President of the Massachusetts Senate

President of the Massachusetts Senate
Seal of the Senate of Massachusetts Seal of the Senate of Massachusetts
File:Karen E. Spilka.jpg Incumbent Karen Spilka since July 26, 2018
Government of Massachusetts
Status	Presiding Officer
Member of	General Court
Residence	None official
Seat	State House, Boston, Massachusetts
Nominator	Majority party of the chamber
Appointer	The Senate
Term length	Two Years, no term limit
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Massachusetts
Inaugural holder	Thomas Cushing
Formation	October 25, 1780
Deputy	President Pro Tempore

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. Notable former presidents of the Massachusetts Senate include U.S. president Calvin Coolidge.

List of presidents of the Massachusetts Senate

#	President	Picture	Term	Party	Notes
1st	Thomas Cushing	File:Thomas Cushing, Member of Continental Congress.jpg	October 25, 1780 – November 4, 1780		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.
2nd	Jeremiah Powell		November 4, 1780 – 1782
3rd	Samuel Adams	File:Samuel Adams by John Singleton Copley.jpg	1782–1785
4th	Samuel Phillips	File:SamuelPhillips.jpeg	1785–87 1788–1801 1801–02	F
5th	Samuel Adams	File:Samuel Adams by John Singleton Copley.jpg	1787–1788
6th	David Cobb	File:Gilbert Stuart - General David Cobb (page 229 crop).jpg	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.
7th	Harrison Gray Otis	File:Harrison Gray Otis by Chester Harding, 1833, oil on canvas, from the National Portrait Gallery - NPG-7700056A 2.jpg	1805–06	F
8th	John Bacon		1806–1807	DR
9th	Samuel Dana		1807–1808	DR
10th	Harrison Gray Otis	File:Harrison Gray Otis by Chester Harding, 1833, oil on canvas, from the National Portrait Gallery - NPG-7700056A 2.jpg	1808–1811	F
11th	Samuel Dana		1811–1813	DR
12th	John Phillips	File:John Phillips First Mayor of Boston.png	1813–1823		Served as the first Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts.
13th	Nathaniel Silsbee	File:Nathaniel Silsbee.png	1823–1826	F
14th	John Mills		1826–1828
15th	Sherman Leland	File:Sherman Leland Massachusetts Senate President.png	1828–1829
16th	Samuel Lathrop		1829–1831	F
17th	James Fowler		1830–1831
18th	Leverett Saltonstall	File:Leverett Saltonstall 1783-1845 - Chester Harding.jpg	1831	W
19th	William Thorndike		1832
20th	Benjamin T. Pickman		1833–1835
21st	George Bliss		1835
22nd	Horace Mann	File:Southworth and Hawes - Horace Mann (Zeno Fotografie) (cropped).jpg	1836–1837	W
23rd	Myron Lawrence		1838–1839	W
24th	Daniel P. King	File:Daniel Putnam King (1801-1850).jpg	1840–1841	W
25th	Josiah Quincy Jr.	File:Josiah Quincy Jr.png	1842	W
26th	Phineas W. Leland	File:Phineas W. Leland.png	1843	D
27th	Frederick Robinson		1843	D
28th	Josiah Quincy Jr.	File:Josiah Quincy Jr.png	1844	W
29th	Levi Lincoln Jr.	File:LLincolnJr.jpg	1845	DR
30th	William B. Calhoun	File:William Barron Calhoun.png	1846–1847	W
31st	Zeno Scudder	File:ZenoScudder.jpg	1848	W
32nd	Joseph M. Bell		1849	W
33rd	Marshall Pinckney Wilder	File:Marshall Pinckney Wilder (politician).png	1850	W
34th	Henry Wilson	File:Henry Wilson, VP of the United States.jpg	1851–1852	FS	Was the 18th Vice President of the United States (1873–1875) and a Senator from Massachusetts (1855–1873).
35th	Charles Henry Warren		1853	Whig
36th	Charles Edward Cook		1854
37th	Henry W. Benchley	File:Henry Wetherby Benchley.png	1855	A
38th	Elihu C. Baker		1856	A
39th	Charles W. Upham	File:Charles Wentworth Upham.png	1857–1858	W	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 6th district from March 4, 1853 to March 3, 1855.
40th	Charles Abner Phelps		1859–1860	R	Also served as the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1856.
41st	William Claflin	File:William Claflin - Brady-Handy.jpg	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.
42nd	John Henry Clifford	File:JohnHClifford Photograph.jpg	1862	R	Also served as the Massachusetts Attorney General and, from 1853 to 1854, as the 21st Governor of Massachusetts.
43rd	Jonathan E. Field		1863–1865	R
44th	Joseph Adams Pond		1866 – October 28, 1867		Died in office at age 40.
45th	George O. Brastow	File:George Oliver Brastow.png	1868–1869		Also served as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council, and as the first Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts.
46th	Robert Carter Pitman	File:Robert Carter Pitman.png	1869		Resigned
47th	George O. Brastow	File:George Oliver Brastow.png	1869		Also served as a member of the Massachusetts Governor's Council, and as the first Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts.
48th	Horace Hopkins Coolidge	File:Horace Hopkins Coolidge.png	1870–1872
49th	George B. Loring	File:George B. Loring - Brady-Handy.jpg	1873–1876	R
50th	John B. D. Cogswell	File:John Bear Doane Cogswell.png	1877–1879	R
51st	Robert R. Bishop	File:Robert Roberts Bishop.png	1880–1882	R
52nd	George Glover Crocker	File:George Glover Crocker.png	1883	R
53rd	George A. Bruce	File:George Anson Bruce.png	1884	R	Also served as the fourth Mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts.
54th	Albert E. Pillsbury	File:Albert E. Pillsbury.png	1885–1886	R	Served as the Attorney General of Massachusetts from 1891 to 1894. Drafted original bylaws of the NAACP.
55th	Halsey J. Boardman	File:Halsey J. Boardman.png	1887–1888	R
56th	Harris C. Hartwell	File:Harris C. Hartwell.png	1889	R
57th	Henry H. Sprague	File:Henry Harrison Sprague.png	1890–1891	R
58th	Alfred S. Pinkerton	File:1890 Alfred Stamm Pinkerton senator Massachusetts.jpg	1892–1893	R
59th	William M. Butler	File:Senator Wm. M. Butler of Mass., (11-28-24) LCCN2016849799 (cropped).jpg	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.
60th	George P. Lawrence	File:George P Lawrence Massachusetts Congressman circa 1908.png	1896–1897	R
61st	George E. Smith	File:George Edwin Smith.png	1898–1900	R
62nd	Rufus A. Soule	File:Rufus A. Soule.png	1901–1902	R
63rd	George R. Jones	File:George R. Jones Massachusetts Senate President.png	1903–1904	R
64th	William F. Dana	File:William F. Dana (President of the Mass. Senate).png	1905–1906	R
65th	William D. Chapple	File:William D. Chapple.png	1907–1908	R
66th	Allen T. Treadway	File:Allen Towner Treadway.png	1909–1911	R	Served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1913 until January 3, 1945.
67th	Levi H. Greenwood	File:Levi H Greeenwood Massachusetts Senate President 1912-1913.png	1912–1913	R
68th	Calvin Coolidge	File:Calvin Coolidge cph.3g10777 (cropped).jpg	1914–1915	R	Later served as the 30th President of the United States (1923–1929).
69th	Henry Gordon Wells	File:Henry Gordon Wells.png	1916–1918	R
70th	Edwin T. McKnight	File:Edwin T. McKnight.png	1919–1920	R
71st	Frank G. Allen	File:Frank G Allen.png	1921–1924	R	Also was the 51st Governor of Massachusetts.
72nd	Wellington Wells	File:Wellington Wells.png	1925–1928	R
73rd	Gaspar G. Bacon	File:Gaspar Griswold Bacon, Sr in his passport application.jpg	1929–1932	R
74th	Erland F. Fish	File:Erland F. Fish.png	1933–1934	R
75th	James G. Moran	File:James G. Moran.png	1935–1936	R	Elected by 19 Democrats and 1 Republican.
76th	Samuel H. Wragg	File:1923 Samuel Wragg Massachusetts House of Representatives.png	1937–1938	R
77th	Joseph R. Cotton	File:1923 Joseph Russell Cotton Massachusetts House of Representatives.png	1939–1940	R
78th	Angier L. Goodwin	File:1935 Angier Goodwin senator Massachusetts.png	1941	R
79th	Jarvis Hunt	File:1943 Jarvis Hunt senator Massachusetts.png	1942–1944	R
80th	Arthur W. Coolidge	File:1945 Arthur Coolidge senator Massachusetts.jpg	1945–1946	R
81st	Donald W. Nicholson	File:Donald W. Nicholson (Massachusetts Congressman).jpg	1947	R
82nd	Harris S. Richardson	File:1945 Harris Sawyer Richardson senator Massachusetts.jpg	1948	R
83rd	Chester A. Dolan Jr.	File:Chesteradolan.jpg	1949	D
	Harris S. Richardson	File:1945 Harris Sawyer Richardson senator Massachusetts.jpg	1950	R
84th	Richard I. Furbush	File:1953 Richard Furbush senator Massachusetts.jpg	1951–1956	R
85th	Newland H. Holmes	File:1953 Newland Holmes senator Massachusetts.jpg	1957–1958	R
86th	John E. Powers	File:1939 John Powers Massachusetts House of Representatives (1).png	1959–1964	D
87th	Maurice A. Donahue	File:Maurice Donahue 1960s Massachsuetts 11191699173.png	1964–1971	D
88th	Kevin B. Harrington	File:1967 Kevin Brian Harrington senator Massachusetts.jpg	1971–1978	D
89th	William Bulger	File:Senate President William M. Bulger (9519685196).jpg	1978–1996	D
90th	Tom Birmingham	File:Tom birmingham (1).jpg	1996–2003	D
91st	Robert Travaglini	File:Robert Travaglini 1980s Massachusetts USA 9501943933.png	2003–2007	D
92nd	Therese Murray	File:2005 Therese Murray.png	2007–2015	D
93rd	Stan Rosenberg	File:Senator Stan Rosenberg.JPG	2015–2017	D
94th	Harriette L. Chandler	File:Harriette L. Chandler.jpg	2017–2018	D
95th	Karen Spilka	File:Karen E. Spilka.jpg	2018–	D

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

See also

• List of speakers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
• List of Massachusetts General Courts

Bibliography

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

External links

• Senate Rules (rules 1-5B relate to the President)