Ralph Hall

Ralph Moody Hall (May 3, 1923 – March 7, 2019) was an American politician who served as the United States representative for Texas's 4th congressional district from 1981 to 2015. He was first elected in 1980, and was the chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology from 2011 to 2013. He was also a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. In 2004, he switched to the Republican Party after having been a member of the Democratic Party for more than 50 years. At the end of his final term in 2015, Hall was 91 years old, making him the oldest serving member of Congress and the oldest person to ever have served in the House of Representatives. He was also the oldest member of the House to cast a vote, and alongside Michigan representative John Dingell, one of the last two World War II veterans serving in Congress, both leaving office at the end of the 113th Congress in 2015. On March 6, 2014, Hall was challenged in the Republican primary by five other Republicans. He received 45.42% of the vote, which was under 50%, the amount required to avoid a runoff election. In the runoff, Hall faced former U.S. Attorney John Ratcliffe, who finished second in the primary with 28.77% of the vote. On May 27, 2014, Ratcliffe defeated Hall in the runoff election, 53 to 47%.