Supreme Court Clarence Thomas
FILE - Supreme Court Justice Nominee Clarence Thomas and his wife Virginia listen during his nomination hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 10, 1991.
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is now the second longest-serving justice in history, overtaking someone who was nominated by President Abraham Lincoln. Thomas' tenure as of Thursday tops 34 years. The only justice with a longer tenure is William O. Douglas. Thomas will overtake Douglas in 2028 if he remains on the court — and there’s no sign he plans to retire anytime soon. Thomas was confirmed in 1991 after contentious hearings that included sexual harassment allegations he denied. More recently, Thomas' acceptance of luxury trips has raised ethics questions. Thomas has nevertheless gone from near-silence at oral arguments to asking the first questions and penned a landmark ruling expanding Second Amendment rights.
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