EVERYONE WILL HAVE heard by now that Michigan Democrat John Dingell today became the longest serving member of Congress. (If not, one can easily catch up: see The Washington Post, National Journal, and Roll Call’s career in photos). Yet how many know who ranks behind him? Here are the top ten longest-serving members of Congress by length of service. The final column indicates their reason for leaving.
What unites these men? Firstly, they’re all just that: men. Secondly, they were all elected in the 20th century. And lastly, they’re all Democrats. Less strikingly, the two left serving are both from Michigan.
| John Dingell (D-Mich.) |  |
57 years, 176 days | Still serving |
| Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) |  |
57 years, 176 days | Died |
| Carl Hayden (D-Ariz.) |  |
56 years, 319 days | Retired |
| Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) |  |
53 years, 118 days | Died |
| Jamie L. Whitten (D-Miss.) |  |
53 years, 60 days | Retired |
| Carl Vinson (D-Ga.) |  |
50 years, 61 days | Retired |
| Emanuel Celler (D-N.Y.) |  |
49 years, 305 days | Lost election |
| Sam Rayburn (D-Texas) |  |
48 years, 257 days | Died |
| John Conyers (D-Mich.) |  |
48 years, 155 days | Still serving |
| Sidney R. Yates (D-Ill.) |  |
48 years, 0 days | Retired |
