The surprising primary defeat of Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Bob Garton in the May 2nd primary means that at least two of the top five longest serving legislative leaders in the United States will not be coming back next January--both from the Hoosier State. In addition to Garton, who has been in the Indiana Senate for 36 years and its leader for 26, Indiana Senate Majority Leader Joe Harrison is also not coming back after announcing his retirement. Harrison became Majority Leader in 1980 and was tied with Garton for America's second longest serving leader.
Tennessee Speaker of the Senate and Lieutenant Governor John Wilder assumed his post in 1970 and reigns as the longest serving legislative leader. If all goes as expected, Maryland Senate President Mike Miller will move up to second on the list having taken his job in 1987.
An article about Senator Garton's defeat in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette included several quotes such as this one from fellow Senator Tom Wyss "I'm heartsick. His integrity, his belief that government should be about laws and not men, his belief in rules. Bob was a great leader."
Senator Garton was a strong supporter of NCSL and actively involved with us. He'll be missed.
I know it is peculiar to comment on one's own post, but I received an e-mail asking for clarification of the phrase "longest serving leader," and the e-mail made an excellent point. I should have said the longest serving leaders who have held their positions "without interruption." In terms of total years with the same leadership title, Illinois Speaker Michael Madigan has been Speaker of the Illinois House for 21 years--since 1983. His total time in the Speaker's job is second only to Tennessee Speaker of the Senate John Wilder's 36 years in his position. Speaker Madigan's stint as Speaker was interrupted when Republicans controlled the Illinois House for a two year interregnum in the 1990s. In terms of continuous time in the same leadership position, Maryland Senator Mike Miller assumes the number two spot once the Indiana Senators officially leave legislative service at the end of this year. Speaker Madigan is second in total years in the same leadership post although not consecutively. It's a subtle but important distinction.
Posted by: Tim Storey | May 09, 2006 at 10:53 AM
Great article- If I am not mistaken, Terry Spense, Speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives was elected to taht post at the same time Milelr was elected to prside over the Maryland Senate.
Posted by: Thom Little | May 17, 2006 at 01:17 PM
Any one know where we might find a list of the nation's longest serving state legislators? Right behind our own Lt. Governor John Wilder certainly must be revered state senator Douglas Henry, elected in 1970?
Posted by: Brian Harris | May 19, 2006 at 03:53 PM
See my post, http://ncsl.typepad.com/the_thicket/2006/04/longest_serving.html#more for the longest serving legislators.
Posted by: Karl Kurtz | May 19, 2006 at 05:34 PM