Longest-Serving Members of the U.S. Congress (accurate as of September 11, 2019)
Overall
1. Carl Hayden (D-AZ) : 56 years, 319 days [H: 1912-1927, S: 1927-1969]
2. Joseph Furman (R-TX) : 56 years, 107 days [H: 1953-1967, S: 1967-2009]
3. Arthur Carney (D-OR) : 50 years, 248 days [H: 1969-]
4. Harry Wade (D-CA): 50 years, 115 days [H: 1968-2019]
5. Carl Vinson (D-GA): 50 years, 61 days [H: 1914-1965]
6. Jack Wooden (R-OK): 50 years, 0 days [H: 1969-2019]
7. Emanuel Celler (D-NY): 49 years, 305 days [H: 1923-1973]
8. Sam Rayburn (D-TX): 48 years, 257 days [H: 1913-1961]
9. Mark Richardson (D-NY): 48 years, 27 days [H: 1971-2019]
10t. Robert Miner (R-AR): 48 years, 0 days [S: 1967-2015]
Arthur Short (R-PA): 48 years, 0 days [H: 1953-2001]
Senate
1. Robert Miner (R-AR): 48 years, 0 days [served: 1967-2015]
2. Bill Glomer (R-IA): 46 years, 0 days [served: 1951-1997]
3. Joseph Furman (R-TX): 42 years, 107 days [served: 1967-2009]
4. Sean Bruce (D-AK): 42 years, 0 days [served: 1969-2011]
5. Carl Hayden (D-AR): 41 years, 305 days [served: 1927-1969]
6. Jesse Calhoun (D/R-SC): 41 years, 174 days [served: 1948-1989]
7. John Stennis (D-MS): 41 years, 58 days [served: 1947-1989]
8. Patrick Little (D-DE): 40 years, 33 days [served: 1955-1986]
9t. Clark Gibson (R-ID): 38 years, 248 days [served: 1981-]
Samuel Wilkinson (R-KS): 38 years, 248 days [served: 1981-]
House of Representatives
1. Arthur Carney (D-OR): 50 years, 248 days [served: 1969-]
2. Harry Wade (D-CA): 50 years, 115 days [served: 1968-2019]
3. Carl Vinson (D-GA): 50 years, 61 days [served: 1914-1965]
4. Jack Wooden (R-OK): 50 years, 0 days [served: 1969-2019]
5. Emanuel Celler (D-NY): 49 years, 305 days [served: 1923-1973]
6. Sam Rayburn (D-TX): 48 years, 257 days [served: 1913-1961]
7. Mark Richardson (D-NY): 48 years, 27 days [served: 1971-2019]
8. Arthur Short (R-PA): 48 years, 0 days [served: 1953-2001]
9. Wright Patman (D-TX): 47 years, 3 days [served: 1929-1976]
10t. Thom Grunder (D-MN): 46 years, 248 days [served: 1973-]
Clay Richmond (D-MO): 46 years, 248 days [served: 1973-]
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OOC: Did this list the other day and want to get it off my sketchpad before work and travelling get in the way.
As you can tell, most of the list are TWW characters, although Carl Hayden remains the longest-serving member of Congress ever and isn't likely to be caught anytime soon. The person with the second-most time IOTL (Robert Byrd) was name-dropped in the old thread, but he was retired by a TWW character in the mid-90s, thus missing out on a spot on the list.
Jesse Calhoun wasn't established as being a Democrat originally, but I figured that since he was established as having begun his term in 1940s South Carolina (where Democrats would regularly win >90% of the vote in statewide races), he would have begun his career as a Dixiecrat before joining the Republicans like so many southern conservative Democrats of his generation.
Of the serving members of Congress who are the longest-serving who aren't listed:
- Overall: Grunder, Richmond and William Wiley (D-WA, congressman from 1973 to 1983 and senator since then) are at 46 years, 248 days. They'll all pass Miner and Short if they're in Congress on January 4, 2021.
- Senate: Wiley's two years behind Gibson and Wilkinson at 36 years, 248 days. Assuming both of the latter stay in the Senate and pass Little, Wiley will break the top ten if he makes it to February 6, 2023.
- House: Patrick Quinton (R-TX), the longest-serving Republican. Assuming that Grunder and Richmond stay in the House, Quinton will overtake fellow Texan Wright Patman for tenth on the list of longest career in the House on January 7, 2022.