List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service

Last updated April 10, 2024

This list of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service includes representatives and senators who have served for at least 36 years, in the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, or both. In cases where there is a tie in time, the following criteria will sort people higher:

Key

In green	Currently serving
S	Served in the U.S. Senate (for combined categories)
H	Served in the U.S. House (for combined categories)
I	Interruptions in service (for total tenure categories)

Combined U.S. Senate and U.S. House time

Total tenure		Uninterrupted		Name	Party affiliation	State	Reason for leaving	Lifespan
1	59 years, 21 days	1	59 years, 21 days	John Dingell (H)	Democratic	Michigan	Retired	1926–2019
2	57 years, 176 days	2	57 years, 176 days	Robert Byrd (S, H)	Democratic	West Virginia	Died	1917–2010
3	56 years, 319 days	3	56 years, 319 days	Carl Hayden (S, H)	Democratic	Arizona	Retired	1877–1972
4	53 years, 118 days	4	53 years, 118 days	Daniel Inouye (S, H)	Democratic	Hawaii	Died	1924–2012
5	53 years, 60 days	5	53 years, 60 days	Jamie Whitten (H)	Democratic	Mississippi	Retired	1910–1995
6	52 years, 336 days	6	52 years, 336 days	John Conyers (H)	Democratic	Michigan	Resigned	1929–2019
7	50 years, 61 days	7	50 years, 61 days	Carl Vinson (H)	Democratic	Georgia	Retired	1883–1981
8	49 years, 305 days	8	49 years, 305 days	Emanuel Celler (H)	Democratic	New York	Lost renomination	1888–1981
9	49 years, 98 days	9	49 years, 98 days	Chuck Grassley (S, H)	Republican	Iowa		1933–
10	49 years, 12 days	10	49 years, 12 days	Don Young (H)	Republican	Alaska	Died	1933–2022
11	48 years, 257 days	11	48 years, 257 days	Sam Rayburn (H)	Democratic	Texas	Died	1882–1961
12	48 years, 0 days	12	48 years, 0 days	Patrick Leahy (S)	Democratic	Vermont	Retired	1940–
13	48 years, 0 days	999	N/A	Sidney R. Yates (H, I)	Democratic	Illinois	Retired to run for the U.S. Senate, retired	1909–2000
14	47 years, 160 days	13	47 years, 160 days	Ed Markey (S, H)	Democratic	Massachusetts		1946–
15	47 years, 159 days	16	46 years, 57 days	Strom Thurmond (S, I)	Democratic, Republican	South Carolina	Resigned, retired	1902–2003
16	47 years, 3 days	14	47 years, 3 days	Wright Patman (H)	Democratic	Texas	Died	1893–1976
17	46 years, 292 days	15	46 years, 292 days	Ted Kennedy (S)	Democratic	Massachusetts	Died	1932–2009
18	46 years, 0 days	17	46 years, 0 days	Charles Rangel (H)	Democratic	New York	Retired	1930–
19	46 years, 0 days	999	N/A	Joseph Gurney Cannon (H, I)	Republican	Illinois	Defeated, defeated, retired	1836–1926
20	45 years, 247 days	18	45 years, 247 days	Adolph J. Sabath (H)	Democratic	Illinois	Died	1866–1952
21	45 years, 142 days	19	45 years, 142 days	J. Lister Hill (S, H)	Democratic	Alabama	Retired	1894–1984
22	45 years, 87 days	20	45 years, 87 days	Thad Cochran (S, H)	Republican	Mississippi	Resigned	1937–2019
23	44 years, 0 days	21	44 years, 0 days	George H. Mahon (H)	Democratic	Texas	Retired	1900–1985
24	44 years, 0 days	22	44 years, 0 days	Warren Magnuson (S, H)	Democratic	Washington	Defeated	1905–1989
25	44 years, 0 days	23	44 years, 0 days	Charles E. Bennett (H)	Democratic	Florida	Retired	1910–2003
26	44 years, 0 days	24	44 years, 0 days	Richard Shelby (S, H)	Democratic, Republican	Alabama	Retired	1934–
27	43 years, 299 days	25	43 years, 299 days	Justin Smith Morrill (S, H)	Whig, Republican	Vermont	Died	1810–1898
28	43 years, 152 days	999	N/A	William B. Allison (S, H, I)	Republican	Iowa	Retired, died	1829–1908
29	43 years, 110 days	26	43 years, 110 days	Melvin Price (H)	Democratic	Illinois	Died	1905–1988
30	43 years, 98 days	27	43 years, 98 days	Ron Wyden (S, H)	Democratic	Oregon		1949–
31	43 years, 98 days	28	43 years, 98 days	Chuck Schumer (S, H)	Democratic	New York		1950–
32	43 years, 98 days	29	43 years, 98 days	Hal Rogers (H)	Republican	Kentucky		1937–
33	43 years, 98 days	30	43 years, 98 days	Chris Smith (H)	Republican	New Jersey		1953–
34	42 years, 327 days	31	42 years, 327 days	Steny Hoyer (H)	Democratic	Maryland		1939–
35	42 years, 288 days	32	42 years, 288 days	Bill Young (H)	Republican	Florida	Died	1930–2013
36	42 years, 241 days	33	42 years, 241 days	Henry M. Jackson (S, H)	Democratic	Washington	Died	1912–1983
37	42 years, 157 days	999	N/A	Carter Glass (S, H, I)	Democratic	Virginia	Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, died	1858–1946
38	42 years, 58 days	34	42 years, 58 days	John W. McCormack (H)	Democratic	Massachusetts	Retired	1891–1980
39	42 years, 0 days	35	42 years, 0 days	John Sparkman (S, H)	Democratic	Alabama	Retired	1899–1985
40	42 years, 0 days	36	42 years, 0 days	Jack Brooks (H)	Democratic	Texas	Defeated	1922–2012
41	42 years, 0 days	37	42 years, 0 days	Orrin Hatch (S)	Republican	Utah	Retired	1934–2022
42	42 years, 0 days	38	42 years, 0 days	Jim Sensenbrenner (H)	Republican	Wisconsin	Retired	1943–
43	41 years, 362 days	39	41 years, 362 days	William R. Poage (H)	Democratic	Texas	Resigned	1899–1987
44	41 years, 305 days	40	41 years, 305 days	Robert L. Doughton (H)	Democratic	North Carolina	Retired	1863–1954
45	41 years, 305 days	41	41 years, 305 days	Joseph W. Martin Jr. (H)	Republican	Massachusetts	Lost renomination	1884–1968
46	41 years, 276 days	42	41 years, 276 days	Dave Obey (H)	Democratic	Wisconsin	Retired	1938–
47	41 years, 98 days	43	41 years, 98 days	Dick Durbin (S, H)	Democratic	Illinois		1944–
48	41 years, 98 days	44	41 years, 98 days	Marcy Kaptur (H)	Democratic	Ohio		1946–
49	41 years, 69 days	45	41 years, 69 days	Clarence Cannon (H)	Democratic	Missouri	Died	1879–1964
50	41 years, 59 days	46	41 years, 59 days	John C. Stennis (S)	Democratic	Mississippi	Retired	1901–1995
51	41 years, 30 days	47	41 years, 30 days	Kenneth McKellar (S, H)	Democratic	Tennessee	Lost renomination	1869–1957
52	40 years, 240 days	48	40 years, 240 days	William Natcher (H)	Democratic	Kentucky	Died	1909–1994
53	40 years, 207 days	999	N/A	Claude Pepper (S, H, I)	Democratic	Florida	Lost renomination, died	1900–1989
54	40 years, 157 days	49	40 years, 157 days	William P. Frye (S, H)	Republican	Maine	Died	1830–1911
55	40 years, 10 days	50	40 years, 10 days	Ted Stevens (S)	Republican	Alaska	Defeated	1923–2010
56	40 years, 0 days	51	40 years, 0 days	Carl Curtis (S, H)	Republican	Nebraska	Retired	1905–2000
57	40 years, 0 days	52	40 years, 0 days	Peter W. Rodino (H)	Democratic	New Jersey	Retired	1909–2005
58	40 years, 0 days	53	40 years, 0 days	Pete Stark (H)	Democratic	California	Defeated	1931–2020
59	40 years, 0 days	54	40 years, 0 days	Tom Harkin (S, H)	Democratic	Iowa	Retired	1939–
60	40 years, 0 days	55	40 years, 0 days	George Miller (H)	Democratic	California	Retired	1945–
61	40 years, 0 days	56	40 years, 0 days	Henry Waxman (H)	Democratic	California	Retired	1939–
62	40 years, 0 days	57	40 years, 0 days	Barbara Mikulski (S, H)	Democratic	Maryland	Retired	1936–
63	40 years, 0 days	58	40 years, 0 days	Pat Roberts (S, H)	Republican	Kansas	Retired	1936–
64	40 years, 0 days	999	N/A	Eugene Hale (S, H, I)	Republican	Maine	Defeated, retired	1836–1918
65	39 years, 364 days	999	N/A	Jennings Randolph (S, H, I)	Democratic	West Virginia	Defeated, retired	1902–1998
66	39 years, 362 days	59	39 years, 362 days	Leslie C. Arends (H)	Republican	Illinois	Retired	1895–1985
67	39 years, 352 days	60	39 years, 352 days	Daniel A. Reed (H)	Republican	New York	Died	1875–1959
68	39 years, 305 days	61	39 years, 305 days	George W. Norris (S, H)	Republican, Independent	Nebraska	Defeated	1861–1944
69	39 years, 305 days	62	39 years, 305 days	John Taber (H)	Republican	New York	Retired	1880–1965
70	39 years, 305 days	63	39 years, 305 days	William M. Colmer (H)	Democratic	Mississippi	Retired	1890–1980
71	39 years, 98 days	64	39 years, 98 days	Mitch McConnell (S)	Republican	Kentucky		1942–
72	39 years, 34 days	65	39 years, 34 days	Max Baucus (S, H)	Democratic	Montana	Appointed Ambassador to China	1941–
73	39 years, 9 days	999	N/A	Samuel Smith (S, H, I)	Democratic-Republican, Democratic	Maryland	Retired	1752–1839
74	38 years, 329 days	999	N/A	John L. McClellan (S, H, I)	Democratic	Arkansas	Retired, died	1896–1977
75	38 years, 145 days	66	38 years, 145 days	Morris Sheppard (S, H)	Democratic	Texas	Died	1875–1941
76	38 years, 55 days	67	38 years, 55 days	Fritz Hollings (S)	Democratic	South Carolina	Retired	1922–2019
77	38 years, 9 days	68	38 years, 9 days	Richard Russell Jr. (S)	Democratic	Georgia	Died	1897–1971
78	38 years, 4 days	999	N/A	John Sherman (S, H, I)	Opposition, Republican	Ohio	Appointed U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, appointed U.S. Secretary of State	1823–1900
79	38 years, 3 days	69	38 years, 3 days	Russell B. Long (S)	Democratic	Louisiana	Retired	1918–2003
80	38 years, 0 days	70	38 years, 0 days	Frederick H. Gillett (S, H)	Republican	Massachusetts	Retired	1851–1935
81	38 years, 0 days	71	38 years, 0 days	Wilbur Mills (H)	Democratic	Arkansas	Retired	1909–1992
82	38 years, 0 days	71	38 years, 0 days	Dante Fascell (H)	Democratic	Florida	Retired	1917–1998
83	38 years, 0 days	72	38 years, 0 days	Robert H. Michel (H)	Republican	Illinois	Retired	1923–2017
84	38 years, 0 days	73	38 years, 0 days	Nick Rahall (H)	Democratic	West Virginia	Defeated	1949–
85	37 years, 305 days	999	N/A	Robert Crosser (H, I)	Democratic	Ohio	Lost renomination	1874–1957
86	37 years, 290 days	999	N/A	Bob Sikes (H, I)	Democratic	Florida	Resigned, retired	1906–1994
87	37 years, 255 days	75	37 years, 255 days	Nathaniel Macon (S, H)	Anti-Administration, Democratic-Republican	North Carolina	Resigned	1757–1837
88	37 years, 250 days	76	37 years, 250 days	Henry Cabot Lodge (S, H)	Republican	Massachusetts	Died	1850–1924
89	37 years, 98 days	77	37 years, 98 days	Ben Cardin (S, H)	Democratic	Maryland		1943–
90	37 years, 74 days	999	N/A	Alben W. Barkley (S, H, I)	Democratic	Kentucky	Elected Vice President of the United States, died	1877–1956
91	37 years, 60 days	78	37 years, 60 days	Henry B. González (H)	Democratic	Texas	Retired	1916–2000
92	37 years, 6 days	999	N/A	Francis E. Warren (S, I)	Republican	Wyoming	Defeated, died	1844–1929
93	36 years, 313 days	79	36 years, 313 days	Nancy Pelosi (H)	Democratic	California		1940–
94	36 years, 83 days	999	N/A	James Eastland (S, I)	Democratic	Mississippi	Resigned	1904–1986
95	36 years, 12 days	80	36 years, 12 days	Joe Biden (S)	Democratic	Delaware	Elected Vice President of the United States	1942–
96	36 years, 3 days	81	36 years, 3 days	John Murtha (H)	Democratic	Pennsylvania	Died	1932–2010
97	36 years, 0 days	82	36 years, 0 days	Henry L. Dawes (S, H)	Republican	Massachusetts	Retired	1816–1903
98	36 years, 0 days	83	36 years, 0 days	F. Edward Hébert (H)	Democratic	Louisiana	Retired	1901–1979
99	36 years, 0 days	84	36 years, 0 days	Edward Boland (H)	Democratic	Massachusetts	Retired	1911–2001
100	36 years, 0 days	85	36 years, 0 days	William Broomfield (H)	Republican	Michigan	Retired	1922–2019
101	36 years, 0 days	86	36 years, 0 days	Dan Rostenkowski (H)	Democratic	Illinois	Defeated	1928–2010
102	36 years, 0 days	87	36 years, 0 days	Neal Smith (H)	Democratic	Iowa	Defeated	1920–2021
103	36 years, 0 days	88	36 years, 0 days	Claiborne Pell (S)	Democratic	Rhode Island	Retired	1918–2009
104	36 years, 0 days	89	36 years, 0 days	Joseph M. McDade (H)	Republican	Pennsylvania	Retired	1931–2017
105	36 years, 0 days	90	36 years, 0 days	Paul Sarbanes (S, H)	Democratic	Maryland	Retired	1933–2020
106	36 years, 0 days	91	36 years, 0 days	Pete Domenici (S)	Republican	New Mexico	Retired	1932–2017
107	36 years, 0 days	92	36 years, 0 days	Ralph Regula (H)	Republican	Ohio	Retired	1924–2017
108	36 years, 0 days	93	36 years, 0 days	Chris Dodd (S, H)	Democratic	Connecticut	Retired	1944–
109	36 years, 0 days	94	36 years, 0 days	Jim Oberstar (H)	Democratic–Farmer–Labor	Minnesota	Defeated	1934–2014
110	36 years, 0 days	95	36 years, 0 days	Richard Lugar (S)	Republican	Indiana	Lost renomination	1932–2019
111	36 years, 0 days	96	36 years, 0 days	Daniel Akaka (S, H)	Democratic	Hawaii	Retired	1924–2018
112	36 years, 0 days	97	36 years, 0 days	Norm Dicks (H)	Democratic	Washington	Retired	1940–
113	36 years, 0 days	98	36 years, 0 days	Dale Kildee (H)	Democratic	Michigan	Retired	1929–2021
114	36 years, 0 days	99	36 years, 0 days	Carl Levin (S)	Democratic	Michigan	Retired	1934–2021
115	36 years, 0 days	100	36 years, 0 days	Sander Levin (H)	Democratic	Michigan	Retired	1931–
116	36 years, 0 days	101	36 years, 0 days	Pete Visclosky (H)	Democratic	Indiana	Retired	1949–
117	36 years, 0 days	102	36 years, 0 days	Jim Inhofe (S, H)	Republican	Oklahoma	Resigned	1934–
118	36 years, 0 days	103	36 years, 0 days	Peter DeFazio (H)	Democratic	Oregon	Retired	1947–
119	36 years, 0 days	104	36 years, 0 days	Fred Upton (H)	Republican	Michigan	Retired	1953–
120	36 years, 0 days	999	N/A	Shelby Moore Cullom (S, H, I)	Republican	Illinois	Retired	1829–1914

U.S. Senate time

The 90th Congress was notable because for a period of 10 days (December 24, 1968 – January 3, 1969), it contained within the Senate, all 10 of what was at one point the top 10 longest-serving senators in history (Byrd, Inouye, Thurmond, Kennedy, Hayden, Stennis, Stevens, Hollings, Russell Jr., and Long) until January 7, 2013, when Patrick Leahy surpassed Russell B. Long as the 10th longest-serving senator in history. This short 10-day period stretched from the appointment of Ted Stevens of Alaska to fill a vacancy to the retirement of Carl Hayden of Arizona early the next year. The 107th Congress (2001–2003) was the most recent one that contained all of the current top 7 longest serving senators in history (Byrd, Inouye, Leahy, Thurmond, Kennedy, Grassley, and Hatch).

The 99th Congress (1985–1987) and the 100th Congress (1987–1989) were the periods in which most people from this list were serving together (all but Hayden, Russell Jr., Warren, Eastland, Magnuson, and Shelby in the former and all but Hayden, Russell Jr., Long, Warren, Eastland, and Magnuson in the latter).

Total tenure		Uninterrupted		Name	Party affiliation	State	Dates of service	Lifespan
1	51 years, 176 days	1	51 years, 176 days	Robert Byrd	Democratic	West Virginia	January 3, 1959 – June 28, 2010	1917–2010
2	49 years, 349 days	2	49 years, 349 days	Daniel Inouye	Democratic	Hawaii	January 3, 1963 – December 17, 2012	1924–2012
3	48 years, 0 days	3	48 years, 0 days	Patrick Leahy	Democratic	Vermont	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 2023	1940–
4	47 years, 159 days	5	46 years, 57 days	Strom Thurmond (I)	Democratic, Republican	South Carolina	December 24, 1954 – April 7, 1956 November 7, 1956 – January 3, 2003	1902–2003
5	46 years, 292 days	4	46 years, 292 days	Ted Kennedy	Democratic	Massachusetts	November 7, 1962 – August 25, 2009	1932–2009
6	43 years, 98 days	6	43 years, 98 days	Chuck Grassley	Republican	Iowa	Since January 3, 1981	1933–
7	42 years, 0 days	7	42 years, 0 days	Orrin Hatch	Republican	Utah	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2019	1934–2022
8	41 years, 305 days	8	41 years, 305 days	Carl Hayden	Democratic	Arizona	March 4, 1927 – January 3, 1969	1877–1972
9	41 years, 59 days	9	41 years, 59 days	John C. Stennis	Democratic	Mississippi	November 5, 1947 – January 3, 1989	1901–1995
10	40 years, 10 days	10	40 years, 10 days	Ted Stevens	Republican	Alaska	December 24, 1968 – January 3, 2009	1923–2010
11	39 years, 98 days	11	39 years, 98 days	Mitch McConnell	Republican	Kentucky	Since January 3, 1985	1942–
12	39 years, 94 days	12	39 years, 94 days	Thad Cochran	Republican	Mississippi	December 27, 1978 – April 1, 2018	1937–2019
13	38 years, 55 days	13	38 years, 55 days	Fritz Hollings	Democratic	South Carolina	November 9, 1966 – January 3, 2005	1922–2019
14	38 years, 9 days	14	38 years, 9 days	Richard Russell Jr.	Democratic	Georgia	January 12, 1933 – January 21, 1971	1897–1971
15	38 years, 3 days	15	38 years, 3 days	Russell B. Long	Democratic	Louisiana	December 31, 1948 – January 3, 1987	1918–2003
16	37 years, 6 days	999	N/A	Francis E. Warren (I)	Republican	Wyoming	November 24, 1890 – March 4, 1893 March 4, 1895 – November 24, 1929	1844–1929
17	36 years, 83 days	999	N/A	James Eastland (I)	Democratic	Mississippi	June 30 – September 28, 1941 January 3, 1943 – December 27, 1978	1904–1986
18	36 years, 20 days	16	36 years, 20 days	Warren Magnuson	Democratic	Washington	December 14, 1944 – January 3, 1981	1905–1989
19	36 years, 12 days	17	36 years, 12 days	Joe Biden	Democratic	Delaware	January 3, 1973 – January 15, 2009	1942–
20	36 years, 0 days	18	36 years, 0 days	Claiborne Pell	Democratic	Rhode Island	January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1997	1918–2009
21	36 years, 0 days	19	36 years, 0 days	Pete Domenici	Republican	New Mexico	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 2009	1932–2017
22	36 years, 0 days	20	36 years, 0 days	Richard Lugar	Republican	Indiana	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2013	1932–2019
23	36 years, 0 days	21	36 years, 0 days	Carl Levin	Democratic	Michigan	January 3, 1979 – January 3, 2015	1934–2021
24	36 years, 0 days	22	36 years, 0 days	Richard Shelby	Democratic, Republican	Alabama	January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2023	1934–

U.S. House time

Total tenure		Uninterrupted		Name	Party affiliation	State	Dates of service	Lifespan
1	59 years, 21 days	1	59 years, 21 days	John Dingell	Democratic	Michigan	December 13, 1955 – January 3, 2015	1926–2019
2	53 years, 60 days	2	53 years, 60 days	Jamie Whitten	Democratic	Mississippi	November 4, 1941 – January 3, 1995	1910–1995
3	52 years, 336 days	3	52 years, 336 days	John Conyers	Democratic	Michigan	January 3, 1965 – December 5, 2017	1929–2019
4	50 years, 61 days	4	50 years, 61 days	Carl Vinson	Democratic	Georgia	November 3, 1914 – January 3, 1965	1883–1981
5	49 years, 305 days	5	49 years, 305 days	Emanuel Celler	Democratic	New York	March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1973	1888–1981
6	49 years, 12 days	6	49 years, 12 days	Don Young	Republican	Alaska	March 6, 1973 – March 18, 2022	1933–2022
7	48 years, 257 days	7	48 years, 257 days	Sam Rayburn	Democratic	Texas	March 4, 1913 – November 16, 1961	1882–1961
8	48 years, 0 days	999	N/A	Sidney R. Yates (I)	Democratic	Illinois	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1963 January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1999	1909–2000
9	47 years, 3 days	8	47 years, 3 days	Wright Patman	Democratic	Texas	March 4, 1929 – March 7, 1976	1893–1976
10	46 years, 0 days	9	46 years, 0 days	Charles Rangel	Democratic	New York	January 3, 1971 – January 3, 2017	1930–
11	46 years, 0 days	999	N/A	Joseph Gurney Cannon (I)	Republican	Illinois	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1891 March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1913 March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923	1836–1926
12	45 years, 247 days	10	45 years, 247 days	Adolph J. Sabath	Democratic	Illinois	March 4, 1907 – November 6, 1952	1866–1952
13	44 years, 0 days	11	44 years, 0 days	George H. Mahon	Democratic	Texas	January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1979	1900–1985
14	44 years, 0 days	12	44 years, 0 days	Charles E. Bennett	Democratic	Florida	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1993	1910–2003
15	43 years, 110 days	13	43 years, 110 days	Melvin Price	Democratic	Illinois	January 3, 1945 – April 22, 1988	1905–1988
16	43 years, 98 days	14	43 years, 98 days	Hal Rogers	Republican	Kentucky	Since January 3, 1981	1937–
17	43 years, 98 days	15	43 years, 98 days	Chris Smith	Republican	New Jersey	Since January 3, 1981	1953–
18	42 years, 327 days	16	42 years, 327 days	Steny Hoyer	Democratic	Maryland	Since May 19, 1981	1939–
19	42 years, 288 days	17	42 years, 288 days	Bill Young	Republican	Florida	January 3, 1971 – October 18, 2013	1930–2013
20	42 years, 58 days	18	42 years, 58 days	John W. McCormack	Democratic	Massachusetts	November 6, 1928 – January 3, 1971	1891–1980
21	42 years, 0 days	19	42 years, 0 days	Jack Brooks	Democratic	Texas	January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1995	1922–2012
22	42 years, 0 days	20	42 years, 0 days	Jim Sensenbrenner	Republican	Wisconsin	January 3, 1979 – January 3, 2021	1943–
23	41 years, 362 days	21	41 years, 362 days	William R. Poage	Democratic	Texas	January 3, 1937 – December 31, 1978	1899–1987
24	41 years, 305 days	22	41 years, 305 days	Robert L. Doughton	Democratic	North Carolina	March 4, 1911 – January 3, 1953	1863–1954
25	41 years, 305 days	23	41 years, 305 days	Joseph W. Martin Jr.	Republican	Massachusetts	March 4, 1925 – January 3, 1967	1884–1968
26	41 years, 276 days	24	41 years, 276 days	Dave Obey	Democratic	Wisconsin	April 1, 1969 – January 3, 2011	1938–
27	41 years, 98 days	25	41 years, 98 days	Marcy Kaptur	Democratic	Ohio	Since January 3, 1983	1946–
28	41 years, 69 days	26	41 years, 69 days	Clarence Cannon	Democratic	Missouri	March 4, 1923 – May 12, 1964	1879–1964
29	40 years, 240 days	27	40 years, 240 days	William Natcher	Democratic	Kentucky	August 1, 1953 – March 29, 1994	1909–1994
30	40 years, 0 days	28	40 years, 0 days	Peter W. Rodino	Democratic	New Jersey	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1989	1909–2005
31	40 years, 0 days	29	40 years, 0 days	Pete Stark	Democratic	California	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 2013	1931–2020
32	40 years, 0 days	30	40 years, 0 days	George Miller	Democratic	California	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 2015	1945–
33	40 years, 0 days	31	40 years, 0 days	Henry Waxman	Democratic	California	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 2015	1939–
34	39 years, 362 days	32	39 years, 362 days	Leslie C. Arends	Republican	Illinois	January 3, 1935 – December 31, 1974	1895–1985
35	39 years, 352 days	33	39 years, 352 days	Daniel A. Reed	Republican	New York	March 4, 1919 – February 19, 1959	1875–1959
36	39 years, 305 days	34	39 years, 305 days	John Taber	Republican	New York	March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1963	1880–1965
37	39 years, 305 days	35	39 years, 305 days	William M. Colmer	Democratic	Mississippi	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1973	1890–1980
38	38 years, 0 days	36	38 years, 0 days	Wilbur Mills	Democratic	Arkansas	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1977	1909–1992
39	38 years, 0 days	37	38 years, 0 days	Dante Fascell	Democratic	Florida	January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1993	1917–1998
40	38 years, 0 days	38	38 years, 0 days	Robert H. Michel	Republican	Illinois	January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1995	1923–2017
41	38 years, 0 days	39	38 years, 0 days	Nick Rahall	Democratic	West Virginia	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2015	1949–
42	37 years, 305 days	999	N/A	Robert Crosser (I)	Democratic	Ohio	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919 March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1955	1874–1957
43	37 years, 290 days	999	N/A	Bob Sikes (I)	Democratic	Florida	January 3, 1941 – October 19, 1944 January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1979	1906–1994
44	37 years, 60 days	40	37 years, 60 days	Henry B. González	Democratic	Texas	November 4, 1961 – January 3, 1999	1916–2000
45	36 years, 313 days	41	36 years, 313 days	Nancy Pelosi	Democratic	California	Since June 2, 1987	1940–
46	36 years, 256 days	42	36 years, 256 days	Ed Markey	Democratic	Massachusetts	November 2, 1976 – July 15, 2013	1946–
47	36 years, 3 days	43	36 years, 3 days	John Murtha	Democratic	Pennsylvania	February 5, 1974 – February 8, 2010	1932–2010
48	36 years, 0 days	44	36 years, 0 days	F. Edward Hébert	Democratic	Louisiana	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1977	1901–1979
49	36 years, 0 days	45	36 years, 0 days	Edward Boland	Democratic	Massachusetts	January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1989	1911–2001
50	36 years, 0 days	46	36 years, 0 days	William Broomfield	Republican	Michigan	January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1993	1922–2019
51	36 years, 0 days	47	36 years, 0 days	Dan Rostenkowski	Democratic	Illinois	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1995	1928–2010
52	36 years, 0 days	48	36 years, 0 days	Neal Smith	Democratic	Iowa	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1995	1920–2021
53	36 years, 0 days	49	36 years, 0 days	Joseph M. McDade	Republican	Pennsylvania	January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1999	1931–2017
54	36 years, 0 days	50	36 years, 0 days	Ralph Regula	Republican	Ohio	January 3, 1973 – January 3, 2009	1924–2017
55	36 years, 0 days	51	36 years, 0 days	Jim Oberstar	Democratic–Farmer–Labor	Minnesota	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 2011	1934–2014
56	36 years, 0 days	52	36 years, 0 days	Norm Dicks	Democratic	Washington	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2013	1940–
57	36 years, 0 days	53	36 years, 0 days	Dale Kildee	Democratic	Michigan	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2013	1929–2021
58	36 years, 0 days	54	36 years, 0 days	Sander Levin	Democratic	Michigan	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 2019	1931–
59	36 years, 0 days	55	36 years, 0 days	Pete Visclosky	Democratic	Indiana	January 3, 1985 – January 3, 2021	1949–
60	36 years, 0 days	56	36 years, 0 days	Peter DeFazio	Democratic	Oregon	January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2023	1947–
61	36 years, 0 days	57	36 years, 0 days	Fred Upton	Republican	Michigan	January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2023	1953–

Related Research Articles

James Strom Thurmond, Sr. was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Before his 48 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Carolina from 1947 to 1951. Thurmond was a member of the Democratic Party until 1964 when he joined the Republican Party for the remainder of his legislative career. He also ran for president in 1948 as the Dixiecrat candidate, receiving over a million votes and winning four states.

The president pro tempore of the United States Senate is the second-highest-ranking official of the United States Senate, after the vice president. According to Article One, Section Three of the United States Constitution, the vice president of the United States is the president of the Senate, and the Senate must choose a president pro tempore to act in the vice president's absence.

James Oliver Eastland was an American attorney, plantation owner, and politician from Mississippi. A Democrat, he served in the United States Senate in 1941 and again from 1943 until his resignation on December 27, 1978. Eastland was a segregationist who led the Southern resistance against racial integration during the civil rights movement, often speaking of African Americans as "an inferior race." Eastland has been called the "Voice of the White South" and the "Godfather of Mississippi Politics."

John Cornelius Stennis was an American politician who served as a U.S. senator from the state of Mississippi. He was a Democrat who served in the Senate for over 41 years, becoming its most senior member for his last eight years. He retired from the Senate in 1989, and is, to date, the last Democrat to have been a U.S. senator from Mississippi. Furthermore, at the time of his retirement, Stennis was the last United States senator to have served during the presidency of Harry S. Truman.

Richard Brevard Russell Jr. was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 66th Governor of Georgia from 1931 to 1933 before serving in the United States Senate for almost 40 years, from 1933 to 1971. Russell was a founder and leader of the conservative coalition that dominated Congress from 1937 to 1963, and at his death was the most senior member of the Senate. He was for decades a leader of Southern opposition to the civil rights movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">100th United States Congress</span> 1987–1989 U.S. Congress

The 100th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 1987, to January 3, 1989, during the last two years of Ronald Reagan's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1980 United States census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Magnuson</span> American politician (1905–1989)

Warren Grant Magnuson was an American lawyer and politician who represented the state of Washington in Congress for 44 years, first as a Representative from 1937 to 1944, and then as a senator from 1944 to 1981. Magnuson was a member of the Democratic Party. He was Washington state's longest-serving senator, serving over 36 years. During his final two years in office, he was the most senior senator and president pro tempore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">94th United States Congress</span> 1975–1977 U.S. Congress

The 94th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 1975, to January 3, 1977, during the last two years of Gerald Ford's presidency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">96th United States Congress</span> 1979–1981 U.S. Congress

The 96th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1979, to January 3, 1981, during the last two years of Jimmy Carter's presidency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">93rd United States Congress</span> 1973–1975 U.S. Congress

The 93rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 1973, to January 3, 1975, during the last 18 months of Richard Nixon's presidency, and the first 6 months of Gerald Ford's. This Congress was the first Congress with more than two Senate presidents. After the resignation of Spiro Agnew, Gerald Ford was appointed under the authority of the newly ratified 25th Amendment. Ford became president the next year and Nelson Rockefeller was appointed in his place. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1970 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic majority.

The 1966 United States Senate elections were elections on November 8, 1966, for the United States Senate which occurred midway through the second term of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The 33 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. With divisions in the Democratic base over the Vietnam War, and with the traditional mid-term advantage of the party not holding the presidency, the Republicans took three Democratic seats, thereby breaking Democrats' 2/3rds supermajority. Despite Republican gains, the balance remained overwhelmingly in favor of the Democrats, who retained a 64–36 majority. Democrats were further reduced to 63–37, following the death of Robert F. Kennedy in June 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">87th United States Congress</span> 1961–1963 U.S. Congress

The 87th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1961, to January 3, 1963, during the final weeks of Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency and the first two years of John Kennedy's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1950 United States census, along with two seats temporarily added in 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">88th United States Congress</span> 1963–1965 U.S. Congress

The 88th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 1963, to January 3, 1965, during the final months of the presidency of John F. Kennedy, and the first years of the presidency of his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. The apportionment of seats in this House of Representatives was based on the 1960 United States census, and the number of members was again 435.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">86th United States Congress</span> 1959–1961 U.S. Congress

The 86th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1959, to January 3, 1961, during the last two years of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The 1966 South Carolina United States Senate special election was held on November 8, 1966 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of South Carolina. The election resulted from the death of Senator Olin D. Johnston in 1965. Then Governor Donald S. Russell entered in a prearranged agreement with Lieutenant Governor Robert Evander McNair in which Russell would resign his post so that he could be appointed Senator. However, former Governor Fritz Hollings won the Democratic primary election and went on to beat Republican state senator Marshall Parker in the general election to win his right to fill the remaining two years of the unexpired term.

References

Members Who Have Served in the U.S. Congress 30 Years or More (as of 2006)

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.