Longest-serving U.S. Senators

When Senator Edward Kennedy passed away on August 25, one of the longest tenures in the United States Senate came to an end.

Kennedy joined the Senate on Nov. 7, 1962. He remained part of that body for the remainder of his life, 46 years and 293 days.

Here’s a list of the longest-serving Senators in history as of the day of Kennedy’s death:

1. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV): January 3, 1959-present — 50 years, 235 days
2. Strom Thurmond (R-SC): Dec 24, 1954 to Apr 4, 1956 and Nov 7, 1956 to Jan 3, 2003 — 47 years, 159 days
3. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA): Nov 7, 1962 to Aug. 25, 2008 — 46 years, 293 days
4. Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI): Jan 3, 1963 to present — 46 years, 235 days
5. Carl T. Hayden (D-AZ): Mar 4, 1927 to Jan 3, 1969 — 41 years, 305 days
6. John Stennis (D-MS): Nov 5, 1947 to Jan 3, 1989 — 41 years, 59 days
7. Ted Stevens (R-AK): Dec 24, 1968 to Jan 3, 2009 — 40 years, 10 days
8. Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC): Nov 9, 1966 to Jan 3, 2005 — 38 years, 55 days
9. Richard B. Russell (D-GA): Jan 3, 1933 to Jan 21, 1971 — 38 years, 9 days
10. Russell Long (D-LA): Dec 31, 1948 to Jan 3, 1987 — 38 years, 3 days

Source: senate.gov

Advertisement