Shadow congressperson

History

Historically, shadow members of Congress were elected by organized incorporated territories prior to their admission to the Union. From its origins in Tennessee, this approach is sometimes known as the Tennessee Plan.

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 senator William A. Egan, who instead became governor.

District of Columbia officeholders

The election of shadow congresspersons from the District of Columbia is authorized by a state constitution ratified by D.C. voters in 1982 but was never approved by Congress.

District of Columbia shadow senators

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

The current shadow United States senators from the District of Columbia are Paul Strauss and Ankit Jain.

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=8 | 1 Jan 3, 2007 | Retired. Jan 3, 1997 Jesse Jackson ! rowspan=3 | 1

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|- style="height:2em" | present Paul Strauss ! rowspan=15 | 2

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|- style="height:2em" Was not re-nominated as a Democrat. Lost re-election bid as an independent. |

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|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=9 | 2 Mike Brown Jan 3, 2025 |

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|- style="height:2em" | | Independent |

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|- style="height:2em" Retired. |

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|- style=height:2em" ! 3 Ankit Jain | | Democratic present | Elected in 2024. | 7 |

District of Columbia shadow representatives

The voters of the District of Columbia elect one shadow representative who is recognized as equivalent to U.S. representatives by the District of Columbia but is not recognized by the U.S. government as an actual member of the House of Representatives. A shadow representative was first elected in 1990. Inaugural office-holder Charles Moreland held the seat for two terms. In November 2020, Oye Owolewa was elected to succeed retiring shadow representative Franklin Garcia.

D.C.'s shadow U.S. representative should not be confused with the non-voting delegate who represents the district in Congress.

Puerto Rico officeholders

The posts of shadow representatives and senators for Puerto Rico were created in 2017 as part of a newly formed Puerto Rico Equality Commission to fulfill campaign promises made by the New Progressive Party, which gained control of both the executive and legislative branch in the 2016 elections in part with calls for a status referendum in 2017. Pro-statehood governor Ricardo Rosselló appointed five shadow representatives and two shadow senators with the advice and consent of the Senate of Puerto Rico.

Following the pro-statehood vote in the 2020 Puerto Rican status referendum, the Puerto Rican legislature passed in a lame duck session Law 167 of 2020, replacing the Puerto Rico Equality Commission with the new Commission to the Congressional Delegation of Puerto Rico and establishing an electoral process for shadow delegates to Congress. Although an effort to overturn Law 167 passed the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico in early 2021 after the Popular Democratic Party gained control of the legislature, it did not have enough votes to sustain a threatened veto from pro-statehood governor Pedro Pierluisi.

Popular elections for two shadow senators and four shadow members of Congress will be held on a nonpartisan basis every four years, with the first election held on May 16, 2021, so the delegates can take office on July 1. The law also appropriated funds for the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration to cover the wages of the delegates and serve as their headquarters in Washington, D.C., where they will work on the statehood process with the island's resident commissioner in Congress.

Puerto Rico shadow senators

are not aligned with the classes of United States senators. are not aligned with the classes of United States senators.}}

|- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=4 | 1 Republican Jul 1, 2021 Successor elected. | Died. May 2, 2021 Democratic Carlos Romero Barceló ! rowspan=3 | 1

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|- style="height:2em" Jul 1, 2021 |- style="height:2em" ! rowspan=3 | 2 Democratic Term expired Term expired Dec 31, 2024 Republican Zoraida Buxó ! rowspan=3 | 2

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Puerto Rico shadow representatives

References

References

1. Strauss, Paul. "A Brief History of the Shadow Senators of the United States". Paul Strauss – United States Senator for the District of Columbia.
2. "Puerto Rico's Tennessee Plan".
3. Sheridan, Mary Beth. (May 29, 2008). "D.C. Seeks to Fund Lobbying Effort for a Voting House Member". The Washington Post.
4. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/elections/2006/dc/candidates/Michael_D_Brown.html Election profiles Michael D. Brown (D)], ''The Washington Post'', 2006, retrieved, September 30, 2012.
5. (June 5, 2017). "Ley por la Igualdad y Representación Congresional de los Ciudadanos Americanos de Puerto Rico".
6. Bernal, Rafael. (August 15, 2017). "Puerto Rico swears in congressional delegation". The Hill.
7. (July 3, 2017). "Puerto Rico governor designates four members for Equality Commission". Caribbean Business.
8. "Ley Núm. 167 de 2020 -Ley para crear la Delegación Congresional de Puerto Rico.".
9. de Jesús Salamán, Adriana. (January 29, 2021). "Peligra elección pro estadidad por falta de fondos y el PPD". NotiCel.
10. Rivera Clemente, Yaritza. (February 22, 2021). "Radicarán medida para atender el estatus". El Vocero.
11. (January 28, 2021). "Puerto Rico governor plan for a 'shadow delegation' draws criticism amid pandemic". Miami Herald.
12. Ruiz Kuilan, Gloria. (2023-06-26). "Tribunal ordena la destitución de Elizabeth Torres como delegada congresional por la estadidad". El Nuevo Día.