Hall becomes the oldest person ever to serve in the House

[Miles]

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Congrats to the Congressman.

[Sic Semper Fascistis]

I can't believe there has never been anyone over 90 in the House before.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I can't believe there has never been anyone over 90 in the House before.

Those guys prefer the Senate.

[justfollowingtheelections]

It's kind of the hard to get re-elected every 2 years.  Hall was a southern Democrat who became a Republican at some point in the '80s to keep his seat.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

It's kind of the hard to get re-elected every 2 years.  Hall was a southern Democrat who became a Republican at some point in the '80s to keep his seat.

Hall switched parties in 2004.

[Sic Semper Fascistis]

I can't believe there has never been anyone over 90 in the House before.

Those guys prefer the Senate.

I imagined there would be quite a lot of old stale career politicians who are established enough to remain Representatives for life without being talented enough to run for Senate.

[justfollowingtheelections]

I can't believe there has never been anyone over 90 in the House before.

Those guys prefer the Senate.

I imagined there would be quite a lot of old stale career politicians who are established enough to remain Representatives for life without being talented enough to run for Senate.

I don't think it takes any talent to become a Senator   Once you get there it's kind of hard to get you out.

[Sic Semper Fascistis]

I don't think it takes any talent to become a Senator

Senator Akin would disagree with you.

[Vosem]

I can't believe there has never been anyone over 90 in the House before.

Those guys prefer the Senate.

I imagined there would be quite a lot of old stale career politicians who are established enough to remain Representatives for life without being talented enough to run for Senate.

I don't think it takes any talent to become a Senator   Once you get there it's kind of hard to get you out.

Senator Talent would also like a word on the subject of how difficult Senators are to remove.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

And yet there are 17 people who have been in office longer than he has.  John Dingell, who is 3 years younger, has served for 26 years more than Hall.

Also, Hall and I share a birthday.  So that's cool.

[Where's the Epstein Client List?]

Ralph Hall should serve as a guide to any congressman who wants to switch parties and continue to have a successful political career. He didn't go all melodramatic and make a bunch of "the party left me" speeches or overdo it as a Republican and incessantly attack his former party.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I can't believe there has never been anyone over 90 in the House before.

Those guys prefer the Senate.

I imagined there would be quite a lot of old stale career politicians who are established enough to remain Representatives for life without being talented enough to run for Senate.

I don't think it takes any talent to become a Senator   Once you get there it's kind of hard to get you out.

Senator Talent would also like a word on the subject of how difficult Senators are to remove.

And Rick Santorum

[Brittain33]

Has Hall done anything of note in the House? Other than being the most conservative Democrat for a time.

[adma]

Is there a list of "oldest serving congressmen" somewhere?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Is there a list of "oldest serving congressmen" somewhere?

Wikipedia has one, but I think it is only current members listed by age.

[adma]

Is there a list of "oldest serving congressmen" somewhere?

Wikipedia has one, but I think it is only current members listed by age.

That's why I was asking.  (And where would the hapless Roscoe Bartlett have ranked among all-timers, I wonder...)

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Is there a list of "oldest serving congressmen" somewhere?

Wikipedia has one, but I think it is only current members listed by age.

That's why I was asking.  (And where would the hapless Roscoe Bartlett have ranked among all-timers, I wonder...)

He's now the 2nd oldest member of the House (after Hall) and the 4th oldest member of the Congress (after Hall, Lautenberg and Akaka).

As of all-timers, not sure

Anyway:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_longevity_of_service

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_Senators_by_age

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives_by_age

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_oldest_living_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_100_oldest_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_oldest_United_States_Senators

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_living_United_States_Senator

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earliest_serving_United_States_Senator

[adma]

Yeah, I guess I'm a little surprised that the likes of Pepper, Natcher, Whitten etc weren't quite that old in Congress (though Pepper came close).  Then again, the matter-of-factness of it all may reflect how, in our "Betty White" era.  89 doesn't signify something as dauntingly antique as it might have even a generation ago--Ralph Hall's just another "older" Congressman, just a little older than some, I suppose.

We'll probably have more like him in the future.  Just like four of the seven-soon-to-be-six longest-lived Presidents (two of whom are still living) made it into the 21st century.

[minionofmidas]

Ralph Hall should serve as a guide to any congressman who wants to switch parties and continue to have a successful political career. He didn't go all melodramatic and make a bunch of "the party left me" speeches or overdo it as a Republican and incessantly attack his former party.

Hall didn't formalize his switch until 10 years or so after he last voted with Democrats on anything remotely relevant (besides the Speaker position that is), so he would have looked a tad hypocritical doing that.

He didn't switch until he had to - he would have lost as a Democrat in his delaymandered seat, or at least expected to. Actually, I distinctly remember a comment from I-forget-which-powerful-Texas-Republican at the time along the lines of, "alright, if Ralph Hall wants to buy one more term in the House by sitting with us, fine with me". Yeah well, turned out a little more than one term.