List of historical longest-serving members of the United States Congress

This is a list of United States congressmen who have set records for longevity of service since the United States 1st Congress in 1789. It is divided up into several categories.

Uninterrupted time

House and Senate

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 March 3, 1807 John Brown Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
Virginia/Kentucky March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1805 (H, S) 5842 dd
March 3, 1807 November 13, 1892 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
North Carolina March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (H, S) 13769 dd
November 13, 1892 December 28, 1950 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/Republican Vermont March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (H, S) 16005 dd
December 28, 1950 October 24, 1957 Adolph J. Sabath Democratic Illinois March 4, 1907 - November 6, 1952 (H) 16684 dd
October 24, 1957 November 18, 2009 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (H, S) 20773 dd
November 18, 2009 June 6, 2013 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1953 - June 28, 2010 (H, S) 20995 dd
June 6, 2013 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 (H) 21571 dd

Senate

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 June 6, 1802 James Gunn Anti-Administration/
Federalist
Georgia March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 4381 dd
John Langdon Pro-Administration/
Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
New Hampshire
June 6, 1802 December 6, 1808 Theodore Foster Pro-Administration/
Federalist/
Democratic-Republican
Rhode Island June 7, 1790 - March 3, 1803 4651 dd
December 6, 1808 December 25, 1811 James Hillhouse Federalist Connecticut March 12, 1796 - June 10, 1810 5202 dd
December 25, 1811 May 12, 1822 Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican Tennessee September 26, 1797 - March 3, 1815 6366 dd
May 12, 1822 March 5, 1841 John Gaillard Democratic-Republican South Carolina December 6, 1804 - February 26, 1826 7752 dd
March 5, 1841 December 11, 1845 William R. King Democratic-Republican/
Democratic
Alabama December 14, 1819 - April 15, 1844 8889 dd
December 11, 1845 September 24, 1896 Thomas Hart Benton Democratic-Republican/
Democratic
Missouri August 10, 1821 - March 3, 1851 10797 dd
September 24, 1896 December 29, 1904 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/
Republican
Vermont March 4, 1867 - December 28, 1898 11622 dd
December 29, 1904 August 3, 1944 William B. Allison Republican Iowa March 4, 1873 - August 4, 1908 12936 dd
August 3, 1944 November 17, 1952 Ellison D. Smith Democratic South Carolina March 4, 1909 - November 17, 1944 13042 dd
November 17, 1952 January 3, 1963 Kenneth McKellar Democratic Tennessee March 4, 1917 - January 3, 1953 13089 dd
January 3, 1963 September 9, 1998 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona March 4, 1927 - January 3, 1969 15281 dd
September 9, 1998 February 28, 2005 Strom Thurmond Democratic/
Republican
South Carolina November 7, 1956 - January 3, 2003 16858 dd
February 28, 2005 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1959 - June 28, 2010 18804 dd

House

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 March 3, 1803 George Thatcher Pro-Administration/
Federalist
Massachusetts March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 4381 dd
March 3, 1803 December 12, 1825 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
North Carolina March 4, 1791 - December 13, 1815 9049 dd
December 12, 1825 March 9, 1908 Thomas Newton, Jr. Democratic-Republican Virginia March 4, 1801 - March 9, 1830 10597 dd
March 9, 1908 March 21, 1940 Henry H. Bingham Republican Pennsylvania March 4, 1879 - March 22, 1912 12071 dd
March 21, 1940 October 24, 1957 Adolph J. Sabath Democratic Illinois March 4, 1907 - November 6, 1952 16684 dd
October 24, 1957 July 18, 1963 Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas March 4, 1913 - November 16, 1961 17789 dd
July 18, 1963 January 5, 1992 Carl Vinson Democratic Georgia November 3, 1914 - January 3, 1965 18324 dd
January 5, 1992 February 10, 2009 Jamie L. Whitten Democratic Mississippi November 4, 1941 - January 3, 1995 19418 dd
February 10, 2009 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 21571 dd

Interrupted time

House and Senate

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 March 3, 1807 John Brown Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
Virginia/Kentucky March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1805 (H, S) 5842 dd
March 3, 1807 October 15, 1831 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
North Carolina March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (H, S) 13769 dd
October 15, 1831 April 2, 1894 Samuel Smith Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
Maryland March 4, 1793 - March 3, 1815
January 31, 1816 - March 3, 1833 (H, S)
14274 dd
April 2, 1894 December 31, 1920 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/Republican Vermont March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (H, S) 16005 dd
December 31, 1920 February 14, 1958 Joseph G. Cannon Republican Illinois March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1891
March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1913
March 4, 1915 - March 3, 1923 (H)
16797 dd
February 14, 1958 November 18, 2009 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (H, S) 20773 dd
November 18, 2009 June 6, 2013 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1953 - June 28, 2010 (H, S) 20995 dd
June 6, 2013 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 (H) 21571 dd

Senate

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 June 6, 1802 James Gunn Anti-Administration/
Federalist
Georgia March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 4381 dd
John Langdon Pro-Administration/
Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
New Hampshire
June 6, 1802 December 6, 1808 Theodore Foster Pro-Administration/
Federalist/
Democratic-Republican
Rhode Island June 7, 1790 - March 3, 1803 4651 dd
December 6, 1808 December 25, 1811 James Hillhouse Federalist Connecticut March 12, 1796 - June 10, 1810 5202 dd
December 25, 1811 May 12, 1822 Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican Tennessee September 26, 1797 - March 3, 1815 6366 dd
May 12, 1822 March 8, 1832 John Gaillard Democratic-Republican South Carolina December 6, 1804 - February 26, 1826 7752 dd
March 8, 1832 February 28, 1842 Samuel Smith Democratic-Republican Maryland March 4, 1803 - March 3, 1815
December 16, 1822 - March 3, 1833
8112 dd
February 28, 1842 December 11, 1845 William R. King Democratic-Republican/
Democratic
Alabama December 14, 1819 - April 15, 1844[1] 8889 dd
December 11, 1845 October 8, 1894 Thomas Hart Benton Democratic-Republican/
Democratic
Missouri August 10, 1821 - March 3, 1851 10797 dd
October 8, 1894 February 20, 1905 John Sherman Republican Ohio March 21, 1861 - March 8, 1877
March 4, 1881 - March 4, 1897
11675 dd
February 20, 1905 April 20, 1928 William B. Allison Republican Iowa March 4, 1873 - August 4, 1908 12936 dd
April 20, 1928 March 8, 1964 Francis E. Warren Republican Wyoming November 18, 1890 - March 3, 1893
March 4, 1895 - November 24, 1929
13519 dd
March 8, 1964 May 30, 1997 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona March 4, 1927 - January 3, 1969 15281 dd
May 30, 1997 June 10, 2006 Strom Thurmond Democratic/
Republican
South Carolina December 24, 1954 - April 4, 1956
November 7, 1956 - January 3, 2003
17325 dd
June 10, 2006 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1959 - June 28, 2010 18804 dd

House

Begin date End date Name Party State Service Length of service
March 4, 1789 March 3, 1803 George Thatcher Pro-Administration/
Federalist
Massachusetts March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1801 4381 dd
March 3, 1803 December 12, 1825 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican
North Carolina March 4, 1791 - December 13, 1815 9049 dd
December 12, 1825 March 11, 1904 Thomas Newton, Jr. Democratic-Republican Virginia March 4, 1801 - March 9, 1830
March 4, 1831 - March 3, 1833
11327 dd
March 11, 1904 November 3, 1908 John H. Ketcham Republican New York March 4, 1865 - March 3, 1873
March 4, 1877 - March 3, 1893
March 4, 1897 - November 4, 1906
12295 dd
November 3, 1908 February 28, 1959 Joseph G. Cannon Republican Illinois March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1891
March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1913
March 4, 1915 - March 3, 1923
16797 dd
February 2, 1959 July 18, 1963 Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas March 4, 1913 - November 16, 1961 17789 dd
July 18, 1963 January 5, 1992 Carl Vinson Democratic Georgia November 3, 1914 - January 3, 1965 18324 dd
January 5, 1992 February 10, 2009 Jamie L. Whitten Democratic Mississippi November 4, 1941 - January 3, 1995 19418 dd
February 10, 2009 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 21571 dd

References

  1. Also served from July 1, 1848 to December 20, 1852, but Benton surpassed his tenure in 1845.
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