By Christopher Klaver
CIO
Posted: December 6, 2017 2:08 PM

Reasons aside, former U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. and U.S. Rep. Sander Levin take with them not only decades of experience, but also much of Michigan’s influence in a body where seniority weighs heavily.

Mr. Conyers (D-Detroit), when he resigned Tuesday, had nearly 53 years in Congress, making him the senior member of the body by nearly 10 years. U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), now the dean of the chamber, is nearing 45 years.

With Mr. Levin (D-Royal Oak), Michigan had two of the 10 senior members of the U.S. House. He, at nearly 35 years, is now seventh senior.

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) still falls just outside the top 10 at 30 years, though he will likely move into the group of senior statespersons in 2019 with Mr. Levin’s departure.

After Mr. Upton, Michigan’s next senior member is U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Tipton) at only nine years combined time (he missed the 2009-10 term after losing his 2008 re-election bid but won back the seat in 2010). That tenure does not even put Mr. Walberg in the top 100.

The departures also mark the end of a decade-long decline in Michigan’s seniority in the chamber. There will be at least five members serving in their first or second term for the 2019-20 session, compared to only two during the 2009-10.

In addition to having one more seat in the U.S. House, the youngsters of the Michigan delegation for the 2009-10 session were then-U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer and now U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township) in their first terms and U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter and U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, both serving their fourth terms.

At the other end of the spectrum, Mr. Conyers was actually junior to U.S. Rep. John Dingell, who at the time had more than 25 terms (he started in a special election in December 1955). He would serve a total of 59 years before ceding the seat to his wife, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn).

The average service for the delegation going into the 2009-10 session was 18 years. For the 2019-20 session, assuming no upsets next year, that average will be 6 years.

So not only will Michigan likely lose another U.S. House seat in the next decade, it will also be at the beginning of rebuilding the seniority status that it had in the last several.