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president of the Massachusetts Senate

{{Short description|Presiding officer}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox official post

| post = President

| body = the Massachusetts Senate

| insignia = File:Seal of the Senate of Massachusetts.svg

| insigniasize = 110px

| insigniacaption = Seal of the Senate of Massachusetts

| insigniaalt = Seal of the Senate of Massachusetts

| image = Karen E. Spilka.jpg

| incumbent = Karen Spilka

| acting =

| incumbentsince = July 26, 2018

| department = Government of Massachusetts

| style =

| type =

| status = Presiding Officer

| member_of = General Court

| reports_to =

| residence = None official

| seat = State House, Boston, Massachusetts

| nominator = Majority party of the chamber

| appointer = The Senate

| termlength = Two Years, no term limit

| termlength_qualified =

| constituting_instrument = Constitution of Massachusetts

| inaugural = Thomas Cushing

| formation = October 25, 1780

| deputy = President Pro Tempore

| salary =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

The president of the Massachusetts Senate is the presiding officer. Unlike the United States Congress, in which the vice president of the United States is the ex officio president of the United States Senate, in Massachusetts, the president of the Senate is elected from and by the senators. The president, therefore, typically comes from the majority party, and the president is then the de facto leader of that party.

The current president of the Massachusetts Senate, since July 26, 2018, is Karen Spilka, a Democrat from Ashland. Democrats have had a majority in the Senate since 1959.[http://www.boston.com/news/packages/whitey/globe_stories/1988_the_bulger_mystique_part_4_sidebar_b.htm Boston Globe, September 21, 1988] Notable former presidents of the Massachusetts Senate include U.S. president Calvin Coolidge.

List of presidents of the Massachusetts Senate

class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
#PresidentPictureTermPartyNotes
1stThomas Cushing

|100px

|October 25, 1780 – November 4, 1780{{Citation| last=Massachusetts General Court - Senate | title = The Journal of the Senate for the year 1879| page = 5 | publisher =Massachusetts General Court - Senate| location = Boston, Massachusetts |date = January 1, 1879}}

|

|Cushing was elected as the first president of the Massachusetts Senate, he resigned on November 4, 1780 because he was elected the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.

2ndJeremiah Powell

|

|November 4, 1780 – 1782

|

|

3rdSamuel Adams

|100px

|1782–1785

|

|

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|4th

|Samuel Phillips

|100px

|1785–87
1788–1801
1801–02

|F

|

5thSamuel Adams

|100px

|1787–1788

|

|

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|6th

David Cobb

|100px

|1801–02
1802–05

|F

|Served as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's at-large congressional seat from March 4, 1793 – March 4, 1795.

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|7th

Harrison Gray Otis

|100px

|1805–06

|F

|

{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}

|8th

|John Bacon

|

|1806–1807

|DR

|

{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}

|9th

Samuel Dana

|

|1807–1808

|DR

|

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|10th

|Harrison Gray Otis

|100px

|1808–1811

|F

|

{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}

|11th

|Samuel Dana

|

|1811–1813

|DR

|

12th

|John Phillips

|100px

|1813–1823

|

|Served as the first Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts.

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|13th

Nathaniel Silsbee

|100px

|1823–1826

|F

|

14th

|John Mills

|

|1826–1828

|

|

15thSherman Leland

|100px

|1828–1829

|

|

{{Party shading/Federalist}}

|16th

Samuel Lathrop

|

|1829–1831

|F

|

17thJames Fowler

|

|1830–1831

|

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|18th

Leverett Saltonstall

|100px

|1831

|W

|

19thWilliam Thorndike

|

|1832

|

|

20thBenjamin T. Pickman

|

|1833–1835

|

|

21stGeorge Bliss

|

|1835

|

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|22nd

Horace Mann

|100px

|1836–1837

|W

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|23rd

Myron Lawrence

|

|1838–1839

|W

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|24th

Daniel P. King

|100px

|1840–1841

|W

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|25th

Josiah Quincy Jr.

|100px

|1842

|W

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|26th

Phineas W. Leland

|100px

|1843

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|27th

Frederick Robinson

|

|1843

|D

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|28th

Josiah Quincy Jr.

|100px

|1844

|W

|

{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}}

|29th

Levi Lincoln Jr.

|100px

|1845

|DR

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|30th

William B. Calhoun

|100px

|1846–1847

|W

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|31st

Zeno Scudder

|100px

|1848

|W

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|32nd

Joseph M. Bell

|

|1849

|W

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|33rd

Marshall Pinckney Wilder

|100px

|1850

|W

|

{{Party shading/Free Soil}}

|34th

Henry Wilson

|100px

|1851–1852

|FS

|Was the 18th Vice President of the United States (1873–1875) and a Senator from Massachusetts (1855–1873).

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|35th

Charles Henry Warren

|

|1853

|Whig

|

36thCharles Edward Cook

|

|1854

|

{{Party shading/American}}

|37th

Henry W. Benchley

|100px

|1855

|A

|

{{Party shading/American}}

|38th

Elihu C. Baker

|

|1856

|A

|

{{Party shading/Whig}}

|39th

Charles W. Upham

|100px

|1857–1858

|W

|Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 6th district from March 4, 1853 to March 3, 1855.

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|40th

|Charles Abner Phelps

|

|1859–1860

|R{{Citation|last= Brown|first=Edgar M. | title =Annual Register of the Executive and Legislative Department of the Government of Massachusetts, 1859| page = 4. | publisher = Alfred Mudge & Son Printers| location = Boston, Massachusetts | year =1859}}

|Also served as the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1856.

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|41st

William Claflin

|100px

|1861

|R

|Also served as the 27th Governor of Massachusetts from 1869–1872, and as a member of the United States Congress from 1877–1881.

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|42nd

John Henry Clifford

|100px

|1862

|R

|Also served as the Massachusetts Attorney General and, from 1853 to 1854, as the 21st Governor of Massachusetts.

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|43rd

Jonathan E. Field

|

|1863–1865

|R

|

44th

|Joseph Adams Pond

|

|1866 – October 28, 1867

|

|Died in office at age 40.

45thGeorge O. Brastow

|100px

|1868–1869

|

|Also served as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council, and as the first Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts.

46thRobert Carter Pitman

|100px

|1869

|

|Resigned

47thGeorge O. Brastow

|100px

|1869

|

|Also served as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council, and as the first Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts.

48thHorace Hopkins Coolidge

|100px

|1870–1872

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|49th

George B. Loring

|100px

|1873–1876

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|50th

John B. D. Cogswell

|100px

|1877–1879

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|51st

Robert R. Bishop

|100px

|1880–1882

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|52nd

|George Glover Crocker

|100px

|1883

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|53rd

George A. Bruce

|100px

|1884

|R

|Also served as the fourth Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts.

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|54th

Albert E. Pillsbury

|100px

|1885–1886

|R

|Served as the Attorney General of Massachusetts from 1891 to 1894. Drafted original bylaws of the NAACP.

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|55th

Halsey J. Boardman

|100px

|1887–1888

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|56th

Harris C. Hartwell

|100px

|1889

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|57th

|Henry H. Sprague

|100px

|1890–1891

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|58th

Alfred S. Pinkerton

|100px

|1892–1893

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|59th

William M. Butler

|100px

|1894–1895

|R

|Also served as United States Senator from Massachusetts from November 13, 1924 to December 6, 1926 and was chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1924 to 1928.

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|60th

George P. Lawrence

|100px

|1896–1897

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|61st

George E. Smith

|100px

|1898–1900

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|62nd

Rufus A. Soule

|100px

|1901–1902

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|63rd

George R. Jones

|100px

|1903–1904

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|64th

William F. Dana{{cite journal |journal=New England Historical and Genealogical Register |title=William Franklin Dana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=96ye_qoWyCQC |year=1922 }}

|100px

|1905–1906

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|65th

William D. Chapple

|100px

|1907–1908

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|66th

|Allen T. Treadway

|100px

|1909–1911

|R

|Served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1913 until January 3, 1945.

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|67th

|Levi H. Greenwood

|100px

|1912–1913

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|68th

Calvin Coolidge

|100px

|1914–1915

|R

|Later served as the 30th President of the United States (1923–1929).

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|69th

Henry Gordon Wells

|100px

|1916–1918

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|70th

|Edwin T. McKnight

|100px

|1919–1920

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|71st

Frank G. Allen

|100px

|1921–1924

|R

|Also was the 51st Governor of Massachusetts.

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|72nd

Wellington Wells

|100px

|1925–1928

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|73rd

Gaspar G. Bacon

|100px

|1929–1932

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|74th

Erland F. Fish

|100px

|1933–1934

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|75th

James G. Moran

|100px

|1935–1936

|R

|Elected by 19 Democrats and 1 Republican.{{cite news|author=Merrill, John|title=Moran Wins in Senate, Faints|work=The Boston Daily Globe|date=January 11, 1935}}

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|76th

Samuel H. Wragg

| 100px

|1937–1938

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|77th

Joseph R. Cotton

| 100px

|1939–1940

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|78th

|Angier L. Goodwin

| 100px

|1941

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|79th

Jarvis Hunt

| 100px

|1942–1944

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|80th

Arthur W. Coolidge

| 100px

|1945–1946

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|81st

Donald W. Nicholson

|100px

|1947

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|82nd

Harris S. Richardson

| 100px

|1948

|R

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|83rd

Chester A. Dolan Jr.

|100px

|1949

|D

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|

Harris S. Richardson

| 100px

|1950

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|84th

Richard I. Furbush

| 100px

|1951–1956

|R

|

{{Party shading/Republican}}

|85th

Newland H. Holmes

| 100px

|1957–1958

|R

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|86th

John E. Powers

|100px

|1959–1964

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|87th

Maurice A. Donahue100px

|1964–1971

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|88th

Kevin B. Harrington

| 100px

|1971–1978

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|89th

William Bulger

|100px

|1978–1996

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|90th

Tom Birmingham

|100px

|1996–2003

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|91st

Robert Travaglini100px

|2003–2007

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|92nd

Therese Murray100px

|2007–2015

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|93rd

Stan Rosenberg100px

|2015–2017

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|94th

Harriette L. Chandler

|File:Harriette L. Chandler.jpg

|2017–2018

|D

|

{{Party shading/Democratic}}

|95th

|Karen Spilka

|File:Karen E. Spilka.jpg

|2018–

|D

|

A = American, D = Democratic, R = Republican, W = Whig

See also

Notes

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

  • The Massachusetts State House, p. 141-42. Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Boston, 1953.

External links

  • [http://www.mass.gov/legis/senrules.htm Senate Rules] (rules 1-5B relate to the President)

{{Presidents of the Massachusetts Senate}}

{{MA General Courts}}

{{Current Massachusetts statewide political officials}}

{{Massachusetts government}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:President Of The Massachusetts Senate}}

Category:Lists of Massachusetts politicians

Category:1780 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay