Shadow Congresspersons

Shadow Congresspersons (shadow U.S. Senators and shadow U.S. Representatives) are elected officials created to represent Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. According to reports, the first District of Columbia shadow Senator was elected in 1796 and the first shadow U.S. Representative first appeared in 1956. In Puerto Rico, the first shadow congresspeople were appointed in 2018 and elected in 2021.

The District of Columbia's shadow congressional delegation is composed of two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative. Senators serve six-year terms and representatives serve two-year terms. The shadow delegations are not allowed to vote in full floor votes or in committee. The purpose of these shadow offices is to advocate for statehood.

The District of Columbia also has non-voting delegates for its at-large congressional districts. These non-voting delegates can vote in committee, speak on the House floor, and sponsor legislation. They are unable to vote on the House floor.

In 2020, Puerto Rico approved an island-wide referendum on statehood. Special elections were held in 2021, with a delegation composed of two senators and four representatives being elected to terms beginning on July 1, 2021, and ending on December 31, 2024.

Shadow U.S. Senators

Office	Name	Date assumed office
U.S. Shadow Senator District of Columbia	Ankit Jain	January 3, 2025
U.S. Shadow Senator District of Columbia	Paul Strauss	January 3, 1997

Shadow U.S. Representative

Office	Name	Date assumed office
U.S. Shadow Representative District of Columbia	Oye Owolewa	January 3, 2021

See also

• United States Congress
• United States House of Representatives
• United States congressional non-voting members
• Washington, D.C.
• Puerto Rico

External links

• The District of Columbia

Footnotes

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