A total of 126 senators have served in cabinet positions since 1789; 45 senators resigned their Senate seat to join the cabinet; 2 senators (Webster and Sherman) resigned from the Senate twice.
* Indicates senators who resigned their Senate seats to accept cabinet positions
| Senator | Cabinet Post | Years | Administration | Senate Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Abraham (R-MI) | Energy | 2001-2005 | George W. Bush | 1995–2001 |
| Brock Adams (D-WA) | Transportation | 1977–1979 | Carter | 1987–1993 |
| John Quincy Adams (F-MA) | State | 1817–1825 | Monroe | 1803–1808 |
| Lamar Alexander (R-TN) | Education | 1991–1993 | George W. Bush | 2003–2021 |
| Russell A. Alger (R-MI) | War | 1897–1899 | McKinley | 1902–1907 |
| Clinton P. Anderson (D-NM) | Agriculture | 1945–1948 | Truman | 1949–1973 |
| John Armstrong, Jr. (DR-NY) | War | 1813–1814 | Madison | 1800–1802 1803–1804 |
| John D. Ashcroft (R-MO) | Attorney General | 2001–2005 | George W. Bush | 1995–2001 |
| George E. Badger (W-NC) | Navy | 1841 | W. Harrison/Tyler | 1846–1855 |
| James Barbour (Anti-Democrat, DR-VA)
| War | 1825–1828 | J.Q. Adams | 1815–1825 |
| William T. Barry (DR-KY) | PM General | 1829–1836 | Jackson | 1814–1816 |
| Thomas F. Bayard, Sr. (D-DE)
| State | 1885–1889 | Cleveland | 1869–1885 |
| John Bell (W, OP, AmKN-TN) | War | 1841 | W. Harrison/ Tyler | 1847–1859 |
| Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. (D-TX)
| Treasury | 1993–1994 | B. Clinton | 1971–1993 |
| John M. Berrien (J, W-GA)
| Attorney General | 1829–1831 | Jackson | 1825–1829 1841–1845 1845–1852 |
| George M. Bibb (DR, J, R-KY) | Treasury | 1844–1845 | Tyler | 1811–1814 1829–1835 |
| James G. Blaine (R-ME)
| State | 1881 | Garfield/Arthur | 1876–1881 |
| James G. Blaine (R-ME)
| State | 1889–1892 | B. Harrison | 1876–1881 |
| George S. Boutwell (R-MA) | Treasury | 1869–1873 | Grant | 1873–1877 |
| Nicholas F. Brady (R-NJ) | Treasury | 1989–1993 | Bush | 1982 |
| John Branch (CRR-NC)
| Navy | 1829–1831 | Jackson | 1823–1829 |
| John Breckinridge (DR-KY)
| Attorney General | 1805–1806 | Jefferson | 1801–1805 |
| William E. Brock III (R-TN) | Labor | 1985–1987 | Reagan | 1971–1977 |
| Orville H. Browning (R-IL) | Interior | 1866–1869 | A. Johnson | 1861–1863 |
| James Buchanan (F, JF, J, D-PA)
| State | 1845–1849 | Polk | 1834–1845 |
| James F. Byrnes (D-SC) | State | 1945–1947 | Truman | 1931–1941 |
| John C. Calhoun (N, D-SC) | War | 1817–1825 | Monroe | 1832–1843 |
| John C. Calhoun (N, D-SC) | State | 1844–1845 | Tyler | 1845–1850 |
| James D. Cameron (R-PA) | War | 1876–1877 | Grant | 1877–1897 |
| Simon Cameron (D, R-PA)
| War | 1861–1862 | Lincoln | 1845–1849 1857–1861 1867–1877 |
| George W. Campbell (DR-TN)
| Treasury | 1814 | Madison | 1811–1814 1815–1818 |
| John G. Carlisle (D-KY)
| Treasury | 1893–1897 | Cleveland | 1890–1893 |
| Lewis Cass (D-MI) | War | 1831–1836 | Jackson | 1845–1848 1849–1857 |
| Lewis Cass (D-MI) | State | 1857–1860 | Buchanan | 1845–1848 1849–1857 |
| William E. Chandler (R-NH) | Navy | 1882–1885 | Arthur | 1887–1889 1889–1901 |
| Zachariah Chandler (R-MI) | Interior | 1875–1877 | Grant | 1857–1875 1879 |
| Salmon P. Chase (FS, R-OH)
| Treasury | 1861–1864 | Lincoln | 1849–1855 1861 |
| Henry Clay (DR, AJ, W-KY) | State | 1825–1829 | J.Q. Adams | 1806–1807 1810–1811 |
| John M. Clayton (AJ, W, OP-DE)
| State | 1849–1850 | Taylor | 1829–1836 1845–1849 1853–1856 |
| Hillary R. Clinton (D-NY)
| State | 2009–2013 | Obama | 2001–2009 |
| William S. Cohen (R-ME) | Defense | 1997–2001 | Clinton | 1979–1997 |
| Jacob Collamer (OP-VT) | PM General | 1849–1850 | Taylor/Fillmore | 1855–1865 |
| Charles M. Conrad (W-LA) | War | 1850–1853 | Fillmore | 1842–1843 |
| Thomas Corwin (W-OH)
| Treasury | 1850–1853 | Fillmore | 1845–1850 |
| William H. Crawford (DR-GA) | War | 1815–1816 | Madison | 1807–1813 |
| William H. Crawford (DR-GA) | Treasury | 1816–1825 | Madison Monroe | 1807–1813 |
| John A. J. Creswell (UU-MD) | PM General | 1869–1874 | Grant | 1865–1867 |
| John J. Crittenden (DR, AJ, W, OP, AmKN-KY) | Attorney General | 1841 | W. Harrison/Tyler | 1817–1819 1835–1841 1842–1848 |
| John J. Crittenden (DR, AJ, W, OP, AmKN-KY) | Attorney General | 1850–1853 1855–1861 | Fillmore | 1817–1819 1835–1841 1842–1848 |
| James J. Davis (R-PA) | Labor | 1921–1930 | Harding Coolidge Hoover | 1930–1945 |
| Jefferson Davis (D-MS) | War | 1853–1857 | Pierce | 1847–1851 1857–1861 |
| Samuel Dexter (F-MA)
| War | 1800–1801 | J. Adams | 1799–1800 |
| Samuel Dexter (F-MA) | Treasury | 1801 | J. Adams Jefferson | 1799–1800 |
| Mahlon Dickerson (DR, CRR, J-NJ) | Navy | 1834–1838 | Jackson Van Buren | 1817–1829 1829–1833 |
| John A. Dix (D-NY) | Treasury | 1861 | Buchanan | 1845–1849 |
| Elizabeth H. Dole (R-NC) | Labor | 1989–1990 | George Bush | 2003–2009 |
| Elizabeth H. Dole (R-NC) | Transportation | 1983–1987 | Reagan | 2003–2009 |
| John F. Dulles (R-NY) | State | 1953–1959 | Eisenhower | 1949 |
| John H. Eaton (DR, JR, J-TN)
| War | 1829–1831 | Jackson | 1818–1821 1821–1829 |
| Stephen B. Elkins (R-WV) | War | 1891–1893 | B. Harrison | 1895–1911 |
| William M. Evarts (R-NY) | Attorney General | 1868–1869 | A. Johnson | 1885–1891 |
| William M. Evarts (R-NY) | State | 1877–1881 | Hayes | 1885–1891 |
| Edward Everett (W-MA) | State | 1852–1853 | Fillmore | 1853–1854 |
| Thomas Ewing (AJ-OH) | Treasury | 1841 | W. Harrison/Tyler | 1831–1837 |
| Thomas Ewing (AJ-OH) | Interior | 1849–1850 | Taylor/Fillmore | 1850–1851 |
| Albert B. Fall (R-NM)
| Interior | 1921–1923 | Harding | 1912–1921 |
| William P. Fessenden (W, OP, R-ME)
| Treasury | 1864–1865 | Lincoln | 1854–1864 1865–1869 |
| Hamilton Fish (W-NY) | State | 1869–1877 | Grant | 1851–1857 |
| John Forsyth (DR, CR, J-GA)
| State | 1834–1841 | Jackson Van Buren | 1818–1819 1829–1834 |
| Frederick T. Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) | State | 1881–1885 | Arthur | 1866–1869 1871–1877 |
| Augustus H. Garland (D-AR)
| Attorney General | 1885–1889 | Cleveland | 1877–1885 |
| Carter Glass (D-VA) | Treasury | 1918–1920 | Wilson | 1920–1946 |
| Nathan Goff (R-WV) | Navy | 1881 | Hayes | 1913–1919 |
| William A. Graham (W-NC) | Navy | 1850–1852 | Fillmore | 1840–1843 |
| Felix Grundy (J, D-TN)
| Attorney General | 1838–1839 | Van Buren | 1829–1838 1839–1840 |
| James Guthrie (D-KY) | Treasury | 1853–1857 | Pierce | 1865–1868 |
| Chuck Hagel (R-NE) | Defense | 2013–2015 | Obama | 1997–2009 |
| James Harlan (FS, R-IA)
| Interior | 1865–1866 | A. Johnson | 1855–1857 1857–1865 1867–1873 |
| Timothy O. Howe (R-WI) | PM General | 1882–1883 | Arthur | 1861–1879 |
| Cordell Hull (D-TN)
| State | 1933–1944 | F. Roosevelt | 1931–1933 |
| Mike Johanns (R-NE) | Agriculture | 2005–2007 | G.W. Bush | 2009–2015 |
| Reverdy Johnson (W, U, D-MD)
| Attorney General | 1849–1850 | Taylor/Fillmore | 1845–1849 1863–1868 |
| Frank B. Kellogg (R-MN) | State | 1925–1929 | Coolidge | 1917–1923 |
| Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID) | Interior | 2006–2009 | George W. Bush | 1993–1999 |
| Robert F. Kennedy (D-NY) | Attorney General | 1961–1964 | Kennedy/L. Johnson | 1965–1968 |
| John F. Kerry (D-MA)
| State | 2013–2017 | Obama | 1985–2013 |
| David M. Key (D-TN) | PM General | 1877–1880 | Hayes | 1875–1877 |
| Samuel J. Kirkwood (R-IA)
| Interior | 1881–1882 | Garfield/Arthur | 1866–1867 1877–1881 |
| Philander C. Knox (R-PA) | Attorney General | 1901–1904 | McKinley/T.Roosevelt | 1904–1909 |
| Philander C. Knox (R-PA)
| State | 1909–1913 | Taft | 1917–1921 |
| Lucius Q. C. Lamar (D-MS)
| Interior | 1885–1888 | Cleveland | 1877–1885 |
| Edward Livingston (J-LA)
| State | 1831–1833 | Jackson | 1829–1831 |
| William G. McAdoo (D-CA) | Treasury | 1913–1918 | Wilson | 1933–1938 |
| J. Howard McGrath (D-RI)
| Attorney General | 1949–1952 | Truman | 1947–1949 |
| Louis McLane (J-DE) | Treasury | 1831–1833 | Jackson | 1827–1829 |
| Louis McLane (J-DE) | State | 1833–1834 | Jackson | 1827–1829 |
| William L. Marcy (J-NY) | War | 1845–1849 | Polk | 1831–1833 |
| William L. Marcy (J-NY) | State | 1853–1857 | Pierce | 1831–1833 |
| Mel Martinez (R-FL) | HUD | 2001–2003 | George W. Bush | 2005–2009 |
| Return J. Meigs, Jr. (DR-OH) | PM General | 1814–1823 | Madison Monroe | 1808–1810 |
| James Monroe (Anti-Admin-VA) | State War1 | 1811–1817 1814–1815 | Madison | 1790–1794 |
| Lot M. Morrill (R-ME)
| Treasury | 1876–1877 | Grant | 1861–1869 1869–1876 |
| Edmund S. Muskie (D-ME)
| State | 1980–1981 | Carter | 1959–1980 |
| Harry S. New (R-IN) | PM General | 1923–1929 | Harding Coolidge | 1917–1923 |
| Truman H. Newberry (R-MI) | Navy | 1908–1909 | T. Roosevelt | 1919–1922 |
| John M. Niles (J, D-CT) | PM General | 1840–1841 | Van Buren | 1835–1839 1843–1849 |
| Timothy Pickering (F-MA) | PM General | 1791 | Washington | 1803–1811 |
| Timothy Pickering (F-MA) | War | 1795 | Washington | 1803–1811 |
| Timothy Pickering (F-MA) | State | 1795–1800 | Washington Adams | 1803–1811 |
| William Pinkney (DR-MD) | Attorney General | 1811–1814 | Madison | 1819–1822 |
| Redfield Proctor (R-VT) | War | 1889–1891 | B. Harrison | 1891–1908 |
| Alexander Ramsey (R-MN) | War | 1879–1881 | Hayes | 1863–1875 |
| Abraham A. Ribicoff (D-CT) | HEW | 1961–1962 | Kennedy | 1963–1981 |
| Caesar A. Rodney (DR-DE) | Attorney General | 1807–1811 | Jefferson Madison | 1822–1823 |
| Elihu Root (R-NY) | War | 1899–1904 | McKinley/T. Roosevelt | 1909–1915 |
| Elihu Root (R-NY) | State | 1905–1909 | T. Roosevelt | 1909–1915 |
| Marco Rubio (R-FL)
| State | 2025–present | Trump | 2011–2025 |
| Kenneth L. Salazar (D-CO)
| Interior | 2009–2013 | Obama | 2005–2009 |
| William B. Saxbe (R-OH)
| Attorney General | 1974–1975 | Nixon/Ford | 1969–1974 |
| Carl Schurz (R-MO) | Interior | 1877–1881 | Hayes | 1869–1875 |
| Richard S. Schweiker (R-PA) | HHS | 1981–1983 | Reagan | 1969–1981 |
| Lewis B. Schwellenbach (D-WA) | Labor | 1945–1948 | Truman | 1935–1940 |
| Frederick A. Seaton (R-NE) | Interior | 1956–1961 | Eisenhower | 1951–1952 |
| Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
| Attorney General | 2017–2018 | Trump | 1997–2017 |
| William H. Seward (W, R-NY) | State | 1861–1869 | Lincoln/A. Johnson | 1849–1861 |
| John Sherman (R-OH)
| Treasury | 1877–1881 | Hayes | 1861–1877 1881–1897 |
| John Sherman (R-OH)
| State | 1897–1898 | McKinley | 1861–1877 1881–1897 |
| Hoke Smith (D-GA) | Interior | 1893–1896 | Cleveland | 1911–1921 |
| Samuel L. Southard (DR, AJ, W-NJ)
| Navy | 1823–1829 | Monroe J.Q. Adams | 1821–1823 1833–1842 |
| Samuel L. Southard (DR, AJ, W-NJ) | Treasury | 1825 | J.Q. Adams | 1821–1823 1833–1842 |
| Samuel L. Southard (DR, AJ, W-NJ) | War | 1828 | J.Q. Adams | 1821–1823 1833–1842 |
| Claude A. Swanson (D-VA) | Navy | 1933–1939 | F. Roosevelt | 1910–1933 |
| Henry M. Teller (R, SR, D-CO)
| Interior | 1882–1885 | Arthur | 1876–1882 1885–1897 1897–1903 1903–1909 |
| Isaac Toucey (D-CT) | Attorney General | 1848–1849 | Polk | 1852–1857 |
| Isaac Toucey (D-CT) | Navy | 1857–1861 | Buchanan | 1852–1857 |
| Martin Van Buren (DR, CRR, J-NY)
| State | 1829–1831 | Jackson | 1821–1828 |
| William F. Vilas (D-WI) | PM General | 1885–1888 | Cleveland | 1891–1897 |
| William F. Vilas (D-WI) | Interior | 1888–1889 | Cleveland | 1891–1897 |
| Robert J. Walker (D-MS)
| Treasury | 1845–1849 | Polk | 1835–1845 |
| Daniel Webster (Adams, AJ, W-MA)
| State | 1841–1843 | W. Harrison/Tyler | 1827–1841 1845–1850 |
| Daniel Webster (Adams, AJ, W-MA)
| State | 1850–1852 | Fillmore | 1827–1841 1845–1850 |
| John W. Weeks (R-MA) | War | 1921–1925 | Harding Coolidge | 1913–1919 |
| Sinclair Weeks (R-MA) | Commerce | 1953–1958 | Eisenhower | 1944 |
| William Wilkins (J-PA) | War | 1844–1845 | Tyler | 1831–1834 |
| George H. Williams (R-OR) | Attorney General | 1872–1875 | Grant | 1865–1871 |
| William Windom (R-MN)
| Treasury | 1881 | Garfield/Arthur | 1870–1871 1871–1881 1881–1883 |
| William Windom (R-MN) | Treasury | 1889–1891 | B. Harrison | 1870–1871 1871–1881 1881–1883 |
| Levi Woodbury (J, D-NH) | Navy | 1831–1834 | Jackson | 1825–1831 1841–1845 |
| Levi Woodbury (J, D-NH) | Treasury | 1834–1841 | Jackson Van Buren | 1825–1831 1841–1845 |
