Special Report
These 44 Republicans Have Made a Career Out of Serving in the House of Representatives
Published:
Last Updated:
Few elected officials at the federal level have as limited job security as members of the House of Representatives. Unlike their counterparts in the Senate, who are up for reelection every six years, House members must be voted in by their district every two years. Facing such frequent reckoning, holding office for more than six years is a feat most of the 437 sitting U.S. Congressional Representatives have not achieved.
There are many lawmakers who have managed to defy the odds and win the approval of their constituents election after election. By reviewing the term history of each sitting member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 24/7 Wall St. identified the Republican Reps. who have served the most consecutive and non consecutive terms. There are currently 44 GOP lawmakers who have spent more than 10 calendar years in office.
Click here to see the longest-serving Republicans in the U.S. House.
Click here to see the longest-serving Democrats in the U.S. House.
Job security on Capitol Hill appears to be a product of popularity for many representatives. Lawmakers who represent the interests of the majority of their constituents are more likely to win reelections. The Republicans on this list have not only won elections in the past, but the majority also claimed decisive victories in the 2020 election, winning their seat by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.
Of course, a representative’s reason for leaving office is not limited to losing an election. House members may decide to end their career in public service and move to the private sector, or simply retire. Others choose to run for other public offices, like the Senate, or accept appointments to positions in the executive branch. Here is a list of the 48 people who became vice president.
44. Rep. Tom Reed
> Period of service: 11 years (2010-present)
> Current constituency: New York’s 23rd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 57.7% of the vote (16.6 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: 127th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad]
43. Rep. Brett Guthrie
> Period of service: 12 years – tied (2009-present)
> Current constituency: Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 71.0% of the vote (44.7 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 112th longest serving Rep. of either party
24/7 Wall St.
42. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer
> Period of service: 12 years – tied (2009-present)
> Current constituency: Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 69.4% of the vote (40.9 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 112th longest serving Rep. of either party
41. Rep. Tom McClintock
> Period of service: 12 years – tied (2009-present)
> Current constituency: California’s 4th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 55.9% of the vote (11.9 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 112th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad-2]
40. Rep. Bill Posey
> Period of service: 12 years – tied (2009-present)
> Current constituency: Florida’s 8th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 61.4% of the vote (22.7 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 112th longest serving Rep. of either party
39. Rep. Glenn Thompson
> Period of service: 12 years – tied (2009-present)
> Current constituency: Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 73.5% of the vote (46.9 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 112th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad]
38. Rep. Tim Walberg
> Period of service: 12 years – tied (2007-2009; 2011-present)
> Current constituency: Michigan’s 7th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 58.8% of the vote (17.5 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 112th longest serving Rep. of either party
24/7 Wall St.
37. Rep. Steve Scalise
> Period of service: 13 years (2008-present)
> Current constituency: Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 72.2% of the vote (46.9 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: 108th longest serving Rep. of either party
36. Rep. Jim Jordan
> Period of service: 14 years – tied (2007-present)
> Current constituency: Ohio’s 4th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 67.9% of the vote (38.5 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 90th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad-2]
35. Rep. Doug Lamborn
> Period of service: 14 years – tied (2007-present)
> Current constituency: Colorado’s 5th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 57.6% of the vote (20.2 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 90th longest serving Rep. of either party
34. Rep. Robert E. Latta
> Period of service: 14 years – tied (2007-present)
> Current constituency: Ohio’s 5th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 68.0% of the vote (36.0 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 90th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad]
33. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis
> Period of service: 14 years – tied (2007-present)
> Current constituency: Florida’s 12th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 62.9% of the vote (25.8 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 90th longest serving Rep. of either party
24/7 Wall St.
32. Rep. Kevin McCarthy
> Period of service: 14 years – tied (2007-present)
> Current constituency: California’s 23rd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 62.1% of the vote (24.3 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 90th longest serving Rep. of either party
31. Rep. Adrian Smith
> Period of service: 14 years – tied (2007-present)
> Current constituency: Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 78.5% of the vote (60.8 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 90th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad-2]
30. Rep. Vern Buchanan
> Period of service: 14 years – tied (2007-present)
> Current constituency: Florida’s 16th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 55.5% of the vote (11.0 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 90th longest serving Rep. of either party
29. Rep. Robert J. Wittman
> Period of service: 14 years – tied (2007-present)
> Current constituency: Virginia’s 1st Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 58.1% of the vote (16.4 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 90th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad]
28. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry
> Period of service: 16 years – tied (2005-present)
> Current constituency: Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 59.5% of the vote (21.9 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 75th longest serving Rep. of either party
24/7 Wall St.
27. Rep. Virginia Foxx
> Period of service: 16 years – tied (2005-present)
> Current constituency: North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 66.9% of the vote (35.8 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 75th longest serving Rep. of either party
26. Rep. Louie Gohmert
> Period of service: 16 years – tied (2005-present)
> Current constituency: Texas’ 1st Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 72.6% of the vote (45.2 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 75th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad-2]
25. Rep. Michael T. McCaul
> Period of service: 16 years – tied (2005-present)
> Current constituency: Texas’ 10th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 52.5% of the vote (7.1 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 75th longest serving Rep. of either party
24. Rep. Patrick T. McHenry
> Period of service: 16 years – tied (2005-present)
> Current constituency: North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 68.9% of the vote (37.8 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 75th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad]
23. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers
> Period of service: 16 years – tied (2005-present)
> Current constituency: Washington’s 5th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 61.3% of the vote (22.8 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 75th longest serving Rep. of either party
24/7 Wall St.
22. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart
> Period of service: 18 years – tied (2003-present)
> Current constituency: Florida’s 25th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 0.0% of the vote (0.0 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 61st longest serving Rep. of either party
21. Rep. Darrell E. Issa
> Period of service: 18 years – tied (2001-2019; 2021-present)
> Current constituency: California’s 50th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 54.0% of the vote (7.9 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 61st longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad-2]
20. Rep. Devin Nunes
> Period of service: 18 years – tied (2003-present)
> Current constituency: California’s 22nd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 54.2% of the vote (8.5 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 61st longest serving Rep. of either party
19. Rep. Mike D. Rogers
> Period of service: 18 years – tied (2003-present)
> Current constituency: Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 67.5% of the vote (35.0 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 61st longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad]
18. Rep. Michael R. Turner
> Period of service: 18 years – tied (2003-present)
> Current constituency: Ohio’s 10th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 58.4% of the vote (16.7 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 61st longest serving Rep. of either party
24/7 Wall St.
17. Rep. Michael C. Burgess
> Period of service: 18 years – tied (2003-present)
> Current constituency: Texas’ 26th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 60.6% of the vote (23.3 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 61st longest serving Rep. of either party
16. Rep. John R. Carter
> Period of service: 18 years – tied (2003-present)
> Current constituency: Texas’ 31st Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 53.4% of the vote (9.1 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 61st longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad-2]
15. Rep. Tom Cole
> Period of service: 18 years – tied (2003-present)
> Current constituency: Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 67.8% of the vote (39.0 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 61st longest serving Rep. of either party
14. Rep. Sam Graves
> Period of service: 20 years – tied (2001-present)
> Current constituency: Missouri’s 6th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 67.1% of the vote (36.2 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 54th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad]
13. Rep. Joe Wilson
> Period of service: 20 years – tied (2001-present)
> Current constituency: South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 55.7% of the vote (13.1 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 54th longest serving Rep. of either party
24/7 Wall St.
12. Rep. Pete Sessions
> Period of service: 22 years – tied (1997-2019; 2021-present)
> Current constituency: Texas’ 17th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 55.9% of the vote (14.9 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 48th longest serving Rep. of either party
11. Rep. Michael K. Simpson
> Period of service: 22 years – tied (1999-present)
> Current constituency: Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 64.1% of the vote (32.3 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 48th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad-2]
10. Rep. Kay Granger
> Period of service: 24 years – tied (1997-present)
> Current constituency: Texas’ 12th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 63.7% of the vote (30.7 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 35th longest serving Rep. of either party
9. Rep. Robert B. Aderholt
> Period of service: 24 years – tied (1997-present)
> Current constituency: Alabama’s 4th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 82.2% of the vote (64.6 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 35th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad]
8. Rep. Kevin Brady
> Period of service: 24 years – tied (1997-present)
> Current constituency: Texas’ 8th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 72.5% of the vote (47.0 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 35th longest serving Rep. of either party
7. Rep. Steve Chabot
> Period of service: 24 years – tied (1995-2009; 2011-present)
> Current constituency: Ohio’s 1st Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 51.8% of the vote (7.2 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 35th longest serving Rep. of either party
6. Rep. Frank D. Lucas
> Period of service: 28 years – tied (1993-present)
> Current constituency: Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 78.5% of the vote (57.0 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 17th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad-2]
5. Rep. Ken Calvert
> Period of service: 28 years – tied (1993-present)
> Current constituency: California’s 42nd Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 57.1% of the vote (14.3 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 17th longest serving Rep. of either party
4. Rep. Fred Upton
> Period of service: 34 years (1987-present)
> Current constituency: Michigan’s 6th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 55.8% of the vote (15.7 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 6th longest serving Rep. of either party
[in-text-ad]
3. Rep. Harold Rogers
> Period of service: 40 years – tied (1981-present)
> Current constituency: Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 84.2% of the vote (68.4 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 2nd longest serving Rep. of either party
2. Rep. Christopher H. Smith
> Period of service: 40 years – tied (1981-present)
> Current constituency: New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District
> Victory in 2020 election: 59.9% of the vote (21.6 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – 2nd longest serving Rep. of either party
1. Rep. Don Young
> Period of service: 48 years (1973-present)
> Current constituency: Alaska at large
> Victory in 2020 election: 54.4% of the vote (9.1 ppt more than runner-up)
> Tenure rank of all sitting Reps.: tied – the longest serving Rep. of either party
Take This Retirement Quiz To Get Matched With An Advisor Now (Sponsored)
Are you ready for retirement? Planning for retirement can be overwhelming, that’s why it could be a good idea to speak to a fiduciary financial advisor about your goals today.
Start by taking this retirement quiz right here from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes. Smart Asset is now matching over 50,000 people a month.
Click here now to get started.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.