One-hundred sixteen different people have served as Presidents of the Maine Senate since 1820. Until 1880, terms were typically for one year only. In 1880 the Maine Constitution was amended to provide for two-year terms for legislators instead of the one-year terms established in 1820. With that, typical terms for president quickly moved to two years.
Beginning in the 1960s, terms began to lengthen until term limits were enacted by a citizens ballot initiative, effective with the 1994 elections. (See also Speakers of the House.)
| Term(s) | Name | Residence | Party | Years |
| 1820-1820 | John Chandler 1 | Monmouth | D-R | 0 |
| 1820-1822 | William Moody 2 | Saco | D-R | 0 |
| 1820-1820 | W. D. Williamson | Bangor | D-R | 2 |
| 1822-1824 | Daniel Rose | Thomaston | D-R | 2 |
| 1824-1825 | Benjamin Ames | Bath | D-R | 1 |
| 1825-1827 | Jonas Wheeler | Camden | D-R | 2 |
| 1827-1829 | Robert P. Dunlap | Brunswick | D-R | 2 |
| 1829-1830 | Nathan Cutler | Farmington | D-R | 1 |
| 1830-1831 | Joshua Hall | Frankfort | D-R | 1 |
| 1832-1833 | Robert P. Dunlap | Brunswick | D-R | 1 |
| 1832-1833 | F.O.J. Smith | Portland | D | 1 |
| 1833-1834 | Joseph Williamson | Belfast | D | 1 |
| 1834-1837 | Josiah Pierce | Gorham | D | 3 |
| 1837-1838 | John C. Talbot | East Machias | D | 1 |
| 1838-1839 | Nathaniel S. Littlefield | Bridgton | D | 1 |
| 1839-1840 | Job Prince | Turner | D | 1 |
| 1840-1841 | Stephen C. Foster | Pembroke | D | 1 |
| 1841-1842 | Richard H. Vose | Augusta | D | 1 |
| 1842-1843 | Samuel H. Blake | Bangor | D | 1 |
| 1843-1843 | Edward Kavanagh | Damariscotta | D | 0 |
| 1843-1844 | Virgil D. Parris | Buckfield | D | 1 |
| 1844-1845 | John W. Dana | Freyburg | D | 1 |
| 1845-1846 | M. B. Townsend | Alexander | D | 1 |
| 1846-1846 | David Dunn | Fryeburg | D | 0 |
| 1846-1847 | Stephen H. Chase | Poland | D | 1 |
| 1847-1848 | John Hodgdon | Houlton | D | 1 |
| 1848-1849 | Caleb R. Ayer | Cornish | D | 1 |
| 1849-1850 | William M. Tripp | Wilton | D | 1 |
| 1850-1851 | Paulinus M. Foster | Anson | D | 1 |
| 1851-1853 | Noah Prince | Buckfield | D | 2 |
| 1853-1854 | Samuel Butman | Dixmont | D | 1 |
| 1854-1855 | Luther S. Moore | Limerick | D | 1 |
| 1855-1856 | Franklin Muzzy | Bangor | Whig | 1 |
| 1856-1857 | Lot M. Morrill | Augusta | R | 1 |
| 1857-1857 | Joseph H. Williams 3 | Augusta | R | 0 |
| 1857-1858 | Hiram Chapman | Damariscotta | R | 1 |
| 1858-1859 | Seth Scamman | Saco | R | 1 |
| 1859-1860 | Charles W. Goddard | Auburn | R | 1 |
| 1860-1861 | Thomas H. Marshall | Belfast | R | 1 |
| 1861-1863 | John H. Goodenow | Alfred | R | 2 |
| 1863-1864 | Nathan A. Farwell | Rockland | R | 1 |
| 1864-1865 | George B. Barrows | Fryeburg | R | 1 |
| 1865-1866 | D. D. Stewart | St. Albans | R | 1 |
| 1866-1867 | William Wirt Virgin | Norway | R | 1 |
| 1867-1868 | Nathaniel A. Burpee | Rockland | R | 1 |
| 1868-1869 | Josiah Crosby | Dexter | R | 1 |
| 1869-1870 | S. D. Lindsay | Norridgewock | R | 1 |
| 1870-1871 | William W. Bolster | Dixfield | R | 1 |
| 1871-1872 | Charles Buffum | Orono | R | 1 |
| 1872-1873 | Reuben Foster | Waterville | R | 1 |
| 1873-1874 | John B. Foster | Bangor | R | 1 |
| 1874-1875 | John E. Butler | Biddeford | R | 1 |
| 1875-1876 | Edward F. Webb | Waterville | R | 1 |
| 1876-1878 | Thomas W. Hyde | Bath | R | 2 |
| 1878-1879 | Warren H. Vinton | Gray | R | 1 |
| 1879-1880 | J. Manchester Haynes | Augusta | R | 1 |
| 1880-1883 | Joseph A. Locke | Portland | R | 3 |
| 1883-1885 | John Lysander Cutler | Bangor | R | 2 |
| 1885-1887 | William D. Pennell | Lewiston | R | 2 |
| 1887-1889 | Sebastian S. Marble | Waldoboro | R | 2 |
| 1889-1891 | Henry Lord | Bangor | R | 2 |
| 1891-1893 | Charles F. Libby | Portland | R | 2 |
| 1893-1895 | Albert M. Spear | Gardiner | R | 2 |
| 1895-1897 | George M. Seiders | Portland | R | 2 |
| 1897-1899 | Albert R. Day | Corinna | R | 2 |
| 1899-1901 | Oliver B. Clason | Gardiner | R | 2 |
| 1901-1903 | Hannibal E. Hamlin | Ellsworth | R | 2 |
| 1903-1905 | Harry R. Virgin | Portland | R | 2 |
| 1905-1907 | Forrest Goodwin | Goodwin | R | 2 |
| 1907-1909 | Fred J. Allen | Sanford | R | 2 |
| 1909-1911 | Luere B. Deasy | Bar Harbor | R | 2 |
| 1911-1913 | Nathan Clifford | Cape Elizabeth | D | 2 |
| 1913-1915 | Carl E. Milliken | Island Falls | R | 2 |
| 1915-1917 | Ira G. Hersey | Houlton | R | 2 |
| 1917-1919 | Taber D. Bailey | Bangor | R | 2 |
| 1919-1921 | Leon F. Higgins | Brewer | R | 2 |
| 1921-1921 | Percival P. Baxter 4 | Portland | R | 0 |
| 1921-1921 | Frank G. Farrington 5 | Augusta | R | 0 |
| 1921-1923 | Charles E. Gurney 6 | Portland | R | 2 |
| 1923-1925 | Frank G. Farrington | Augusta | R | 2 |
| 1925-1927 | Hodgdon C. Buzzell | Belfast | R | 2 |
| 1927-1929 | Frank H. Holley | North Anson | R | 2 |
| 1929-1932 | J. Blaine Morrison | Phillips | R | 3 |
| 1932-1933 | Burleigh Martin | Augusta | R | 1 |
| 1933-1935 | Harold H. Murchie | Calais | R | 2 |
| 1935-1937 | Harold E. Weeks | Fairfield | R | 2 |
| 1937-1939 | J. Frederick Burns | Houlton | R | 2 |
| 1939-1941 | Sumner Sewall | Bath | R | 2 |
| 1941-1942 | Nathaniel Thompkins | Houlton | R | 1 |
| 1942-1943 | Francis H. Friend | Skowhegan | R | 1 |
| 1943-1945 | Horace A. Hildreth | Cumberland | R | 2 |
| 1945-1949 | George S. Varney | Kittery | R | 4 |
| 1949-1953 | Burton M. Cross | Augusta | R | 4 |
| 1953-1954 | Nathaniel M. Haskell | Portland | R | 1 |
| 1954-1955 | John F. Ward | Millinocket | R | 1 |
| 1955-1959 | Robert N. Haskell | Bangor | R | 4 |
| 1959-1960 | John H. Reed 7 | Fort Fairfield | R | 1 |
| 1960-1963 | Earle M. Hillman | Bangor | R | 3 |
| 1963-1965 | Robert A. Marden | Waterville | R | 2 |
| 1965-1967 | Carlton Day Reed, Jr. | Woolwich | D | 2 |
| 1967-1969 | Joseph B. Campbell | Augusta | R | 2 |
| 1969-1975 | Kenneth P. MacLeod | Brewer | R | 6 |
| 1975-1983 | Joseph Sewall | Old Town | R | 8 |
| 1983-1985 | Gerard P. Conley | Portland | D | 2 |
| 1985-1993 | Charles P. Pray | Millinocket | D | 8 |
| 1993-1995 | Dennis L. Dutremble | Biddeford | D | 2 |
| 1995-1997 | Jeffrey H. Butland | Cumberland | D | 2 |
| 1997-2001 | Mark W. Lawrence | Kittery | D | 4 |
| 2001-2002 | Michael H. Michaud 8 | East Millinocket | D | 1 |
| 2002-2003 | Richard A. Bennett | Norway | D | 1 |
| 2003-2005 | Beverly Daggett 9 | Augusta | D | 2 |
| 2005-2009 | Beth Edmonds | Freeport | D | 4 |
| 2009-2011 | Elizabeth H. Mitchell 10 | Vassalboro | D | 2 |
| 2011-2013 | Kevin L. Raye | Perry | R | 2 |
| 2013-2014 | Justin Alfond | Portland | D | 2 |
| 2014-2018 | Michael Thibodeau | Winterport | R | 4 |
| 2018-2020 | Troy D. Jackson | Allagash | D | 2 |
Party affiliations: D-R = Democratic-Republican; N-R = National Republican; D = Democrat; R = Republican
1 Resigned 6-19-1820
2 Resigned 6-28-1820
3 Resigned 2-26-1857
4 1-5-1921 to 1-31-1921, became governor after the death of Gov. Parkhurst
5 President Pro Tem 1-31-1921, resigned 2-7-1921
6 President Pro Tem 2-7-1921
7 On September 20, 1959, Republican Reed became Maine’s Governor upon the death of Democratic Clinton Clauson.
8 The political composition of the Senate for the 120th Legislature was 17 Democrats, 17 Republicans, and 1 Independent. The Senate elected Senator Michaud as President and Senator Bennett as President Pro Tem until December 5, 2001. They then switched and Senator Bennett became the President and Senator Michaud became President Pro Tem.
9 Senator Beverly C. Daggett is the first woman to be elected to be President of the Senate.
10 First woman to serve as both Speaker and President
Sources:
House and Senate Register. Maine State Legislature.
“Presidents of the Maine Senate 1820-.” Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library. http://www.maine.gov/legis/lawlib/presid.htm (accessed January 3, 2013)
Mundy, James H. Presidents of the Senate of Maine from 1820. Augusta: Secretary of the Senate of Maine, c1979.