 1941-08-02 · DemocratRoger Craft Peace · 1941-08-05 – 1941-11-05 · DemocratBurnet Rhett Maybank · 1941-11-05 – 1943-01-04 · DemocratBurnet Rhett Maybank · 1943-01-06 – 1954-09-02 · DemocratCharles Ezra Daniel · 1954-09-06 – 1954-12-24 · DemocratJ. Strom Thurmond · 1954-12-24 – 1956-04-05 · DemocratThomas Albert Wofford · 1956-04-05 – 1956-11-07 · DemocratJ. Strom Thurmond · 1956-11-07 – 1967-01-04 · Democrat → RepublicanJ. Strom Thurmond · 1967-01-10 – 1979-01-04 · RepublicanJ. Strom Thurmond · 1979-01-15 – 1997-01-04 · RepublicanJ. Strom Thurmond · 1997-01-07 – 2003-01-04 · RepublicanLindsey Graham · 2003-01-07 – 2009-01-04 · RepublicanLindsey Graham · 2009-01-06 – 2015-01-04 · RepublicanLindsey Graham · 2015-01-06 – 2026-07-12 · RepublicanDarline Graham · 2026-07-14 – present · RepublicanJohn Hunter · 1796-01-01 – 1799-03-04 · RepublicanJohn Caldwell Calhoun · 1832-12-29 – 1835-03-04 · NullifierDaniel Elliott Huger · 1843-12-04 – 1846-01-01 · DemocratRobert Woodward Barnwell · 1850-01-01 – 1851-03-04 · DemocratArthur Peronneau Hayne · 1858-01-01 – 1859-03-04 · DemocratFranklin Harper Elmore · 1850-01-01 – 1851-03-04 · DemocratJames Chesnut Jr. · 1858-12-03 – 1860-11-11 · DemocratRobert Barnwell Rhett · 1850-01-01 – 1853-03-04 · Democrat
Darline Graham R
Jul 14, 2026 – present · 3 months
Lindsey Graham R
Jan 6, 2015 – Jul 12, 2026 · 12 years
Lindsey Graham R
Jan 6, 2009 – Jan 4, 2015 · 6 years
Lindsey Graham R
Jan 7, 2003 – Jan 4, 2009 · 6 years
J. Strom Thurmond R
Jan 7, 1997 – Jan 4, 2003 · 6 years
J. Strom Thurmond R
Jan 15, 1979 – Jan 4, 1997 · 18 years
J. Strom Thurmond R
Jan 10, 1967 – Jan 4, 1979 · 12 years
J. Strom Thurmond D→R
Nov 7, 1956 – Jan 4, 1967 · 10 years
Thomas Albert Wofford D
Apr 5, 1956 – Nov 7, 1956 · 7 months
J. Strom Thurmond D
Dec 24, 1954 – Apr 5, 1956 · 15 months
Charles Ezra Daniel D
Sep 6, 1954 – Dec 24, 1954 · 4 months
Burnet Rhett Maybank D
Jan 6, 1943 – Sep 2, 1954 · 12 years
Burnet Rhett Maybank D
Nov 5, 1941 – Jan 4, 1943 · 14 months
Roger Craft Peace D
Aug 5, 1941 – Nov 5, 1941 · 3 months
Alva Moore Lumpkin D
Jul 22, 1941 – Aug 2, 1941 · 11 days
James Francis Byrnes D
Dec 7, 1931 – Jul 9, 1941 · 9.6 years
Coleman Livingston Blease D
Dec 7, 1925 – Mar 4, 1931 · 5.2 years
Nathaniel Barksdale Dial D
May 19, 1919 – Mar 4, 1925 · 5.8 years
William Pegues Pollock D
Nov 6, 1918 – Mar 4, 1919 · 4 months
Christie Benet D
Jul 6, 1918 – Nov 6, 1918 · 4 months
Benjamin Ryan Tillman D
Apr 7, 1913 – Jul 4, 1918 · 5.2 years
Benjamin Ryan Tillman D
Dec 2, 1907 – Mar 4, 1913 · 5.3 years
Benjamin Ryan Tillman D
Dec 2, 1901 – Mar 4, 1907 · 5.3 years
Benjamin Ryan Tillman D
Dec 2, 1895 – Mar 4, 1901 · 5.3 years
Matthew Calbraith Butler D
Dec 2, 1889 – Mar 4, 1895 · 5.3 years
Matthew Calbraith Butler D
Dec 3, 1883 – Mar 4, 1889 · 5.3 years
Matthew Calbraith Butler D
Oct 15, 1877 – Mar 4, 1883 · 5.4 years
Thomas James Robertson R
Jan 1, 1868 – Mar 4, 1877 · 9.2 years
James Chesnut Jr. D
Dec 3, 1858 – Nov 11, 1860 · 23 months
Arthur Peronneau Hayne D
Jan 1, 1858 – Mar 4, 1859 · 14 months
Josiah James Evans D
Dec 5, 1853 – Mar 4, 1859 · 5.2 years
William Ford De Saussure D
Jan 1, 1852 – Mar 4, 1853 · 14 months
Robert Woodward Barnwell D
Jan 1, 1850 – Mar 4, 1851 · 14 months
Franklin Harper Elmore D
Jan 1, 1850 – Mar 4, 1851 · 14 months
Robert Barnwell Rhett D
Jan 1, 1850 – Mar 4, 1853 · 3.2 years
John Caldwell Calhoun D
Dec 6, 1847 – Mar 4, 1851 · 3.2 years
John Caldwell Calhoun D
Dec 1, 1845 – Mar 4, 1847 · 15 months
Daniel Elliott Huger D
Dec 4, 1843 – Jan 1, 1846 · 2.1 years
John Caldwell Calhoun D
May 31, 1841 – Jan 1, 1844 · 2.6 years
John Caldwell Calhoun D
Dec 7, 1835 – Mar 4, 1841 · 5.2 years
John Caldwell Calhoun N
Dec 29, 1832 – Mar 4, 1835 · 2.2 years
Robert Young Hayne N
Dec 7, 1829 – Mar 4, 1833 · 3.2 years
Robert Young Hayne J
Dec 1, 1823 – Mar 4, 1829 · 5.3 years
William Smith R
Dec 4, 1816 – Mar 4, 1823 · 6.2 years
John Taylor R
Dec 31, 1810 – Nov 16, 1816 · 5.9 years
Thomas Sumter R
Dec 2, 1805 – Dec 17, 1810 · 5 years
Thomas Sumter R
Dec 15, 1801 – Mar 4, 1805 · 3.2 years
Charles Pinckney R
Dec 2, 1799 – Mar 4, 1801 · 15 months
Charles Pinckney R
Dec 6, 1798 – Mar 4, 1799 · 3 months
John Hunter R
Jan 1, 1796 – Mar 4, 1799 · 3.2 years
Pierce Butler R
Dec 2, 1793 – Mar 4, 1797 · 3.3 years
Pierce Butler DR
Mar 4, 1789 – Mar 4, 1793 · 4 years

Dates are from the @unitedstates congress-legislators project. Consecutive terms of one person are merged.