{"id":354943,"date":"2026-08-06T11:56:58","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T15:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&#038;p=354943"},"modified":"2026-08-28T15:37:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T19:37:49","slug":"most-us-senators-appointed-since-1990-have-run-to-keep-their-seat-and-most-have-won","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/08\/06\/most-us-senators-appointed-since-1990-have-run-to-keep-their-seat-and-most-have-won\/","title":{"rendered":"Most U.S. senators appointed since 1990 have run to keep their seat \u2013 and most have won"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img data-dominant-color=\"5c4c4c\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #5c4c4c;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/SR_26.08.06_senate_appt_featured.png?resize=480,270 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/SR_26.08.06_senate_appt_featured.png?resize=782,440 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/SR_26.08.06_senate_appt_featured.png?resize=960,540 960w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/SR_26.08.06_senate_appt_featured.png?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/SR_26.08.06_senate_appt_featured.png?resize=1280,720 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/SR_26.08.06_senate_appt_featured.png?w=640\" alt=\"Darline Graham, accompanied by her husband, Larry Nordone, is sworn in as U.S. senator by Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley of Iowa on July 14. Graham was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster following the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. (Bill Clark\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-354955 not-transparent\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Darline Graham, accompanied by her husband, Larry Nordone, is sworn in as U.S. senator by Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley of Iowa on July 14. Graham was appointed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster following the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. (Bill Clark\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Darline Graham of South Carolina is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/politics\/im-in-darline-graham-says-she-will-run-for-a-full-term-in-lindsey-grahams-senate-seat\">running for a full term<\/a> in the U.S. Senate after being appointed to the chamber on a temporary basis following the death of her brother, Lindsey Graham, in July. With this decision, she joins a long line of senators who have sought to turn a temporary appointment into a longer tenure.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"alignright wp-block-prc-chart-builder-synced-chart\"><figure class=\"wp-chart-builder\">\t\t<div style=\"max-width:310px\" class=\"wp-chart-builder-wrapper alignnone wp-block-prc-chart-builder-controller--freeform wp-block-prc-chart-builder-controller\" id=\"1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/controller\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13&quot;,&quot;postId&quot;:354943,&quot;postUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/short-reads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/06\\\/most-us-senators-appointed-since-1990-have-run-to-keep-their-seat-and-most-have-won\\\/&quot;,&quot;chartPostUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/chart\\\/17-u-s-senators-appointed-since-1990-have-run-to-keep-their-seat-and-won\\\/&quot;,&quot;postPubDate&quot;:&quot;2026-08-06&quot;,&quot;rootUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org&quot;,&quot;featuredImageId&quot;:355241,&quot;featuredImageUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/20\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/17_us_senators_appointed_since_1990_have_run_to_keep_their_seat_and_won-354688-1786031850.png&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;17 U.S. senators appointed since 1990 have run to keep their seat and won&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;note&quot;:&quot;* Three appointed senators are currently running for election. One, Jon Husted, won a special Republican primary uncontested in May.&lt;br&gt;Note: \\u201cAdvanced from or bypassed primary\\u201d includes elections in which a partisan primary was not held. Election outcomes are current through Aug. 6, 2026. Excludes cases where senators were initially elected but appointed early to finish the last few weeks of the outgoing lawmaker\\u2019s term.&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;Source: Senate Historical Office.&quot;,&quot;tag&quot;:&quot;PEW RESEARCH CENTER&quot;,&quot;tableData&quot;:{&quot;header&quot;:[&quot;&quot;,&quot;Count&quot;],&quot;rows&quot;:[[&quot;Appointed&quot;,&quot;43&quot;],[&quot;Ran for election*&quot;,&quot;27&quot;],[&quot;Advanced from or bypassed primary*&quot;,&quot;23&quot;],[&quot;Won general election&quot;,&quot;17&quot;]],&quot;footer&quot;:[]},&quot;isFreeformChart&quot;:true}\" data-wp-init--detect-web-share-support=\"callbacks.detectWebShareSupport\" data-wp-init--sync-table-height=\"callbacks.syncTableHeight\" data-wp-init--watch-chart=\"callbacks.watchChart\" data-wp-init--reset-tab-on-navigation=\"callbacks.resetTabOnNavigation\" data-png-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/17_us_senators_appointed_since_1990_have_run_to_keep_their_seat_and_won-354688-1786031850.png\" data-has-csv=\"true\" data-allow-data-download=\"true\" data-post-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/08\/06\/most-us-senators-appointed-since-1990-have-run-to-keep-their-seat-and-most-have-won\/\" data-chart-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/chart\/17-u-s-senators-appointed-since-1990-have-run-to-keep-their-seat-and-won\/\" data-chart-title=\"17 U.S. senators appointed since 1990 have run to keep their seat and won\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-allow-overlay=\"true\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__text-wrapper\" style=\"max-width:310px;width:100%;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 0 0 10px; max-width:310px;\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">17 U.S. senators appointed since 1990 have run to keep their seat and won<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"wp-block-group wp-chart-builder-freeform-chart has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=354940\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f1e9d2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f1e9d2;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"404\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/SR_26.08.00_CollegeWorth310px@2xV3.png?resize=480,313 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/SR_26.08.00_CollegeWorth310px@2xV3.png?resize=620,404 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/SR_26.08.00_CollegeWorth310px@2xV3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-354940 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">* Three appointed senators are currently running for election. One, Jon Husted, won a special Republican primary uncontested in May.<br>Note: \u201cAdvanced from or bypassed primary\u201d includes elections in which a partisan primary was not held. Election outcomes are current through Aug. 6, 2026. Excludes cases where senators were initially elected but appointed early to finish the last few weeks of the outgoing lawmaker\u2019s term.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Senate Historical Office.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 10px 0 0px; max-width:310px;\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- register a callback on this div to see if the native share is supported -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__overlay\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"share-modal__overlay-1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t><\/div>\n\t\t\t<!-- TODO: I would like to be able to use the social share block here. Need to modify it to work with the share modal. -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal\" id=\"share-modal-1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"share-modal__title\">Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"share-modal__close\" aria-label=\"Close Share Modal\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dashicons dashicons-no-alt\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on X<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on Facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\" id=\"1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13-table\" style=\"max-width:310px;\">\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px; max-width: 310px;\">\n\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">17 U.S. senators appointed since 1990 have run to keep their seat and won<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-table__inner\" style=\"max-width: 310px !important; margin-bottom: 0; overflow: auto;\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<figure class=\"wp-block-prc-block-table is-scroll-on-pc is-scroll-on-mobile chart-builder-data-table has-sans-serif-font-family has-small-font-size\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout is-sticky-first-column\"><colgroup><col \/><col \/><\/colgroup><thead><tr><th><\/th><th>Count<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Appointed<\/td><td data-prc-v-col=\"1\">43<\/td><\/tr><tr><td data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Ran for election*<\/td><td data-prc-v-col=\"1\">27<\/td><\/tr><tr><td data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Advanced from or bypassed primary*<\/td><td data-prc-v-col=\"1\">23<\/td><\/tr><tr><td data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Won general election<\/td><td data-prc-v-col=\"1\">17<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__download-data-button-hr\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__download-data-button\">\n\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.downloadData\"\n\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"has-sans-serif-font-family\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\tDownload data as .csv\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13-chart&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">* Three appointed senators are currently running for election. One, Jon Husted, won a special Republican primary uncontested in May.<br>Note: \u201cAdvanced from or bypassed primary\u201d includes elections in which a partisan primary was not held. Election outcomes are current through Aug. 6, 2026. Excludes cases where senators were initially elected but appointed early to finish the last few weeks of the outgoing lawmaker\u2019s term.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Senate Historical Office.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<hr style=\"margin: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 310px;\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons\" style=\"max-width:310px;\"><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__tabs\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-chart-id=\"1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Chart<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--table\" data-chart-view=\"table\" data-chart-id=\"1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Data<\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__actions\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--download-image\" data-chart-id=\"1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadImage\">Download Image<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--share\" data-chart-view=\"share\" data-chart-id=\"1c7265c7-a1b0-4d5b-8429-74212fb01c13\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Share<\/button><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The U.S. Senate has had 43 appointed members since 1990, and 27 of them (63%) have run to keep their seat,<\/strong> according to data from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/senators\/AppointedSenators.htm\">Senate Historical Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This list includes Graham, as well as two senators appointed in January 2025 who are running in special elections this year: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/ohio-senate-primary-results-jon-husted-sherrod-brown\/\">Jon Husted<\/a> of Ohio and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/miami\/news\/florida-us-senate-race-ashley-moody-alex-vindman-2026\/\">Ashley Moody<\/a> of Florida. Husted and Moody were appointed to the seats vacated by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, respectively, at the beginning of the second Trump administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another recently appointed senator, Alan Armstrong of Oklahoma, is not eligible to run in the regular election for his seat due to a 2021 change in the state\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/5769909-markwayne-mullin-oklahoma-senate-vacancy\/\">Senate vacancy procedure<\/a>. Armstrong was appointed in March 2026 after his predecessor, Markwayne Mullin, resigned to become Homeland Security secretary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Related:<\/em><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/08\/06\/how-do-states-fill-vacancies-in-the-us-senate-it-depends-on-the-state\/\"><em>How do states fill vacancies in the U.S. Senate? It depends on the state<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-style-plus-icon has-border-color has-ui-gray-light-border-color has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-background has-sans-serif-font-family is-layout-flow wp-container-core-details-is-layout-4031d49d wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-width:1px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);font-size:clamp(0.875em, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 0.2em) * 0.009), 0.88em);\"><summary>About this research<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three appointed U.S. senators are running for election this year, so we did this analysis to understand how often appointed senators run for election and win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"why-did-we-do-this\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why did we do this?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. This analysis builds on our previous work exploring the makeup of <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/topic\/politics-policy\/government\/congress\/\">Congress<\/a> and how it has changed over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"how-did-we-do-this\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How did we do this?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We relied on a list of appointed senators and election outcomes from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.senate.gov\/senators\/AppointedSenators.htm\">Senate Historical Office<\/a>. Additional information comes from the <a href=\"https:\/\/bioguide.congress.gov\/\">Biographical Directory of the United States Congress<\/a>. We excluded cases where senators won election but were appointed early.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In all, <strong>15 current senators arrived in the chamber by appointment<\/strong> without first having been elected to their seat. (We\u2019re excluding cases like John Cornyn and Andy Kim, who won election to the Senate and were appointed early to finish the last few weeks of the outgoing lawmaker\u2019s term.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes, an appointment is the start of a longer Senate career: These 15 senators have served a median of 8.6 years in the chamber, with most having been elected to at least one full term following their appointment.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-chart-builder\">\t\t<div style=\"max-width:640px\" class=\"wp-chart-builder-wrapper alignnone wp-block-prc-chart-builder-controller--freeform wp-block-prc-chart-builder-controller\" id=\"3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/controller\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36&quot;,&quot;postId&quot;:354943,&quot;postUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/short-reads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/06\\\/most-us-senators-appointed-since-1990-have-run-to-keep-their-seat-and-most-have-won\\\/&quot;,&quot;chartPostUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/chart\\\/for-some-current-u-s-senators-appointment-was-the-start-of-a-long-career-in-the-chamber\\\/&quot;,&quot;postPubDate&quot;:&quot;2026-08-06&quot;,&quot;rootUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org&quot;,&quot;featuredImageId&quot;:358071,&quot;featuredImageUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/alpha.pewresearch.org\\\/pewresearch-org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/20\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/for_some_current_us_senators_appointment_was_the_start_of_a_long_career_in_the_chamber-354512-1786659316.png&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;For some current U.S. senators, appointment was the start of a long career in the chamber&quot;,&quot;subtitle&quot;:&quot;Senators in the 119th Congress who arrived by appointment&quot;,&quot;note&quot;:&quot;Note: Partial terms won are not shown. Excludes cases where senators were initially elected but appointed early to finish the last few weeks of the outgoing lawmaker\\u2019s term. Length of service is calculated through Aug. 6, 2026.&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:&quot;Source: Senate Historical Office and Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.&quot;,&quot;tag&quot;:&quot;PEW RESEARCH CENTER&quot;,&quot;tableData&quot;:{&quot;header&quot;:[&quot;Senator&quot;,&quot;Party&quot;,&quot;State&quot;,&quot;Appointment effective date&quot;,&quot;Full terms won&quot;,&quot;Years served&quot;],&quot;rows&quot;:[[&quot;Darline Graham&quot;,&quot;R&quot;,&quot;SC&quot;,&quot;7\\\/13\\\/26&quot;,&quot;0&quot;,&quot;0.1&quot;],[&quot;Alan Armstrong&quot;,&quot;R&quot;,&quot;OK&quot;,&quot;3\\\/24\\\/26&quot;,&quot;0&quot;,&quot;0.4&quot;],[&quot;Ashley Moody&quot;,&quot;R&quot;,&quot;FL&quot;,&quot;1\\\/21\\\/25&quot;,&quot;0&quot;,&quot;1.5&quot;],[&quot;Jon Husted&quot;,&quot;D&quot;,&quot;NJ&quot;,&quot;1\\\/18\\\/25&quot;,&quot;0&quot;,&quot;1.5&quot;],[&quot;Pete Ricketts&quot;,&quot;R&quot;,&quot;NE&quot;,&quot;1\\\/12\\\/23&quot;,&quot;0&quot;,&quot;3.6&quot;],[&quot;Alex Padilla&quot;,&quot;D&quot;,&quot;CA&quot;,&quot;1\\\/18\\\/21&quot;,&quot;1&quot;,&quot;5.6&quot;],[&quot;Cindy Hyde-Smith&quot;,&quot;R&quot;,&quot;MS&quot;,&quot;4\\\/2\\\/18&quot;,&quot;1&quot;,&quot;8.4&quot;],[&quot;Tina Smith&quot;,&quot;D&quot;,&quot;MN&quot;,&quot;1\\\/3\\\/18&quot;,&quot;1&quot;,&quot;8.6&quot;],[&quot;Tim Scott&quot;,&quot;R&quot;,&quot;SC&quot;,&quot;1\\\/2\\\/13&quot;,&quot;2&quot;,&quot;13.6&quot;],[&quot;Brian Schatz&quot;,&quot;D&quot;,&quot;HI&quot;,&quot;12\\\/26\\\/12&quot;,&quot;2&quot;,&quot;13.6&quot;],[&quot;Kirsten Gillibrand&quot;,&quot;D&quot;,&quot;NY&quot;,&quot;1\\\/26\\\/09&quot;,&quot;3&quot;,&quot;17.5&quot;],[&quot;Michael Bennet&quot;,&quot;D&quot;,&quot;CO&quot;,&quot;1\\\/21\\\/09&quot;,&quot;3&quot;,&quot;17.6&quot;],[&quot;Roger Wicker&quot;,&quot;R&quot;,&quot;MS&quot;,&quot;12\\\/31\\\/07&quot;,&quot;3&quot;,&quot;18.6&quot;],[&quot;John Barrasso&quot;,&quot;R&quot;,&quot;WY&quot;,&quot;6\\\/22\\\/07&quot;,&quot;3&quot;,&quot;19.1&quot;],[&quot;Lisa Murkowski&quot;,&quot;R&quot;,&quot;AK&quot;,&quot;12\\\/20\\\/02&quot;,&quot;4&quot;,&quot;23.6&quot;]],&quot;footer&quot;:[]},&quot;isFreeformChart&quot;:true}\" data-wp-init--detect-web-share-support=\"callbacks.detectWebShareSupport\" data-wp-init--sync-table-height=\"callbacks.syncTableHeight\" data-wp-init--watch-chart=\"callbacks.watchChart\" data-wp-init--reset-tab-on-navigation=\"callbacks.resetTabOnNavigation\" data-png-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/for_some_current_us_senators_appointment_was_the_start_of_a_long_career_in_the_chamber-354512-1786659316.png\" data-has-csv=\"true\" data-allow-data-download=\"true\" data-post-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/08\/06\/most-us-senators-appointed-since-1990-have-run-to-keep-their-seat-and-most-have-won\/\" data-chart-url=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/chart\/for-some-current-u-s-senators-appointment-was-the-start-of-a-long-career-in-the-chamber\/\" data-chart-title=\"For some current U.S. senators, appointment was the start of a long career in the chamber\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-allow-overlay=\"true\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-chart-builder-inner wp-block-prc-chart-builder-chart\" id=\"chart-block-3\" data-wp-key=\"3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36-chart\" data-wp-interactive=\"prc-chart-builder\/chart\" data-prc-chart-id=\"3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36-chart\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36-chart&quot;}\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.watchForResize\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__text-wrapper\" style=\"max-width:640px;width:100%;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 0 0 10px; max-width:640px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__title\" data-meta-field=\"title\">For some current U.S. senators, appointment was the start of a long career in the chamber<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__subtitle\" data-meta-field=\"subtitle\">Senators in the 119th Congress who arrived by appointment<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36-chart\" class=\"wp-chart-builder-freeform-content\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-prc-block-table chart-builder-data-table has-sans-serif-font-family has-small-font-size\"><table class=\"\" style=\"max-width:640px;min-width:640px\"><colgroup><col \/><col \/><col \/><col \/><\/colgroup><thead><tr><th style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%;text-align:center\">Senator<\/th><th style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\">Appointment effective date<\/th><th style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\">Full terms won<\/th><th style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\">Years served<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Darline Graham (R-SC)<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">7\/13\/2026<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">0<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">0.1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Alan Armstrong (R-OK)<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">3\/24\/2026<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">0<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">0.4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Ashley Moody (R-FL)<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1\/21\/2025<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">0<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">1.5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Jon Husted (R-OH)<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1\/18\/2025<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">0<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">1.5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Pete Ricketts (R-NE)<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1\/12\/2023<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">0<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">3.6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Alex Padilla (D-CA)<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1\/18\/2021<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">1<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">5.5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">4\/2\/2018<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">1<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">8.3<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Tina Smith (D-MN)<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1\/3\/2018<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">1<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">8.6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Tim Scott (R-SC)<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1\/2\/2013<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">2<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">13.6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Brian Schatz (D-HI)<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">12\/26\/2012<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">2<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">13.6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1\/26\/2009<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">3<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">17.5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Michael Bennet (D-CO)<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">1\/21\/2009<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">3<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">17.5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Roger Wicker (R-MS)<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">12\/31\/2007<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">3<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">18.6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">John Barrasso (R-WY)<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">6\/22\/2007<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">3<\/td><td style=\"font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">19.1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1;width:25%\" data-prc-v-col=\"0\">Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"1\">12\/20\/2002<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"2\">4<\/td><td style=\"background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f1, #26251f);font-size:13px;line-height:1.1\" data-prc-v-col=\"3\">23.6<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--note\" data-meta-field=\"note\">Note: Partial terms won are not shown. Excludes cases where senators were initially elected but appointed early to finish the last few weeks of the outgoing lawmaker\u2019s term. Length of service is calculated through Aug. 6, 2026.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__note cb__note--source\" data-meta-field=\"source\">Source: Senate Historical Office and Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cb__tag\" data-meta-field=\"tag\">PEW RESEARCH CENTER<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr class=\"cb__hr\" style=\"margin: 10px 0 0; max-width:640px;\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t<!-- register a callback on this div to see if the native share is supported -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__overlay\"\n\t\t\t\tid=\"share-modal__overlay-3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.hideModal\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t><\/div>\n\t\t\t<!-- TODO: I would like to be able to use the social share block here. Need to modify it to work with the share modal. -->\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal\" id=\"share-modal-3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-wp-class--web-share-supported=\"state.webShareSupported\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-chart-view=\"share\"\n\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"share-modal__title\">Share this chart<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"share-modal__close\" aria-label=\"Close Share Modal\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.hideModal\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"dashicons dashicons-no-alt\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"share-modal__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareTwitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on X<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"share-modal__button share-modal__button--facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-wp-on--keydown=\"actions.shareFacebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share on Facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons\" style=\"max-width:640px;\"><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__tabs\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--chart\" data-chart-view=\"chart\" data-chart-id=\"3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Chart<\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-chart-builder-view-buttons__actions\"><button class=\"view-button view-button--download-image\" data-chart-id=\"3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.downloadImage\">Download Image<\/button><button class=\"view-button view-button--share\" data-chart-view=\"share\" data-chart-id=\"3922b259-5c4b-47b3-a7ef-f40469389f36\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.setActiveTab\" data-wp-class--active=\"state.isActive\">Share<\/button><\/div><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\n<h4 id=\"most-appointed-senators-who-run-end-up-winning\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Most appointed senators who run end up winning<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 1990, <strong>more appointed senators who have run to keep their seat have won than lost.<\/strong> Of the 24 whose elections have been decided, 17 won and seven lost (71% vs. 29%). Two of those who lost were defeated in a primary; three won their party\u2019s nomination but lost in the general election; and two others advanced as top vote-getters in an all-candidate <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Primary_election_types_by_state\">\u201cblanket\u201d primary<\/a> but lost the resulting runoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Election outcomes haven\u2019t always been so favorable for appointed senators. Between 1960 and 1989, the Senate had 37 appointees, 29 of whom went on to seek election. But more of those candidates lost (18, or 62%) than won (11, or 38%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"its-not-uncommon-for-family-members-to-fill-a-senate-vacancy\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">It\u2019s not uncommon for family members to fill a Senate vacancy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Darline Graham isn\u2019t the first Senate appointee to have a family connection to their predecessor. Historically, most appointed senators with such ties have been women replacing a husband after he died or resigned from office. In fact, well into the 1970s, this so-called \u201cwidow\u2019s succession,\u201d either by appointment or election, was one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2025\/02\/21\/women-account-for-28-of-lawmakers-in-the-119th-congress-unchanged-from-the-last-congress\/#widow-s-succession-in-congress\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2025\/02\/21\/women-account-for-28-of-lawmakers-in-the-119th-congress-unchanged-from-the-last-congress\/#widow-s-succession-in-congress\">most common ways<\/a> for women to enter Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 1990, two senators have been appointed to a vacancy created by the death of their husband. Sen. Jocelyn Burdick of North Dakota chose not to seek election following the death of Quentin Burdick in 1992 and served just three months. Sen. Jean Carnahan of Missouri was appointed to succeed <a href=\"https:\/\/treasurer.mo.gov\/content\/about-the-office\/1mel-carnahan\">Mel Carnahan<\/a>, who was elected posthumously in 2000. She later ran for the remainder of his term but lost in a 2002 special election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two other appointed senators since 1990 have succeeded their father. Both Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island (who replaced the late John Chafee in 1999) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska (who replaced the <a href=\"https:\/\/rollcall.com\/2004\/02\/10\/a-tale-of-two-governors-and-one-daughter\/\">retiring Frank Murkowski<\/a> in 2002) subsequently ran for election and won. Murkowski still holds her seat and was reelected to a fourth full term in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. Senate has had 43 appointed members since 1990, and 27 of them (63%) have run to keep their seat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":658,"featured_media":354955,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-08-06T15:57:17Z","apple_news_api_id":"1a5f8cc8-c5ab-4de3-b2c9-f456ae357246","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-08-28T19:38:19Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AGl-MyMWrTeOyyfRWrjVyRg","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"relatedPosts":[],"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"displayBylines":true,"footnotes":"","prc_watchers":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0},"categories":[79,72,39,48],"bylines":[593],"datasets":[],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[467],"_fund_pool":[],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[515],"research-teams":[],"workflow-status":[],"collection":[],"class_list":["post-354943","short-read","type-short-read","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress","category-more-leaders","category-us-elections-voters","category-voters-voting","bylines-anna-jackson","formats-short-read","regions-countries-united-states"],"label":"Short 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