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

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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) 5,842 dd
March 3, 1807 November 13, 1892 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		North Carolina March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (H, S) 13,769 dd
November 13, 1892 December 28, 1950 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/Republican Vermont March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (H, S) 16,005 dd
December 28, 1950 October 24, 1957 Adolph J. Sabath Democratic Illinois March 4, 1907 - November 6, 1952 (H) 16,684 dd
October 24, 1957 November 18, 2009 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (H, S) 20,773 dd
November 18, 2009 June 6, 2013 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1953 - June 28, 2010 (H, S) 20,995 dd
June 6, 2013 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 (H) 21,571 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 4,381 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 4,651 dd
December 6, 1808 December 25, 1811 James Hillhouse Federalist Connecticut March 12, 1796 - June 10, 1810 5,202 dd
December 25, 1811 May 12, 1822 Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican Tennessee September 26, 1797 - March 3, 1815 6,366 dd
May 12, 1822 March 5, 1841 John Gaillard Democratic-Republican South Carolina December 6, 1804 - February 26, 1826 7,752 dd
March 5, 1841 December 11, 1845 William R. King Democratic-Republican/
Democratic 		Alabama December 14, 1819 - April 15, 1844 8,889 dd
December 11, 1845 September 24, 1896 Thomas Hart Benton Democratic-Republican/
Democratic 		Missouri August 10, 1821 - March 3, 1851 10,797 dd
September 24, 1896 December 29, 1904 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/
Republican 		Vermont March 4, 1867 - December 28, 1898 11,622 dd
December 29, 1904 August 3, 1944 William B. Allison Republican Iowa March 4, 1873 - August 4, 1908 12,936 dd
August 3, 1944 November 17, 1952 Ellison D. Smith Democratic South Carolina March 4, 1909 - November 17, 1944 13,042 dd
November 17, 1952 January 3, 1963 Kenneth McKellar Democratic Tennessee March 4, 1917 - January 3, 1953 13,089 dd
January 3, 1963 September 9, 1998 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona March 4, 1927 - January 3, 1969 15,281 dd
September 9, 1998 February 28, 2005 Strom Thurmond Democratic/
Republican 		South Carolina November 7, 1956 - January 3, 2003 16,858 dd
February 28, 2005 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1959 - June 28, 2010 18,804 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 4,381 dd
March 3, 1803 December 12, 1825 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		North Carolina March 4, 1791 - December 13, 1815 9,049 dd
December 12, 1825 March 9, 1908 Thomas Newton, Jr. Democratic-Republican Virginia March 4, 1801 - March 9, 1830 10,597 dd
March 9, 1908 March 21, 1940 Henry H. Bingham Republican Pennsylvania March 4, 1879 - March 22, 1912 12,071 dd
March 21, 1940 October 24, 1957 Adolph J. Sabath Democratic Illinois March 4, 1907 - November 6, 1952 16,684 dd
October 24, 1957 July 18, 1963 Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas March 4, 1913 - November 16, 1961 17,789 dd
July 18, 1963 January 5, 1992 Carl Vinson Democratic Georgia November 3, 1914 - January 3, 1965 18,324 dd
January 5, 1992 February 10, 2009 Jamie L. Whitten Democratic Mississippi November 4, 1941 - January 3, 1995 19,418 dd
February 10, 2009 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 21,571 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) 5,842 dd
March 3, 1807 October 15, 1831 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		North Carolina March 4, 1791 - November 14, 1828 (H, S) 13,769 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) 		14,274 dd
April 2, 1894 December 31, 1920 Justin Smith Morrill Whig/Republican Vermont March 4, 1855 - December 28, 1898 (H, S) 16,005 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) 		16,797 dd
February 14, 1958 November 18, 2009 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona February 19, 1912 - January 3, 1969 (H, S) 20,773 dd
November 18, 2009 June 6, 2013 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1953 - June 28, 2010 (H, S) 20,995 dd
June 6, 2013 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 (H) 21,571 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 4,381 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 4,651 dd
December 6, 1808 December 25, 1811 James Hillhouse Federalist Connecticut March 12, 1796 - June 10, 1810 5,202 dd
December 25, 1811 May 12, 1822 Joseph Anderson Democratic-Republican Tennessee September 26, 1797 - March 3, 1815 6,366 dd
May 12, 1822 March 8, 1832 John Gaillard Democratic-Republican South Carolina December 6, 1804 - February 26, 1826 7,752 dd
March 8, 1832 February 28, 1842 Samuel Smith Democratic-Republican Maryland March 4, 1803 - March 3, 1815
December 16, 1822 - March 3, 1833 		8,112 dd
February 28, 1842 December 11, 1845 William R. King Democratic-Republican/
Democratic 		Alabama December 14, 1819 - April 15, 1844[1] 8,889 dd
December 11, 1845 October 8, 1894 Thomas Hart Benton Democratic-Republican/
Democratic 		Missouri August 10, 1821 - March 3, 1851 10,797 dd
October 8, 1894 February 20, 1905 John Sherman Republican Ohio March 21, 1861 - March 8, 1877
March 4, 1881 - March 4, 1897 		11,675 dd
February 20, 1905 April 20, 1928 William B. Allison Republican Iowa March 4, 1873 - August 4, 1908 12,936 dd
April 20, 1928 March 8, 1964 Francis E. Warren Republican Wyoming November 18, 1890 - March 3, 1893
March 4, 1895 - November 24, 1929 		13,519 dd
March 8, 1964 May 30, 1997 Carl Hayden Democratic Arizona March 4, 1927 - January 3, 1969 15,281 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 		17,325 dd
June 10, 2006 Robert Byrd Democratic West Virginia January 3, 1959 - June 28, 2010 18,804 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 4,381 dd
March 3, 1803 December 12, 1825 Nathaniel Macon Anti-Administration/
Democratic-Republican 		North Carolina March 4, 1791 - December 13, 1815 9,049 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 		11,327 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 		12,295 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 		16,797 dd
February 28, 1959 July 18, 1963 Sam Rayburn Democratic Texas March 4, 1913 - November 16, 1961 17,789 dd
July 18, 1963 January 5, 1992 Carl Vinson Democratic Georgia November 3, 1914 - January 3, 1965 18,324 dd
January 5, 1992 February 10, 2009 Jamie L. Whitten Democratic Mississippi November 4, 1941 - January 3, 1995 19,418 dd
February 10, 2009 John Dingell Democratic Michigan December 13, 1955 - January 3, 2015 21,571 dd

References[]

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