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

Table columns:
Total tenure rank
Uninterrupted tenure rank
Name
Party affiliation
Total tenure
Uninterrupted tenure
Reason for leaving

Table rows:
cells: 1
1
John Dingell (H)
Democratic
59 years, 21 days
59 years, 21 days
Retired
cells: 2
2
Robert Byrd (H, S)
Democratic
57 years, 176 days
57 years, 176 days
Died
cells: 3
3
Carl Hayden (H, S)
Democratic
56 years, 319 days
56 years, 319 days
Retired
cells: 4
4
Daniel Inouye (H, S)
Democratic
53 years, 118 days
53 years, 118 days
Died
cells: 5
5
Jamie Whitten (H)
Democratic
53 years, 60 days
53 years, 60 days
Retired
cells: 6
6
John Conyers (H)
Democratic
52 years, 336 days
52 years, 336 days
Resigned
cells: 7
7
Carl Vinson (H)
Democratic
50 years, 61 days
50 years, 61 days
Retired
cells: 8
8
Emanuel Celler (H)
Democratic
49 years, 305 days
49 years, 305 days
Lost renomination
cells: 9
9
Sam Rayburn (H)
Democratic
48 years, 257 days
48 years, 257 days
Died
cells: 10
Sidney R. Yates (H, I)
Democratic
48 years, 0 days
n/a
Retired
cells: 11
12
Strom Thurmond (S, I)
Democratic, Republican
47 years, 159 days
46 years, 57 days
Resigned and Retired
cells: 12
10
Wright Patman (H)
Democratic
47 years, 3 days
47 years, 3 days
Died
cells: 13
11
Ted Kennedy (S)
Democratic
46 years, 292 days
46 years, 292 days
Died
cells: 14
13
Charles Rangel (H)
Democratic
46 years, 0 days
46 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 15
Joseph Gurney Cannon (H, I)
Republican
46 years, 0 days
n/a
Defeated, Defeated, and Retired
cells: 16
14
Adolph J. Sabath (H)
Democratic
45 years, 247 days
45 years, 247 days
Died
cells: 17
15
J. Lister Hill (H, S)
Democratic
45 years, 142 days
45 years, 142 days
Retired
cells: 18
16
Thad Cochran (H, S)
Republican
45 years, 87 days
45 years, 87 days
Resigned
cells: 19
17
Don Young (H)
Republican
45 years, 83 days
45 years, 83 days
cells: 20
18
George H. Mahon (H)
Democratic
44 years, 0 days
44 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 21
19
Warren Magnuson (H, S)
Democratic
44 years, 0 days
44 years, 0 days
Defeated
cells: 22
20
Charles Edward Bennett (H)
Democratic
44 years, 0 days
44 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 23
21
Justin Smith Morrill (H, S)
Whig, Republican
43 years, 299 days
43 years, 299 days
Died
cells: 24
William B. Allison (H, S, I)
Republican
43 years, 152 days
n/a
Retired and Died
cells: 25
22
Patrick Leahy (S)
Democratic
43 years, 145 days
43 years, 145 days
cells: 26
23
Chuck Grassley (H, S)
Republican
43 years, 145 days
43 years, 145 days
cells: 27
24
Charles Melvin Price (H)
Democratic
43 years, 110 days
43 years, 110 days
Died
cells: 28
25
Bill Young (H)
Republican
42 years, 288 days
42 years, 288 days
Died
cells: 29
26
Henry M. Jackson (H, S)
Democratic
42 years, 241 days
42 years, 241 days
Died
cells: 30
Carter Glass (H, S, I)
Democratic
42 years, 157 days
n/a
Resigned to become Secretary of the Treasury and Died
cells: 31
27
John William McCormack (H)
Democratic
42 years, 58 days
42 years, 58 days
Retired
cells: 32
28
John Sparkman (H, S)
Democratic
42 years, 0 days
42 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 33
29
William R. Poage (H)
Democratic
42 years, 0 days
42 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 34
30
Jack Brooks (H)
Democratic
42 years, 0 days
42 years, 0 days
Defeated
cells: 35
31
Robert L. Doughton (H)
Democratic
41 years, 305 days
41 years, 305 days
Retired
cells: 36
32
Joseph William Martin Jr. (H)
Republican
41 years, 305 days
41 years, 305 days
Lost renomination
cells: 37
33
Dave Obey (H)
Democratic
41 years, 276 days
41 years, 276 days
Retired
cells: 38
34
Ed Markey (H, S)
Democratic
41 years, 207 days
41 years, 207 days
cells: 39
35
Orrin Hatch (S)
Republican
41 years, 145 days
41 years, 145 days
cells: 40
36
Clarence Cannon (H)
Democratic
41 years, 69 days
41 years, 69 days
Retired
cells: 41
37
John C. Stennis (S)
Democratic
41 years, 59 days
41 years, 59 days
Retired
cells: 42
38
Kenneth McKellar (H, S)
Democratic
41 years, 30 days
41 years, 30 days
Lost renomination
cells: 43
39
William Natcher (H)
Democratic
40 years, 240 days
40 years, 240 days
Died
cells: 44
Claude Pepper (H, S, I)
Democratic
40 years, 207 days
n/a
Lost renomination and Died
cells: 45
40
William P. Frye (H, S)
Republican
40 years, 157 days
40 years, 157 days
Died
cells: 46
41
Ted Stevens (S)
Republican
40 years, 10 days
40 years, 10 days
Defeated
cells: 47
42
Carl Curtis (H, S)
Republican
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 48
43
Peter W. Rodino (H)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 49
44
Pete Stark (H)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Defeated
cells: 50
45
Tom Harkin (H, S)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 51
46
George Miller (H)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 52
47
Henry Waxman (H)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 53
48
Barbara Mikulski (H, S)
Democratic
40 years, 0 days
40 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 54
Jennings Randolph (H, S, I)
Democratic
39 years, 364 days
n/a
Defeated and Retired
cells: 55
Eugene Hale (H, S, I)
Republican
39 years, 363 days
n/a
Defeated and Retired
cells: 56
49
Leslie C. Arends (H)
Republican
39 years, 362 days
39 years, 362 days
Retired
cells: 57
50
Daniel A. Reed (H)
Republican
39 years, 352 days
39 years, 352 days
Died
cells: 58
51
George William Norris (H, S)
Republican, Independent
39 years, 305 days
39 years, 305 days
Defeated
cells: 59
52
John Taber (H)
Republican
39 years, 305 days
39 years, 305 days
Retired
cells: 60
53
William M. Colmer (H)
Democratic
39 years, 305 days
39 years, 305 days
Retired
cells: 61
54
Richard Shelby (H, S)
Democratic, Republican
39 years, 145 days
39 years, 145 days
cells: 62
55
Jim Sensenbrenner (H)
Republican
39 years, 145 days
39 years, 145 days
cells: 63
56
Max Baucus (H, S)
Democratic
39 years, 34 days
39 years, 34 days
Appointed Ambassador to China
cells: 64
Samuel Smith (H, S, I)
Democratic-Republican, Democratic
39 years, 9 days
n/a
Retired
cells: 65
John Little McClellan (H, S, I)
Democratic
38 years, 329 days
n/a
Retired and Died
cells: 66
57
Morris Sheppard (H, S)
Democratic
38 years, 145 days
38 years, 145 days
Died
cells: 67
58
Ernest Hollings (S)
Democratic
38 years, 55 days
38 years, 55 days
Retired
cells: 68
59
Richard Russell Jr. (S)
Democratic
38 years, 9 days
38 years, 9 days
Died
cells: 69
John Sherman (H, S, I)
Oppositionist, Republican
38 years, 4 days
n/a
Appointed Secretary of the Treasury & Appointed Secretary of State
cells: 79
60
Russell B. Long (S)
Democratic
38 years, 3 days
38 years, 3 days
Retired
cells: 71
61
Frederick H. Gillett (H, S)
Republican
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 72
62
Wilbur Mills (H)
Democratic
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 73
63
Dante Fascell (H)
Democratic
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 74
64
Robert H. Michel (H)
Republican
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 75
65
Nick Rahall (H)
Democratic
38 years, 0 days
38 years, 0 days
Defeated
cells: 76
Robert Crosser (H, I)
Democratic
37 years, 305 days
n/a
Lost renomination
cells: 77
Robert L. F. Sikes (H, I)
Democratic
37 years, 290 days
n/a
Resigned and Retired
cells: 78
66
Nathaniel Macon (H, S)
Anti-Administration, Democratic-Republican
37 years, 255 days
37 years, 255 days
Resigned
cells: 79
67
Henry Cabot Lodge (H, S)
Republican
37 years, 250 days
37 years, 250 days
Died
cells: 80
68
Ron Wyden (H, S)
Democratic
37 years, 145 days
37 years, 145 days
cells: 81
69
Pat Roberts (H, S)
Republican
37 years, 145 days
37 years, 145 days
cells: 82
70
Chuck Schumer (H, S)
Democratic
37 years, 145 days
37 years, 145 days
cells: 83
71
Hal Rogers (H)
Republican
37 years, 145 days
37 years, 145 days
cells: 84
72
Chris Smith (H)
Republican
37 years, 145 days
37 years, 145 days
cells: 85
Alben W. Barkley (H, S, I)
Democratic
37 years, 74 days
n/a
Elected Vice President & Died
cells: 86
73
Henry B. Gonzalez (H)
Democratic
37 years, 60 days
37 years, 60 days
Retired
cells: 87
74
Steny Hoyer (H)
Democratic
37 years, 9 days
37 years, 9 days
cells: 88
Francis E. Warren (S, I)
Republican
37 years, 6 days
n/a
Defeated and Died
cells: 89
James Eastland (S, I)
Democratic
36 years, 83 days
n/a
Resigned
cells: 90
75
Joe Biden (S)
Democratic
36 years, 12 days
36 years, 12 days
Elected Vice President
cells: 91
76
John Murtha (H)
Democratic
36 years, 3 days
36 years, 3 days
Died
cells: 92
77
Henry L. Dawes (H, S)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 93
78
Felix Edward Hébert (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 94
79
Edward Boland (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 95
80
William Broomfield (H)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 96
81
Dan Rostenkowski (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Defeated
cells: 97
82
Neal Edward Smith (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Defeated
cells: 98
83
Claiborne Pell (S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 99
84
Joseph M. McDade (H)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 100
85
Paul Sarbanes (H, S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 101
86
Pete Domenici (S)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 102
87
Ralph Regula (H)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 103
88
Chris Dodd (H, S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 104
89
Jim Oberstar (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Defeated
cells: 105
90
Richard Lugar (S)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Lost renomination
cells: 106
91
Daniel Akaka (H, S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 107
92
Norm Dicks (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 108
93
Dale Kildee (H)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 109
94
Carl Levin (S)
Democratic
36 years, 0 days
36 years, 0 days
Retired
cells: 110
Shelby Moore Cullom (H, S, I)
Republican
36 years, 0 days
n/a
Retired

Questions about this table:
originalText: who is the longest serving member of the house in history
answer: answerTexts: John Dingell
alternativeAnswers: answerTexts: John Dingell