Longest Serving Senators

With the death of Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, it’s interesting to note that he was the third longest serving senator. It’s also interesting to note that the two serving longer are both recent senators, one still serving.

Robert Byrd of West Virginia is still serving. He joined the senate in 1959 and has been serving for over 50 years.

Strom Thurmond of South Carolina served in the senate for almost 47 1/2 years, serving until January, 2003. He was 100 years old when he retired. He died later that year.

Ted Kennedy became a senator in 1962 and had been a senator for just under 47 years.

Here are more facts about the current senate, including each senator’s first year in office.

Longest-Serving Senators

I read frequently that Ted Stevens had been the longest continuously serving Republican Senator in history. So for now, who is the oldest and longest running of each party?

Stevens served from 12/24/68 to 1/3/09, for a total of just over 40 years.

At this point, there are three Democratic Senators that have served longer than that. Robert Byrd of West Virginia has served longest, since 1959. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts has served since 1962 and Daniel Inouye of Hawaii has served since 1963. The longest-serving Republican Senator currently in office is Dick Lugar from Indiana, who has served since 1977.

The oldest Senator is Robert Byrd, born in 1917, over 90 years old. The oldest Republican is the fifth oldest Senator. That’s Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, born in 1930.

Here’s a link to more information about the current Senate. And here’s a link for other useful lists on a variety of topics.