Most elections won
John D. Dingell has won more elections than anyone else in the dataset: 29, on a career record of 29–0. John Conyers Jr. (26) and Emanuel Celler (25) follow. Two-year House terms make this a House record in practice: a representative faces the voters three times as often as a senator.
Who has won the most elections in U.S. history?
John D. Dingell, with 29 wins across every presidential, U.S. Senate, governor and U.S. House election in our dataset (career record 29–0).
Why is this list mostly House members?
The House runs on two-year terms, so a representative stands for election three times in the span a senator does once. Twenty wins in the House is a forty-year career; twenty in the Senate is impossible.
Does this count primaries?
No. PolitiFinder holds general elections only, so every win on this list is a general election. Primaries and runoffs held as separate contests are outside the dataset.
| # | Politician | Elections won |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | John D. DingellD Michigan | 2929–0 record |
| 2 | John Conyers Jr.D Michigan | 2626–0 record |
| 3 | Emanuel CellerD New York | 2525–0 record |
| 4 | Harold Hal RogersR Kentucky | 2323–0 record |
| 5 | Sidney R. YatesD Illinois | 2323–0 record |
| 6 | Charles B. RangelW New York | 2323–0 record |
| 7 | Adolph SabathD Illinois | 2323–0 record |
| 8 | Joseph CannonR Illinois | 2323–2 record |
| 9 | Steny H. HoyerD Maryland | 2222–0 record |
| 10 | Marcy KapturD Ohio | 2222–0 record |
| 11 | Christopher H. SmithN New Jersey | 2222–1 record |
| 12 | Don YoungR Alaska | 2222–1 record |
| 13 | C. W. Bill YoungR Florida | 2222–0 record |
| 14 | Melvin PriceD Illinois | 2222–0 record |
| 15 | Edward J. MarkeyD Massachusetts | 2121–0 record |
| 16 | F. James Sensenbrenner Jr.R Wisconsin | 2121–0 record |
| 17 | Joseph MartinR Massachusetts | 2121–0 record |
| 18 | Daniel ReedR New York | 2121–0 record |
| 19 | David R. ObeyD Wisconsin | 2020–0 record |
| 20 | George MillerD California | 2020–0 record |
| 21 | Fortney H. Stark Jr.D California | 2020–1 record |
| 22 | Leslie ArendsR Illinois | 2020–0 record |
| 23 | Peter W. Rodino Jr.D New Jersey | 2020–0 record |
| 24 | John TaberR New York | 2020–0 record |
| 25 | Robert DoughtonD North Carolina | 2020–0 record |
| 26 | Nancy PelosiD California | 1919–0 record |
| 27 | Richard E. NealD Massachusetts | 1919–0 record |
| 28 | Henry A. WaxmanD California | 1919–0 record |
| 29 | Frank Pallone Jr.D New Jersey | 1919–0 record |
| 30 | Robert CrosserD Ohio | 1919–0 record |
| 31 | Sander LevinD Michigan | 1818–2 record |
| 32 | Peter A. DeFazioD Oregon | 1818–0 record |
| 33 | James L. OberstarD Minnesota | 1818–1 record |
| 34 | Rosa L. DeLauroD Connecticut | 1818–0 record |
| 35 | Frederick S. UptonR Michigan | 1818–0 record |
| 36 | Dale E. KildeeD Michigan | 1818–0 record |
| 37 | Ralph S. RegulaR Ohio | 1818–0 record |
| 38 | Peter J. ViscloskyD Indiana | 1818–0 record |
| 39 | John P. MurthaD Pennsylvania | 1818–0 record |
| 40 | Clement J. ZablockiD Wisconsin | 1818–0 record |
| 41 | Neal SmithD Iowa | 1818–1 record |
| 42 | Maxine WatersD California | 1818–0 record |
| 43 | Edward P. BolandD Massachusetts | 1818–0 record |
| 44 | Daniel D. RostenkowskiD Illinois | 1818–1 record |
| 45 | Nick Joe Rahall IID West Virginia | 1818–1 record |
| 46 | Robert H. MichelR Illinois | 1818–0 record |
| 47 | John McCormackD Massachusetts | 1818–0 record |
| 48 | Jack BrooksD Texas | 1818–1 record |
| 49 | George E. Brown Jr.D California | 1818–0 record |
| 50 | Carl D. PerkinsD Kentucky | 1818–0 record |
| 51 | Howard SmithD Virginia | 1818–0 record |
| 52 | Henry CooperR Wisconsin | 1818–1 record |
| 53 | Samuel RayburnD Texas | 1818–0 record |
| 54 | David E. PriceD North Carolina | 1717–1 record |
| 55 | Tom PetriR Wisconsin | 1717–0 record |
| 56 | Robert C. Bobby ScottD Virginia | 1717–1 record |
| 57 | John H. Lewis Sr.D Georgia | 1717–0 record |
| 58 | Frank R. WolfR Virginia | 1717–1 record |
| 59 | Ike SkeltonD Missouri | 1717–1 record |
| 60 | Jerrold L. NadlerD New York | 1717–0 record |
| 61 | William S. BroomfieldR Michigan | 1717–0 record |
| 62 | Jerry LewisR California | 1717–0 record |
| 63 | Silvio O. ConteR Massachusetts | 1717–0 record |
| 64 | Philip M. CraneR Illinois | 1717–1 record |
| 65 | Ralph M. HallR Texas | 1717–0 record |
| 66 | Joseph Michael McDadeR Pennsylvania | 1717–0 record |
| 67 | Ken CalvertR California | 1717–0 record |
| 68 | Sanford D. Bishop Jr.D Georgia | 1717–0 record |
| 69 | Lee Herbert HamiltonD Indiana | 1717–0 record |
| 70 | Edith RogersR Massachusetts | 1717–0 record |
| 71 | Dante B. FascellD Florida | 1717–0 record |
| 72 | Nydia M. VelázquezD New York | 1717–0 record |
| 73 | Michael KirwanD Ohio | 1717–0 record |
| 74 | Richard BollingD Missouri | 1717–0 record |
| 75 | Sam M. GibbonsD Florida | 1717–0 record |
| 76 | Edward TaylorD Colorado | 1717–0 record |
| 77 | Roy WoodruffR Michigan | 1717–1 record |
| 78 | Gilbert HaugenR Iowa | 1717–1 record |
| 79 | Charles OneillR Pennsylvania | 1717–2 record |
| 80 | Henry BinghamR Pennsylvania | 1717–0 record |
| 81 | Edward PouD North Carolina | 1717–0 record |
| 82 | Lamar S. SmithR Texas | 1616–0 record |
| 83 | Anna G. EshooD California | 1616–1 record |
| 84 | Jim CooperD Tennessee | 1616–1 record |
| 85 | Barney FrankD Massachusetts | 1616–0 record |
| 86 | Frank D. LucasR Oklahoma | 1616–0 record |
| 87 | James E Jim ClyburnD South Carolina | 1616–0 record |
| 88 | Bennie G. ThompsonD Mississippi | 1616–0 record |
| 89 | Nita M. LoweyD New York | 1616–0 record |
| 90 | Zoe LofgrenD California | 1616–0 record |
| 91 | David DreierR California | 1616–1 record |
| 92 | Robert W. KastenmeierD Wisconsin | 1616–1 record |
| 93 | Clarence CannonD Missouri | 1616–0 record |
| 94 | Eliot L. EngelD New York | 1616–0 record |
| 95 | Don EdwardsD California | 1616–0 record |
| 96 | Daniel J. FloodD Pennsylvania | 1616–0 record |
| 97 | Floyd D. SpenceR South Carolina | 1616–0 record |
| 98 | William Lacy ClayD Missouri | 1616–0 record |
| 99 | James H. Jimmy QuillenR Tennessee | 1616–0 record |
| 100 | Chester HolifieldD California | 1616–0 record |
How this ranking is measured
Wins counted across every general election in our dataset: presidential, U.S. Senate, governor and U.S. House. Because House terms last two years, the leaderboard is dominated by long-serving representatives. The record column shows wins and losses across all races.