irement ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ) ▁in ▁a ▁district ▁largely ▁removed ▁from ▁his ▁traditional ▁constitu ency . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁Phill ips ▁was ▁tied ▁with ▁fellow ▁ 1 5 th ▁District ▁representative ▁Sam ▁Cot ten ▁as ▁the ▁senior ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁House . ▁ ▁Cot ten ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Senate ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁which ▁left ▁Phill ips ▁as ▁the ▁senior ▁member ▁in ▁his ▁final ▁term . ▁Following ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁re e lection ▁defeat ▁of ▁J al mar ▁M . ▁Ker tt ula , ▁Phill ips ▁was ▁tied ▁with ▁Tim ▁Kelly ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁as ▁the ▁senior ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ature . ▁Kelly ▁was ▁also ▁first ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁House ▁from ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁District ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 . ▁Kelly ' s ▁ret irement ▁left ▁Phill ips ▁as ▁the ▁senior ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁in ▁his ▁final ▁two ▁years ▁in ▁office . ▁In ▁the ▁overall ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Al aska ▁Legisl ature , ▁Phill ips ▁is ▁the ▁third - long est - ser ving ▁member ; ▁if ▁the ▁territorial ▁legisl ature ▁is ▁ex cluded , ▁Phill ips ▁is ▁second ▁behind ▁Ker tt ula . ▁At ▁the ▁conclusion ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 7 th ▁Al aska ▁State ▁Legisl ature , ▁his ▁length ▁of ▁service ▁will ▁be ▁tied ▁by ▁both ▁Johnny ▁Ell is ▁and ▁L yman ▁Hoff man ;