Oldest Rep. Plans One Last Term in Congress at 90

Republican Rep. Ralph Hall has announced that he's preparing for a final run in Congress at the grand old age of 91.

Hall was first elected as a Democrat to the fourth district in Texas in 1980, but switched his allegiance after 50 years as a Democrat to the GOP in 2004.

The former chairman of the Committee on Space and Technology, Hall vowed that if he's elected to serve a 17th term he plans to retire in 2016 when he will be 93, according to the Dallas Morning News.

"I look forward to campaigning for re-election the next couple of months and serving one final term in Congress," said Hall, who will turn 91 on May 3, six months and one day before the election. He pointed out that he's determined to wrap up a string of pet projects in his northeast Texas district over the next three years.

Although he's likely to face five Republican challengers in the primary, including former U.S. attorney John Ratcliffe, Hall is still the frontrunner in the race. Calling his opponents "a fine group of people," he said, "Make no mistake, I plan on winning this election."

Hall, a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, is the oldest person ever to serve in the House. Along with 30-term Michigan Democrat, Rep. John Dingell who is three years and two months younger, Hall is one of just two World War II veterans left on Capitol Hill.

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