Congressional Lifers? Not So Fast.

The data behind how long lawmakers serve in Congress.

If you listen to the average political conversation, you’d think every member of Congress is a career politician who never leaves. The image of lawmakers clinging to their seats well past their prime—think Sen. Mitch McConnell’s high-profile freezing episodes or Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s declining health before her passing—fuels the belief that Congress is full of lifers who serve for decades on end.

But the data—provided by my friends at Quorum—tells a different story.

A look at the actual tenure of members of Congress reveals that only a minority serve for truly extended periods. While the longest-serving lawmakers tend to grab headlines, the majority of members don’t stick around for decades.

Tenures for Members of Congress. Data provided by Quorum.

A Lot of Members Are Freshies

Despite what it may feel like, about 16% of members have been in office for just two years or less (14% of Senators, 16.2% of Representatives). That’s nearly one in six members of Congress still in the early stages of their legislative careers. With each election, a fresh wave of lawmakers enters, making Congress far more dynamic than many assume.

Need more convincing? One quarter of the House and over one-third of the Senate have been in their jobs five or fewer years. As one Representative told me, “It took me longer than that to find the bathroom around here, let alone get good at the job.”

Only a Small Group Are True Lifers

At the other extreme of the tenure spectrum, just over 12% of members have served for more than 20 years (17 Senators and 49 Representatives). While figures like Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Hal Rogers—both in office since 1981—stand out, they are part of a small group, not the norm.

The Reality of Congressional Tenure

The average tenure for a current member of Congress? About 10.7 years. The median tenure—where half of members serve longer and half serve shorter—is just 8 years.

And if you're looking for a clearer break between the House and Senate:

• 54% of sitting U.S. Senators have served 12 years or less—which is just two terms.

• Nearly 72% of U.S. Representatives have served 12 years or less—or six House terms.

The numbers show that Congress is far from an entrenched institution where members hold onto their seats indefinitely.

What This Means for Congress

Yes, some members stay in power long after they’ve lost their fastballs. And the dangers of lawmakers holding onto power past their ability to serve effectively are real. But it’s also true that most members don’t last as long as the high-profile exceptions suggest. Congress is constantly changing—just not always as dramatically as some might hope.