Justice Clarence Thomas became the second-longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history on May 7, 2026, surpassing John Paul Stevens after more than 34 years on the bench. Thomas, 77, has served since taking his oath on October 23, 1991, accumulating 12,615 days of tenure—a milestone that places him in an exclusive historical group spanning nearly the entire life of the court.
The only justice with a longer tenure is William O. Douglas, who served 13,358 days from 1939 to 1975. If Thomas remains on the court until May 2028, he would overtake Douglas and become the longest-serving justice in U.S. history, according to PBS reporting.
Thomas’ confirmation in 1991 marked one of the most contentious nominations in modern Supreme Court history. President George H.W. Bush nominated him on July 1, 1991, to replace retiring Justice Thurgood Marshall. The Senate confirmed him by a narrow 52-to-48 vote on October 15, 1991, after televised hearings that included sexual harassment allegations made by Anita Hill, a charge Thomas denied. Despite the narrow margin and controversy, Thomas has become one of the most institutionally durable and jurisprudentially consequential justices in the court’s modern era, according to analysis by SCOTUSblog.
From Isolation to Influence
Once an outlier on the nation’s highest court, Thomas has become a towering figure in the conservative legal movement over the past decade as originalism—his judicial philosophy emphasizing the Constitution’s original meaning—has gained influence. He helped secure landmark rulings on abortion, voting rights, and Second Amendment protections, according to PBS reporting. His 2022 opinion in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen found that people generally have the right to carry a gun in public, a decision that has already accumulated 2,173 citing opinions in lower courts.
Following the appointment of three conservative justices by President Donald Trump, Thomas is now the most senior member of a supermajority that has overturned abortion as a constitutional right, ended affirmative action in college admissions, and sharply limited the Voting Rights Act. His seniority means he can decide who writes an opinion if he is part of a majority that does not include Chief Justice John Roberts—a factor that can nudge other votes behind closed doors, according to Stanford University law professor Pamela Karlan, cited by PBS.
Thomas’ influence extends beyond the bench through his network of former clerks. Ten of his former clerks have become federal judges, all appointed by President Trump during the 2017-2020 wave of Republican judicial appointments, according to SCOTUSblog analysis. The clerks now serve on several influential federal courts of appeals and district courts, extending his jurisprudential reach across the judiciary.
Despite his historic tenure, there is no sign Thomas plans to retire. In a recent speech at the University of Texas, he tied the nation’s highest ideals to a conservative vision of limited government and launched criticism of progressivism—remarks that earned a standing ovation from the audience, according to PBS.
Sources
- SCOTUSblog — Detailed analysis of Thomas’ tenure, opinions, and historical ranking among justices
- PBS News — Profile of Thomas’ milestone, his influence on recent major rulings, and his current role on the court
- Supreme Court Historical Society — Confirmation of the May 7, 2026 milestone and comparison to previous longest-serving justices
- Law.com — Report on Thomas surpassing John Paul Stevens in tenure length
- Bloomberg Law News — Timeline for Thomas potentially overtaking William O. Douglas
