Shadow congressperson

The offices of shadow U.S. Representative and shadow U.S. Senator are elective offices in the District of Columbia. While the holders of these offices are not seated in either house of the United States Congress, they promote the District's efforts to gain full voting rights. Historically, shadow congressmen were elected by organized incorporated territories prior to their admission to the Union.

The first shadow senators, William Blount and William Cocke of the Southwest Territory, were elected in March 1796, before being seated as senators representing the newly formed state of Tennessee. Michigan, California, Minnesota, Oregon, and Alaska likewise elected shadow senators before statehood. The Alaska Territory also elected the first shadow U.S. Representative, Ralph Julian Rivers, in 1956. All were eventually seated in Congress as voting members, except for Alaska Shadow Sen. William A. Egan, who instead became governor. The election of shadow congresspersons from the District of Columbia is authorized by a "state" constitution, which was ratified by D.C. voters in 1982 but was never approved by Congress.

The voters of the District of Columbia elect two shadow U.S. Senators who are known as U.S. Senators by the District of Columbia, but who are not officially sworn or seated by the U.S. Senate. Shadow senators were first elected in 1990.

The current shadow senators are Paul Strauss and Michael Donald Brown.

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