The Green Papers: 2009 General Election
 
Copyright www.flags.net/UNST.htm 111th Congress
Senate Seats by State

This is a list of the current Senate seats and the incumbents occupying them. 36 (34 Class 3 + 1 NEW YORK Class 1+ 1 DELAWARE Class 2) Senate Seats are up for election on 2 November 2010.

There have been 1 death, 4 resignations, and 1 change re: party breakdown in the 111th Senate.

  • 15 January 2009: Senator Roland W. Burris (Democratic, Illinois), appointed by embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich to temporarily fill the vacancy in this seat (pending the regular Election for this seat in November 2010) caused by the resignation of President-elect Barack H. Obama in mid-November 2008, is formally sworn in.
  • 15 January 2009: Senator and Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden (Democrat, Delaware) resigns his Senate seat (to which he had been re-elected in the 4 November 2008 election).
  • 16 January 2009: Senator Ted Kaufman (Democrat, Delaware), appointed by Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner as Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden's temporary replacement (pending a Special Election in November 2010), is formally sworn in.
  • 20 January 2009: Senator Ken Salazar (Democrat, Colorado) resigned his Senate seat to become Secretary of the Interior in the Obama Administration.
  • 21 January 2009: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (Democrat, New York) resigned her Senate seat to become Secretary of State in the Obama Administration.
  • 22 January 2009: Senator Michael Bennet (Democrat, Colorado), appointed by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter as Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's temporary replacement, is formally sworn in.
  • 23 January 2009: Governor David Paterson of New York appoints Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand (Democrat: CD 20) to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Mrs. Gillibrand was sworn in and took her seat on 27 January 2009)
  • 30 April 2009: Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania formally switched Parties from Republican to Democrat.
  • 30 June 2009: Senator Al Franken's (Democrat, Minnesota) contested 2008 election was resolved in his favor on 30 June 2009 by the Minnesota Supreme Court.
  • 10 September 2009: Florida Senator Mel Martinez (Republican), who was first elected in 2004, resigned on 9 September 2009. George LeMieux (Republican), who was selected as the replacement Senator on 28 August 2009 by Governor Charlie Crist, was sworn 10 September 2009. Mr. LeMieux will serve out the remainder of the term and does not plan to seek election. This Class 3 seat is up for election on Tuesday 2 November 2010.
  • 25 August 2009: Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy's (Democrat, Massachusetts) passed away from brain cancer at the age of 77. He was first elected in a Special Election in 1962.
  • 24 September 2009: Senator Paul G. Kirk, Jr.'s (Democrat, Massachusetts) was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick to fill the vacancy caused by the passing of Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (Democrat). Senator Kirk was sworn on 25 September 2009.

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Legislative Links     Senate Electoral Classes

           

Delaware  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 2 Democratic Senator Edward E. "Ted" Kaufman
Appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr., effective 15 January 2009 after having been elected Vice President; appointed 15 January 2009 and sworn 16 January 2009
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Open Seat - Senator Kaufman has stated he will not run for election to the Senate in his own right.
Next regular election: Tuesday 4 November 2014
  

24 November 2008: Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D-Delaware) announced that she would appoint Ted Kaufman, a long-time aide to Senator (now Vice President-elect) Joseph Biden, to the seat Biden will have to vacate prior to Noon Eastern Time next 20 January, when he is scheduled to be sworn in as Vice-President of the United States. Senator Biden won re-election to his seat (as well as the Vice-Presidency) in the 4 November Elections; Kaufman would be appointed to serve until a successor is chosen by the People of the State of Delaware in a Special Election in November 2010.

9 January 2009: Vice President-elect Biden will resign his Senate Seat effective at 5 PM Eastern Time (2000 UTC) on Thursday 15 January 2009.

15 January 2009: Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden is resigning his Senate seat (to which he had been re-elected in the 4 November 2008 election) today; his long-time aide- Ted Kaufman (Democrat), appointed by Delaware's Governor as Biden's temporary replacement (pending a Special Election in November 2010)- is to be formally sworn in 16 January 2009. This change has no effect on the political breakdown of the U.S. Senate in the 111th Congress. Senator Biden was first elected in 1972; and re-elected in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008.


Florida  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic, 1 Republican

Class 3 Republican Senator George S. LeMieux
Entered office 10 September 2009 following the resignation of Republican Senator Mel Martinez.
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Open Seat - Does not plan to seek election
 Senator Mel Martinez (Republican), who was first elected in 2004, resigned on 9 September 2009. George LeMieux (Republican), who was selected as the replacement Senator on 28 August 2009 by Governor Charlie Crist, was sworn in on 10 September 2009. Mr. LeMieux will serve out the remainder of the term and does not plan to seek election.

Illinois  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 3 Democratic Senator Roland W. Burris
Appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Barack Hussein Obama, effective 16 November 2008, after having been elected President of the United States; appointed 31 December 2008 and sworn 15 January 2009
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Open Seat - 10 July 2009: Announced that he will not seek election in 2010.
 

Senator Barack Obama, who was first elected in 2004, was elected to the Presidency 4 November 2008. On 15 November 2008, President-elect Obama announced his resignation from the Senate, effective on 16 November 2008.


Tuesday 30 December 2008: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Democrat) has announced he will appoint Roland W. Burris (Democrat), a former state Comptroller and Attorney General of the State of Illinois, to fill the U.S. Senate Class 3 seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) have issued a joint statement stating they will block the appointment.

The most desirable dates for a possible Special Election to fill the Class 3 U.S. Senate seat from Illinois are 24 February 2009 for a Special Senate Primary and 7 April 2009 for the Special Senate Election itself, as these would coincide with local and municipal elections in the State-- however, this would require the new 96th Illinois General Assembly to pass enabling legislation (approved by the Governor or, if necessary, overriding his veto) which is highly unlikely to be adopted prior to these dates (thus, these are labeled as 'tentative' on this website)-- if Governor Blagojevich is either removed from office via impeachment (highly unlikely before these dates) or should he resign, this would all become a moot point as Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn would, in each such case, thereafter accede to the office of Governor and retain the statutory power to appoint a temporary successor (one presumably untainted by the current allegations against the Governor).
NOTE: the eventual seating of Senator Burris on 15 January 2009 rendered such consideration of a possible Special Election to fill this vacancy moot.

On 5 January 2009, the Secretary of the U.S. Senate rejected the filing of a Certificate of Appointment on behalf of Mr. Burris because said certificate was not signed by both the Illinois Governor and the Illinois Secretary of State.

9 January 2009 update: The ILLINOIS Supreme Court ruled today that the appointment of Roland W. Burris by Governor Blagojevich to fill the vacancy in this seat caused by the resignation of President-elect Barack Obama this past November is valid even without the attestation of Illinois' Secretary of State (who has yet to so countersign Mr. Burris' Certificate of Appointment): the court ruled that the power granted to the States- per the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution- to allow for the temporary filling of U.S. Senate vacancies by their respective Governors where permitted by State law supersedes any rules, customs or traditions of the Senate itself requiring more than mere appointment by the Governor (in essence, then, the court interpreted the term "executive" of the State as found in the 17th Amendment to refer to a State's Governor only and not to any other officials who might otherwise be considered to be part of a State's Executive branch of Government in relation to the act of Appointment [such as a State's Secretary of State or equivalent). The Democratic Party leadership of the U.S. Senate is reported to be going over this ruling as part and parcel of considering what steps to take next as regards the possible seating (or not) of Mr. Burris as the junior Senator from the State.

15 January 2009: Roland W. Burris, appointed by embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich to temporarily fill the vacancy in this seat caused by the resignation of President-elect Barack H. Obama in mid-November 2008, is to be sworn in today.


Kansas  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Republican

Class 3 Republican Senator Samuel D. "Sam" Brownback
First elected to finish out the term in a Special Election: 1996 [held to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Robert J. Dole: 11 June 1996- which Sheila Frahm (Republican) had been appointed by Governor Bill Graves (Republican) to fill, 11 June 1996]; elected to a full term: 1998, re-elected: 2004.
[also served in U.S. House- elected: 1994]
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Open Seat - Candidate for Governor in 2010

Kentucky  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Republican

Class 3 Republican Senator Jim Bunning
First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2004.
[also served in U.S. House-elected: 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996]
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Open Seat - 27 July 2009: Announced that he will not seek re-election.

Massachusetts  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Democratic

Class 1 Democratic Senator Paul G. Kirk, Jr.
Appointed 24 September 2009 by Governor Deval L. Patrick to fill the vacancy caused by the 25 August 2009 passing of Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (Democrat). Sworn 25 September 2009.
Seat up for election: Tuesday 19 January 2010
Open Seat - Senator Kirk will not run for election to this office.
Special Primary to fill the seat: Tuesday 8 December 2009
Special Election: Tuesday 19 January 2010
Next regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2012
  

On 25 August 2009, Senator Kennedy passed away from brain cancer at the age of 77.

Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was first elected to finish out the term in a Special Election in 1962 [held to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator John F. Kennedy (Democrat) on 22 December 1960- which Benjamin A. Smith II (Democrat) had been appointed by Governor Foster Furcolo (Democrat) to fill, 27 December 1960]; he was elected to first full term in 1964; and re-elected in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000, and 2006.

Upon the passing of Senator Kennedy, MASSACHUSETTS State law did not permit the Governor of the Commonwealth to appoint an interim successor when a vacancy in the United States Senate has occurred; instead, a Special Election for the remainder of the current term (the Class 1 seat would otherwise next be up for election in November 2012 and, therefore, the current term ends at Noon Eastern Standard Time on 3 January 2013) must be held no sooner than 145 days and no later than 160 days after a vacancy has occurred.

On 23 September 2009, the General Court (state Legislature) changed the law to allow the Governor to appoint a temporary Senator who would serve until the Special Election.

Tuesday 8 December 2009 Primary returns from a official source.


Missouri  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic, 1 Republican

Class 3 Republican Senator Christopher S. "Kit" Bond
First elected: 1986; re-elected: 1992, 1998, 2004.
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Open Seat - 8 January 2009: Announced he would not seek re-election in 2010

New Hampshire  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic, 1 Republican

Class 3 Republican Senator Judd A. Gregg
First elected: 1992; re-elected: 1998, 2004.
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Open Seat - 3 February 2009: Nominated by President Obama for Secretary of Commerce. Governor John Lynch announced Bonnie Newman as his choice to replace U.S. Senator Judd Gregg. Future Senator Newman has promised not to run for the seat in 2010. 12 February 2009 update: Senator Judd Gregg withdrew his name from consideration for for Secretary of Commerce due to policy differences with President Obama. Senator Gregg also announced that he would not run for re-election in 2010.

Ohio  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 1 Democratic, 1 Republican

Class 3 Republican Senator George V. Voinovich
First elected: 1998; re-elected: 2004.
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
Open Seat - 12 January 2009: Announced retirement

Texas  6-year term. No Term Limit. Senate Electoral Classes
Partisan Composition: 2 Republican

Class 1 Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
First elected to finish out the term in a Special Election: 1 May 1993- and necessary subsequent Runoff: 5 June 1993 [held to fill vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. (Democrat): 20 January 1993- which Robert Krueger had been appointed by Governor Ann W. Richards (Democrat) to fill, 21 January 1993]; elected to full term: 1994; re-elected 2000, 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 6 November 2012
Open Seat - Candidate for Governor in 2010. On 29 July 2009, she announced that she would resign her Senate Seat in the October/November 2009 timeframe. On 13 November 2009, reports state she will not resign until after the Gubernatorial primary.

Political Parties    Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.

Major Parties
  Democratic
  Republican
Major Third Parties
  Libertarian
Other Third Parties
  Boston Tea
Independents
  Independent
  Independent Democrat
 

Notes

Candidates for office appear on this page in italics where 'The Green Papers' does not yet have independent confirmation from a legal election authority that the person has been officially certified to appear on the ballot.

FEC indicates the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Finance Summary "Total Receipts" for candidates for Federal Office.


Senate Class

Class 1 seats end their current terms at noon on 3 January 2013... next regular election for these seats is in 6 November 2012.
Class 2 seats begin their current terms at noon on 3 January 2009... next regular election for these seats is 4 November 2014.
Class 3 seats end their current terms at noon on 3 January 2011... next regular election for these seats is 2 November 2010.

For more information on Senate Classes refer to UNITED STATES SENATE: Electoral "Classes".


Article I, Section 3, clause 2 of the Constitution of the United States reads as follows:

"Immediately after [the Senate of the United States] shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year..."

Pursuant to this Constitutional provision, a three-Senator Committee was appointed by the Senate on 11 May 1789 to come up with a plan to carry out the requirements of that provision; this Committee reported to the Senate on 14 May 1789 a plan to divide the then 20 Senators (there were 10 of the 13 original States represented in the Senate at the time- each having 2 Senators: North Carolina and Rhode Island had yet to ratify the U.S. Constitution, while New York had so ratified but had failed to elect Senators as of that date) into the requisite three electoral Classes: under this plan, three groups of Senators (set up in such a way so as no State had its two Senators in the same group) were to be listed and the first Senator on each list (a list which was set up geographically north-to-south in the manner in which the Electoral Vote for President was counted before Congress at that time, so that two of the first Senators on these lists were from New Hampshire and the third was the first Senator in alphabetical order from Massachusetts) was to each blindly draw a piece of paper numbered either "1", "2" or "3" out of a box in the possession of the Secretary of the Senate. This plan being agreeable to the Senate and so approved, the drawing of lots in this manner was carried out the following day (15 May 1789)- such lot drawing ultimately determining that, to start with, Classes 1 and 2 were to have 7 Senators each and Class 3 was to have only 6 Senators.

When New York finally seated its two Senators during the ensuing Summer, there was another lot drawing (actually a double-lot drawing) on 28 July 1789 to determine the Classes for these seats: since one of the seats had to be Class 3 to make it equal in number to that of the other two Classes so far, the two New York Senators each blindly drew between two pieces of paper, one marked "3", the other which was blank- after this, there was a second lot drawing in which the New York Senator who had drawn the blank paper blindly drew again between two pieces of paper marked "1" and "2": he drew "1" so that New York would henceforth have Senators of electoral Classes 1 and 3.

When North Carolina seated its two Senators after ratifying the Constitution on 21 November 1789, there was yet another lot drawing (on 29 January 1790) in which North Carolina's two Senators each blindly drew between pieces of paper marked "2" and "3" (since there were now 12 States and, thus, 24 Senators: 24 being equally divisible by 3, there would now have to be 8 Senators in each of the three Classes to fulfill the Constitutional provision that, as nearly as was practicable, one third of the Senate be elected every second year).

After Rhode Island- the last of the 13 original States- finally ratified the Constitution on 29 May 1790 and subsequently seated its two Senators that Summer, there was yet one more lot drawing in the First Congress (on 25 June 1790) in which Rhode Island's two Senators blindly drew between pieces of paper marked "1", "2" and "3": one Senator drew "2", the other drew "1"- thereby determining electoral Classes 1 and 2 as those for the Senators from this State. When Vermont was admitted to the Union as the 14th state on 4 March 1791, there was again a double lot drawing as there had been for New York. From that day until this, whenever a new State has been admitted to the Union, these types of lot drawings (the type determined by the necessity of keeping the number of Senators in each electoral Class as close to one third as possible at the time of said lot drawing) between the new State's first Senators is held before the Senate to determine in just which of the three electoral Classes that State's Senate seats will be placed from then on.


 


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