Justice Clarence Thomas has officially become the second-longest-serving justice in U.S. Supreme Court history, as of Wednesday.
Thomas reached 12,614 days on the bench, totaling 34 years and 195 days, according to tenure calculations based on his October 23, 1991, oath of office. This rank was previously solely held by Stephen Johnson Field.
The milestone comes just days after Thomas overtook John Paul Stevens, with whom he once served on the high court, moving from fourth to third place before ascending again this week.
Thomas now trails only William O. Douglas, who holds the record with 13,358 days—36 years and 209 days—on the bench from 1939 to 1975.
If Thomas remains on the court, he is on pace to surpass Douglas and become the longest-serving justice in American history in mid-2028.
Thomas, 77, was appointed by former President George H. W. Bush and is the longest-serving current member of the court by a wide margin. He is also the only remaining justice appointed in the 20th century.
His rise in the rankings follows a series of recent tenure milestones. He became the fourth-longest-serving justice on March 26, 2026, after surpassing John Marshall, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Thomas has not publicly indicated any intention to retire.
Speculation in recent weeks has instead focused on Justice Samuel Alito, though some reporting indicates that Alito, who former President George W. Bush appointed, is not expected to step down this year.
Born in Georgia in 1948, Thomas rose from humble beginnings in the segregated South to become the 106th justice of the Supreme Court. He replaced Thurgood Marshall in 1991 following a contentious confirmation process.
Over more than three decades, Thomas has authored numerous opinions and built a reputation for revisiting foundational constitutional questions, particularly involving the separation of powers and the scope of federal authority.
His tenure has spanned multiple presidential administrations and significant shifts in the court’s composition. In recent months, he has continued to write opinions in closely watched cases. Thomas wrote a unanimous opinion in Cox Communications Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment (2025), holding that an internet service provider cannot be held contributorily liable for its subscribers’ copyright infringement simply for providing general internet service.
Field served from 1863 to 1897 and was known for shaping early interpretations of the Fourteenth Amendment and advancing theories that later influenced constitutional law, including substantive due process.
With Wednesday’s milestone, Thomas enters the final stretch of a tenure that could ultimately place him alone at the top of the court’s history—if he remains on the bench long enough to surpass Douglas’ record in the coming years.
