To what political party did Associate Justice Stevens belong?

Answer 1

The answer to that question is unknown. Stevens may be among the last of the moderate Republicans, or he may have changed party affiliation when the Republican party became much more conservative.

President Gerald Ford, a Republican, nominated Justice Stevens to the US Supreme Court in 1975. At the time of his appointment, Justice Stevens was considered moderately conservative; however, his views gradually became more progressive during his tenure on the Court. He did, however, vote with the conservative bloc on some surprising issues, even in his final year on the bench.

Justices Stevens' voting record became more closely aligned with the Democratic platform over the years, and he chose to retire during President Obama's administration, perhaps indicating he preferred a liberal/Democrat successor (although, at 90, he may simply have wished to retire).

There is also significant evidence (including statements by Justice Stevens himself), that it was not so much that his positions changed, it was that the court itself have moved significantly over his (very long) term on the bench. That is, it is less that Justice Stevens became more "liberal", and more that the definitions of what is considered "conservative" have changed over the last 35 years.