List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service
←This is a list of United States congresspersons by longevity of service. It includes those Representatives and Senators who have served at least 36 years. It is divided up into several categories.
In cases where there is a tie in time the following criteria will sort people higher:
- Achieved time uninterrupted (total tenure rank only)
- Achieved time first
- Senators over representatives (House and Senate list only)
- Senate or House seniority (Dan Rostenkowski versus Neal Edward Smith)
The lists include eleven currently serving members: John Conyers, Charles B. Rangel, Thad Cochran, Don Young, Patrick Leahy, Chuck Grassley, Ed Markey, Orrin Hatch, Barbara Mikulski, Richard Shelby, and Jim Sensenbrenner. It includes twenty-three former members who are still alive: Daniel Akaka, Max Baucus, Joe Biden, William Broomfield, Norm Dicks, John Dingell, Christopher Dodd, Pete Domenici, Tom Harkin, Ernest Hollings, Dale Kildee, Carl Levin, Richard Lugar, Joseph M. McDade, Robert H. Michel, George Miller, Dave Obey, Nick Rahall, Ralph Regula, Paul Sarbanes, Neal Edward Smith, Pete Stark, and Henry Waxman.
Key
In gold | Currently serving |
H | Served in House (only for House and Senate combined categories) |
S | Served in Senate (only for House and Senate combined categories) |
I | Interruptions in service (only for total tenure categories) |
Combined House and Senate time
Total tenure rank | Uninterrupted rank | Name | Party affiliation | Total tenure | Uninterrupted tenure | Reason for leaving |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | John Dingell (H) | Democratic | 59 years, 21 days | 59 years, 21 days | Retired |
2 | 2 | Robert Byrd (H,S) | Democratic | 57 years, 176 days | 57 years, 176 days | Died |
3 | 3 | Carl Hayden (H,S) | Democratic | 56 years, 319 days | 56 years, 319 days | Retired |
4 | 4 | Daniel Inouye (H,S) | Democratic | 53 years, 118 days | 53 years, 118 days | Died |
5 | 5 | Jamie L. Whitten (H) | Democratic | 53 years, 60 days | 53 years, 60 days | Retired |
6 | 6 | John Conyers (H) | Democratic | 51 years, 126 days | 51 years, 126 days | |
7 | 7 | Carl Vinson (H) | Democratic | 50 years, 61 days | 50 years, 61 days | Retired |
8 | 8 | Emanuel Celler (H) | Democratic | 49 years, 305 days | 49 years, 305 days | Lost renomination |
9 | 9 | Sam Rayburn (H) | Democratic | 48 years, 257 days | 48 years, 257 days | Died |
10 | Sidney R. Yates (H,I) | Democratic | 48 years, 0 days | n/a | Retired | |
11 | 12 | Strom Thurmond (S,I) | Republican | 47 years, 159 days | 46 years, 57 days | Retired |
12 | 10 | Wright Patman (H) | Democratic | 47 years, 3 days | 47 years, 3 days | Died |
13 | 11 | Ted Kennedy (S) | Democratic | 46 years, 292 days | 46 years, 292 days | Died |
14 | Joseph Gurney Cannon (H,I) | Republican | 46 years, 0 days | n/a | Retired | |
15 | 13 | Adolph J. Sabath (H) | Democratic | 45 years, 247 days | 45 years, 247 days | Died |
16 | 14 | J. Lister Hill (H,S) | Democratic | 45 years, 142 days | 45 years, 142 days | Retired |
17 | 15 | Charles B. Rangel (H) | Democratic | 45 years, 126 days | 45 years, 126 days | |
18 | 16 | George H. Mahon (H) | Democratic | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days | Retired |
19 | 17 | Warren Magnuson (H,S) | Democratic | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days | Defeated |
20 | 18 | Charles Edward Bennett (H) | Democratic | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days | Retired |
21 | 19 | Justin Smith Morrill (H,S) | Republican | 43 years, 299 days | 43 years, 299 days | Died |
22 | William B. Allison (H,S,I) | Republican | 43 years, 152 days | n/a | Died | |
23 | 20 | Thad Cochran (H,S) | Republican | 43 years, 126 days | 43 years, 126 days | |
24 | 21 | Charles Melvin Price (H) | Democratic | 43 years, 110 days | 43 years, 110 days | Died |
25 | 22 | Don Young (H) | Republican | 43 years, 63 days | 43 years, 63 days | |
26 | 23 | Bill Young (H) | Republican | 42 years, 288 days | 42 years, 288 days | Died |
27 | 24 | Henry M. Jackson (H,S) | Democratic | 42 years, 241 days | 42 years, 241 days | Died |
28 | Carter Glass (H,S,I) | Democratic | 42 years, 157 days | n/a | Died | |
29 | 25 | John William McCormack (H) | Democratic | 42 years, 58 days | 42 years, 58 days | Retired |
30 | 26 | John Sparkman (H,S) | Democratic | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days | Retired |
31 | 27 | William R. Poage (H) | Democratic | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days | Retired |
32 | 28 | Jack Brooks (H) | Democratic | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days | Defeated |
33 | 29 | Robert L. Doughton (H) | Democratic | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days | Retired |
34 | 30 | Joseph William Martin, Jr. (H) | Republican | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days | Lost renomination |
35 | 31 | Dave Obey (H) | Democratic | 41 years, 276 days | 41 years, 276 days | Retired |
36 | 32 | Patrick Leahy (S) | Democratic | 41 years, 126 days | 41 years, 126 days | |
37 | 33 | Chuck Grassley (H,S) | Republican | 41 years, 126 days | 41 years, 126 days | |
38 | 34 | Clarence Cannon (H) | Democratic | 41 years, 69 days | 41 years, 69 days | Retired |
39 | 35 | John C. Stennis (S) | Democratic | 41 years, 59 days | 41 years, 59 days | Retired |
40 | 36 | Kenneth McKellar (H,S) | Democratic | 41 years, 30 days | 41 years, 30 days | Lost renomination |
41 | 37 | William Huston Natcher (H) | Democratic | 40 years, 240 days | 40 years, 240 days | Died |
42 | Claude Pepper (H,S,I) | Democratic | 40 years, 207 days | n/a | Died | |
43 | 38 | William P. Frye (H,S) | Republican | 40 years, 157 days | 40 years, 157 days | Died |
44 | 39 | Ted Stevens (S) | Republican | 40 years, 10 days | 40 years, 10 days | Defeated |
45 | 40 | Carl Curtis (H,S) | Republican | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days | Retired |
46 | 41 | Peter W. Rodino (H) | Democratic | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days | Retired |
47 | 42 | Pete Stark (H) | Democratic | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days | Defeated |
48 | 43 | Tom Harkin (H,S) | Democratic | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days | Retired |
49 | 44 | George Miller (H) | Democratic | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days | Retired |
50 | 45 | Henry Waxman (H) | Democratic | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days | Retired |
51 | Jennings Randolph (H,S,I) | Democratic | 39 years, 364 days | n/a | Retired | |
52 | Eugene Hale (H,S,I) | Republican | 39 years, 363 days | n/a | Retired | |
53 | 46 | Leslie C. Arends (H) | Republican | 39 years, 362 days | 39 years, 362 days | Retired |
54 | 47 | Daniel A. Reed (H) | Republican | 39 years, 352 days | 39 years, 352 days | Died |
55 | 48 | George William Norris (H,S) | Republican | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days | Defeated |
56 | 49 | John Taber (H) | Republican | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days | Retired |
57 | 50 | William M. Colmer (H) | Democratic | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days | Retired |
58 | 51 | Ed Markey (H,S) | Democratic | 39 years, 188 days | 39 years, 188 days | |
59 | 52 | Orrin Hatch (S) | Republican | 39 years, 126 days | 39 years, 126 days | |
60 | 53 | Barbara Mikulski (H,S) | Democratic | 39 years, 126 days | 39 years, 126 days | |
61 | 54 | Max Baucus (H,S) | Democratic | 39 years, 34 days | 39 years, 34 days | Appointed Ambassador to China |
62 | Samuel Smith (H,S,I) | Democratic | 39 years, 9 days | n/a | Retired | |
63 | John Little McClellan (H,S,I) | Democratic | 38 years, 329 days | n/a | Died | |
64 | 55 | Morris Sheppard (H,S) | Democratic | 38 years, 145 days | 38 years, 145 days | Died |
65 | 56 | Ernest Hollings (S) | Democratic | 38 years, 55 days | 38 years, 55 days | Retired |
66 | 57 | Richard Russell, Jr. (S) | Democratic | 38 years, 9 days | 38 years, 9 days | Died |
67 | John Sherman (H,S,I) | Republican | 38 years, 4 days | n/a | Appointed Secretary of the Treasury & Appointed Secretary of State | |
68 | 58 | Russell B. Long (S) | Democratic | 38 years, 3 days | 38 years, 3 days | Retired |
69 | 59 | Frederick H. Gillett (H,S) | Republican | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days | Retired |
70 | 60 | Wilbur Mills (H) | Democratic | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days | Retired |
71 | 61 | Dante Fascell (H) | Democratic | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days | Retired |
72 | 62 | Robert H. Michel (H) | Republican | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days | Retired |
73 | 63 | Nick Rahall (H) | Democratic | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days | Defeated |
74 | Robert Crosser (H,I) | Democratic | 37 years, 305 days | n/a | Lost renomination | |
75 | Robert L. F. Sikes (H,I) | Democratic | 37 years, 290 days | n/a | Retired | |
76 | 64 | Nathaniel Macon (H,S) | Democratic-Republican | 37 years, 255 days | 37 years, 255 days | Resigned |
77 | 65 | Henry Cabot Lodge (H,S) | Republican | 37 years, 250 days | 37 years, 250 days | Died |
78 | 66 | Richard Shelby (H,S) | Republican | 37 years, 126 days | 37 years, 126 days | |
79 | 67 | Jim Sensenbrenner (H) | Republican | 37 years, 126 days | 37 years, 126 days | |
80 | Alben W. Barkley (H,S,I) | Democratic | 37 years, 74 days | n/a | Elected Vice President and Died | |
81 | 68 | Henry B. Gonzalez (H) | Democratic | 37 years, 60 days | 37 years, 60 days | Retired |
82 | Francis E. Warren (S,I) | Republican | 37 years, 6 days | n/a | Died | |
83 | James Eastland (S,I) | Democratic | 36 years, 83 days | n/a | Resigned | |
84 | 69 | Joe Biden (S) | Democratic | 36 years, 12 days | 36 years, 12 days | Elected Vice President |
85 | 70 | John Murtha (H) | Democratic | 36 years, 3 days | 36 years, 3 days | Died |
86 | 71 | Henry L. Dawes (H,S) | Republican | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
87 | 72 | Felix Edward Hébert (H) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
88 | 73 | Edward Boland (H) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
89 | 74 | William Broomfield (H) | Republican | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
90 | 75 | Dan Rostenkowski (H) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Defeated |
91 | 76 | Neal Edward Smith (H) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Defeated |
92 | 77 | Claiborne Pell (S) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
93 | 78 | Joseph M. McDade (H) | Republican | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
94 | 79 | Paul Sarbanes (H,S) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
95 | 80 | Pete Domenici (S) | Republican | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
96 | 81 | Ralph Regula (H) | Republican | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
97 | 82 | Christopher Dodd (H,S) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
98 | 83 | Jim Oberstar (H) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Defeated |
99 | 84 | Richard Lugar (S) | Republican | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Lost renomination |
100 | 85 | Daniel Akaka (H,S) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
101 | 86 | Norm Dicks (H) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
102 | 87 | Dale Kildee (H) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
103 | 88 | Carl Levin (S) | Democratic | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days | Retired |
104 | Shelby Moore Cullom (H,S,I) | Republican | 36 years, 0 days | n/a | Retired |
Senate time
The 90th Congress was notable because for a period of 10 days (December 24, 1968 – January 3, 1969), it contained within its Senate all 10 of the longest-serving Senators in history until January 7, 2013, when Patrick Leahy surpassed Russell B. Long as the 10th longest serving Senator in history. This period stretched from the installation of Ted Stevens of Alaska after his appointment to fill a vacancy to the retirement of Carl Hayden of Arizona early the next year.
The 96th Congress was the period in which most people from this list were serving together (all but Hayden, Russell Jr., Warren and Eastland).
Total tenure rank | Uninterrupted rank | Name | State represented | Dates of service | Total tenure | Uninterrupted tenure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Robert Byrd | West Virginia | January 3, 1959 – June 28, 2010 | 51 years, 176 days | 51 years, 176 days |
2 | 2 | Daniel Inouye | Hawaii | January 3, 1963 – December 17, 2012 | 49 years, 349 days | 49 years, 349 days |
3 | 4 | Strom Thurmond (I) | South Carolina | December 24, 1954 – April 7, 1956 November 7, 1956 – January 3, 2003 | 47 years, 159 days | 46 years, 57 days |
4 | 3 | Ted Kennedy | Massachusetts | November 7, 1962 – August 25, 2009 | 46 years, 292 days | 46 years, 292 days |
5 | 5 | Carl Hayden | Arizona | March 4, 1927 – January 3, 1969 | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days |
6 | 6 | Patrick Leahy | Vermont | Since January 3, 1975 | 41 years, 126 days | 41 years, 126 days |
7 | 7 | John C. Stennis | Mississippi | November 7, 1947 – January 3, 1989 | 41 years, 59 days | 41 years, 59 days |
8 | 8 | Ted Stevens | Alaska | December 24, 1968 – January 3, 2009 | 40 years, 10 days | 40 years, 10 days |
9 | 9 | Orrin Hatch | Utah | Since January 3, 1977 | 39 years, 126 days | 39 years, 126 days |
10 | 10 | Ernest Hollings | South Carolina | November 8, 1966 – January 3, 2005 | 38 years, 55 days | 38 years, 55 days |
11 | 11 | Richard Russell, Jr. | Georgia | January 12, 1933 – January 21, 1971 | 38 years, 9 days | 38 years, 9 days |
12 | 12 | Russell B. Long | Louisiana | December 31, 1948 – January 3, 1987 | 38 years, 3 days | 38 years, 3 days |
13 | 13 | Thad Cochran | Mississippi | Since December 27, 1978 | 37 years, 133 days | 37 years, 133 days |
14 | Francis E. Warren (I) | Wyoming | November 18, 1890 – March 4, 1893 March 4, 1895 – November 24, 1929 | 37 years, 6 days | n/a | |
15 | James Eastland (I) | Mississippi | June 30 – September 28, 1941 January 3, 1943 – December 27, 1978 | 36 years, 83 days | n/a | |
16 | 14 | Warren Magnuson | Washington | December 14, 1944 – January 3, 1981 | 36 years, 20 days | 36 years, 20 days |
17 | 15 | Joe Biden | Delaware | January 3, 1973 – January 15, 2009 | 36 years, 12 days | 36 years, 12 days |
18 | 16 | Claiborne Pell | Rhode Island | January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1997 | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
19 | 17 | Pete Domenici | New Mexico | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 2009 | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
20 | 18 | Richard Lugar | Indiana | January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2013 | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
21 | 19 | Carl Levin | Michigan | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 2015 | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
House time
Total tenure rank | Uninterrupted rank | Name | Total tenure | Uninterrupted tenure |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | John Dingell | 59 years, 21 days | 59 years, 21 days |
2 | 2 | Jamie L. Whitten | 53 years, 60 days | 53 years, 60 days |
3 | 3 | John Conyers | 51 years, 126 days | 51 years, 126 days |
4 | 4 | Carl Vinson | 50 years, 61 days | 50 years, 61 days |
5 | 5 | Emanuel Celler | 49 years, 305 days | 49 years, 305 days |
6 | 6 | Sam Rayburn | 48 years, 257 days | 48 years, 257 days |
7 | Sidney R. Yates (I) | 48 years, 0 days | n/a | |
8 | 7 | Wright Patman | 47 years, 3 days | 47 years, 3 days |
9 | Joseph Gurney Cannon (I) | 46 years, 0 days | n/a | |
10 | 8 | Adolph J. Sabath | 45 years, 247 days | 45 years, 247 days |
11 | 9 | Charles B. Rangel | 45 years, 126 days | 45 years, 126 days |
12 | 10 | George H. Mahon | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days |
13 | 11 | Charles Edward Bennett | 44 years, 0 days | 44 years, 0 days |
14 | 12 | Charles Melvin Price | 43 years, 110 days | 43 years, 110 days |
15 | 13 | Don Young | 43 years, 63 days | 43 years, 63 days |
16 | 14 | Bill Young | 42 years, 288 days | 42 years, 288 days |
17 | 15 | John William McCormack | 42 years, 58 days | 42 years, 58 days |
18 | 16 | William R. Poage | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days |
19 | 17 | Jack Brooks | 42 years, 0 days | 42 years, 0 days |
20 | 18 | Robert L. Doughton | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days |
21 | 19 | Joseph William Martin, Jr. | 41 years, 305 days | 41 years, 305 days |
22 | 20 | Dave Obey | 41 years, 276 days | 41 years, 276 days |
23 | 21 | Clarence Cannon | 41 years, 69 days | 41 years, 69 days |
24 | 22 | William Huston Natcher | 40 years, 240 days | 40 years, 240 days |
25 | 23 | Peter W. Rodino | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days |
26 | 24 | Pete Stark | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days |
27 | 25 | George Miller | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days |
28 | 26 | Henry Waxman | 40 years, 0 days | 40 years, 0 days |
29 | 27 | Leslie C. Arends | 39 years, 362 days | 39 years, 362 days |
30 | 28 | Daniel A. Reed | 39 years, 352 days | 39 years, 352 days |
31 | 29 | John Taber | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days |
32 | 30 | William M. Colmer | 39 years, 305 days | 39 years, 305 days |
33 | 31 | Wilbur Mills | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
34 | 32 | Dante Fascell | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
35 | 33 | Robert H. Michel | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
36 | 34 | Nick Rahall | 38 years, 0 days | 38 years, 0 days |
37 | Robert Crosser (I) | 37 years, 305 days | n/a | |
38 | Robert L. F. Sikes (I) | 37 years, 290 days | n/a | |
40 | 36 | Jim Sensenbrenner | 37 years, 126 days | 37 years, 126 days |
39 | 35 | Henry B. Gonzalez | 37 years, 60 days | 37 years, 60 days |
41 | 37 | Ed Markey | 36 years, 256 days | 36 years, 256 days |
42 | 38 | John Murtha | 36 years, 3 days | 36 years, 3 days |
43 | 39 | Felix Edward Hébert | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
44 | 40 | Edward Boland | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
45 | 41 | William Broomfield | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
46 | 42 | Dan Rostenkowski | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
47 | 43 | Neal Edward Smith | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
48 | 44 | Joseph M. McDade | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
49 | 45 | Ralph Regula | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
50 | 46 | Jim Oberstar | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
51 | 47 | Norm Dicks | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
52 | 48 | Dale Kildee | 36 years, 0 days | 36 years, 0 days |
See also
- Oldest living United States president
- List of the oldest living members of the United States House of Representatives
- Dean of the United States House of Representatives
- Dean of the United States Senate
- Longest living United States Senator
- Earliest serving United States Senator
- Oldest living United States governor
- List of United States federal judges by longevity of service