One family has served in Congress continuously since 1933.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this distinction belongs to the members of the Bush or Kennedy clans, but it’s actually claimed by the lesser-known Dingell family, which has served southeast Michigan for 90 years and counting.

The political dynasty began with the election of Democrat John Dingell Sr. from Michigan’s 15th District in 1932. Along with co-authoring legislation that led to the Social Security Act of 1935, the paterfamilias was best known for introducing a national health insurance bill before his death in 1955. John Dingell Jr. picked up the fight after winning a special election to fill his father’s seat, notching a victory with the passage of the Medicare and Medicaid Act in 1965. He went on to craft a legacy that dwarfed that of John Sr. and nearly all of his colleagues, by way of his longtime chairmanship of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. He retired in 2015 after a record 59 years in the House.

A woman was elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives before women were allowed to vote.

fact

FIB

Ready to reveal?

Confirm your email to play the next question?

sign up!

Please enter valid email.

Sign up

Oops, incorrect!

It's a fact

Jeannette Rankin of Montana was the first woman elected to Congress, in November 1916, nearly four years before the August 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment. Reelected in 1940, she became the only member of Congress to vote against entering both World War I and II.

The seat was then won by his wife, Debbie, who set about making her own mark as a sponsor of environmental and health care legislation. Debbie represented the 12th District from 2015 to 2023 and has served the 12th District since 2023. She could keep the lineage going, though she’ll likely need help from a yet-to-be-determined successor if the Dingells hope to push past the century mark as representatives of the Great Lakes State. 

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Email