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

This is a list of United States congresspeople 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 Senate and House Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of serviceMarch 4, 1789March 3, 1807John BrownAnti-Administration/Democratic-RepublicanVirginia/KentuckyMarch 4, 1789 – March 3, 1805 (S, H)5,842 ddMarch 3, 1807November 13, 1892Nathaniel MaconAnti-Administration/Democratic-RepublicanNorth CarolinaMarch 4, 1791 – November 14, 1828 (S, H)13,769 ddNovember 13, 1892December 28, 1950Justin Smith MorrillWhig/RepublicanVermontMarch 4, 1855 – December 28, 1898 (S, H)16,005 ddDecember 28, 1950October 24, 1957Adolph J. SabathDemocraticIllinoisMarch 4, 1907 – November 6, 1952 (H)16,684 ddOctober 24, 1957November 18, 2009Carl HaydenDemocraticArizonaFebruary 19, 1912 – January 3, 1969 (S, H)20,773 ddNovember 18, 2009June 6, 2013Robert ByrdDemocraticWest VirginiaJanuary 3, 1953 – June 28, 2010 (S, H)20,995 ddJune 6, 2013John DingellDemocraticMichiganDecember 13, 1955 – January 3, 2015 (H)21,571 dd

Senate Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of serviceMarch 4, 1789June 6, 1802James GunnAnti-Administration/FederalistGeorgiaMarch 4, 1789 – March 3, 18014,381 ddJohn LangdonPro-Administration/Anti-Administration/Democratic-RepublicanNew HampshireJune 6, 1802December 6, 1808Theodore FosterPro-Administration/Federalist/Democratic-RepublicanRhode IslandJune 7, 1790 – March 3, 18034,651 ddDecember 6, 1808December 25, 1811James HillhouseFederalistConnecticutMarch 12, 1796 – June 10, 18105,202 ddDecember 25, 1811May 12, 1822Joseph AndersonDemocratic-RepublicanTennesseeSeptember 26, 1797 – March 3, 18156,366 ddMay 12, 1822March 5, 1841John GaillardDemocratic-RepublicanSouth CarolinaDecember 6, 1804 – February 26, 18267,752 ddMarch 5, 1841December 11, 1845William R. KingDemocratic-Republican/DemocraticAlabamaDecember 14, 1819 – April 15, 18448,889 ddDecember 11, 1845September 24, 1896Thomas Hart BentonDemocratic-Republican/DemocraticMissouriAugust 10, 1821 – March 3, 185110,797 ddSeptember 24, 1896December 29, 1904Justin Smith MorrillWhig/RepublicanVermontMarch 4, 1867 – December 28, 189811,622 ddDecember 29, 1904August 3, 1944William B. AllisonRepublicanIowaMarch 4, 1873 – August 4, 190812,936 ddAugust 3, 1944November 17, 1952Ellison D. SmithDemocraticSouth CarolinaMarch 4, 1909 – November 17, 194413,042 ddNovember 17, 1952January 3, 1963Kenneth McKellarDemocraticTennesseeMarch 4, 1917 – January 3, 195313,089 ddJanuary 3, 1963September 9, 1998Carl HaydenDemocraticArizonaMarch 4, 1927 – January 3, 196915,281 ddSeptember 9, 1998February 28, 2005Strom ThurmondDemocratic/RepublicanSouth CarolinaNovember 7, 1956 – January 3, 200316,858 ddFebruary 28, 2005Robert ByrdDemocraticWest VirginiaJanuary 3, 1959 – June 28, 201018,804 dd

House Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of serviceMarch 4, 1789March 3, 1803George ThatcherPro-Administration/FederalistMassachusettsMarch 4, 1789 – March 3, 18014,381 ddMarch 3, 1803December 12, 1825Nathaniel MaconAnti-Administration/Democratic-RepublicanNorth CarolinaMarch 4, 1791 – December 13, 18159,049 ddDecember 12, 1825March 9, 1908Thomas Newton, Jr.Democratic-RepublicanVirginiaMarch 4, 1801 – March 9, 183010,597 ddMarch 9, 1908March 21, 1940Henry H. BinghamRepublicanPennsylvaniaMarch 4, 1879 – March 22, 191212,071 ddMarch 21, 1940October 24, 1957Adolph J. SabathDemocraticIllinoisMarch 4, 1907 – November 6, 195216,684 ddOctober 24, 1957July 18, 1963Sam RayburnDemocraticTexasMarch 4, 1913 – November 16, 196117,789 ddJuly 18, 1963January 5, 1992Carl VinsonDemocraticGeorgiaNovember 3, 1914 – January 3, 196518,324 ddJanuary 5, 1992February 10, 2009Jamie L. WhittenDemocraticMississippiNovember 4, 1941 – January 3, 199519,418 ddFebruary 10, 2009John DingellDemocraticMichiganDecember 13, 1955 – January 3, 201521,571 dd

Interrupted time Senate and House Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of serviceMarch 4, 1789March 3, 1807John BrownAnti-Administration/Democratic-RepublicanVirginia/KentuckyMarch 4, 1789 – March 3, 1805 (S, H)5,842 ddMarch 3, 1807October 15, 1831Nathaniel MaconAnti-Administration/Democratic-RepublicanNorth CarolinaMarch 4, 1791 – November 14, 1828 (S, H)13,769 ddOctober 15, 1831April 2, 1894Samuel SmithAnti-Administration/Democratic-RepublicanMarylandMarch 4, 1793 – March 3, 1815 January 31, 1816 – March 3, 1833 (S, H)14,274 ddApril 2, 1894December 31, 1920Justin Smith MorrillWhig/RepublicanVermontMarch 4, 1855 – December 28, 1898 (S, H)16,005 ddDecember 31, 1920February 14, 1958Joseph G. CannonRepublicanIllinoisMarch 4, 1873 – March 3, 1891 March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1913 March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923 (H)16,797 ddFebruary 14, 1958November 18, 2009Carl HaydenDemocraticArizonaFebruary 19, 1912 – January 3, 1969 (S, H)20,773 ddNovember 18, 2009June 6, 2013Robert ByrdDemocraticWest VirginiaJanuary 3, 1953 – June 28, 2010 (S, H)20,995 ddJune 6, 2013John DingellDemocraticMichiganDecember 13, 1955 – January 3, 2015 (H)21,571 dd

Senate Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of serviceMarch 4, 1789June 6, 1802James GunnAnti-Administration/FederalistGeorgiaMarch 4, 1789 – March 3, 18014,381 ddJohn LangdonPro-Administration/Anti-Administration/Democratic-RepublicanNew HampshireJune 6, 1802December 6, 1808Theodore FosterPro-Administration/Federalist/Democratic-RepublicanRhode IslandJune 7, 1790 – March 3, 18034,651 ddDecember 6, 1808December 25, 1811James HillhouseFederalistConnecticutMarch 12, 1796 – June 10, 18105,202 ddDecember 25, 1811May 12, 1822Joseph AndersonDemocratic-RepublicanTennesseeSeptember 26, 1797 – March 3, 18156,366 ddMay 12, 1822March 8, 1832John GaillardDemocratic-RepublicanSouth CarolinaDecember 6, 1804 – February 26, 18267,752 ddMarch 8, 1832February 28, 1842Samuel SmithDemocratic-RepublicanMarylandMarch 4, 1803 – March 3, 1815December 16, 1822 – March 3, 18338,112 ddFebruary 28, 1842December 11, 1845William R. KingDemocratic-Republican/DemocraticAlabamaDecember 14, 1819 – April 15, 1844Also served from July 1, 1848 to December 20, 1852, but Benton surpassed his tenure in 1845.8,889 ddDecember 11, 1845October 8, 1894Thomas Hart BentonDemocratic-Republican/DemocraticMissouriAugust 10, 1821 – March 3, 185110,797 ddOctober 8, 1894February 20, 1905John ShermanRepublicanOhioMarch 21, 1861 – March 8, 1877March 4, 1881 – March 4, 189711,675 ddFebruary 20, 1905April 20, 1928William B. AllisonRepublicanIowaMarch 4, 1873 – August 4, 190812,936 ddApril 20, 1928March 8, 1964Francis E. WarrenRepublicanWyomingNovember 18, 1890 – March 3, 1893March 4, 1895 – November 24, 192913,519 ddMarch 8, 1964May 30, 1997Carl HaydenDemocraticArizonaMarch 4, 1927 – January 3, 196915,281 ddMay 30, 1997June 10, 2006Strom ThurmondDemocratic/RepublicanSouth CarolinaDecember 24, 1954 – April 4, 1956November 7, 1956 – January 3, 200317,325 ddJune 10, 2006Robert ByrdDemocraticWest VirginiaJanuary 3, 1959 – June 28, 201018,804 dd

House Begin dateEnd dateNamePartyStateServiceLength of serviceMarch 4, 1789March 3, 1803George ThatcherPro-Administration/FederalistMassachusettsMarch 4, 1789 – March 3, 18014,381 ddMarch 3, 1803December 12, 1825Nathaniel MaconAnti-Administration/Democratic-RepublicanNorth CarolinaMarch 4, 1791 – December 13, 18159,049 ddDecember 12, 1825March 11, 1904Thomas Newton, Jr.Democratic-RepublicanVirginiaMarch 4, 1801 – March 9, 1830March 4, 1831 – March 3, 183311,327 ddMarch 11, 1904November 3, 1908John H. KetchamRepublicanNew YorkMarch 4, 1865 – March 3, 1873March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1893March 4, 1897 – November 4, 190612,295 ddNovember 3, 1908February 28, 1959Joseph G. CannonRepublicanIllinoisMarch 4, 1873 – March 3, 1891 March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1913 March 4, 1915 – March 3, 192316,797 ddFebruary 28, 1959July 18, 1963Sam RayburnDemocraticTexasMarch 4, 1913 – November 16, 196117,789 ddJuly 18, 1963January 5, 1992Carl VinsonDemocraticGeorgiaNovember 3, 1914 – January 3, 196518,324 ddJanuary 5, 1992February 10, 2009Jamie L. WhittenDemocraticMississippiNovember 4, 1941 – January 3, 199519,418 ddFebruary 10, 2009John DingellDemocraticMichiganDecember 13, 1955 – January 3, 201521,571 dd

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