Length of terms

thecollage · Aug 9, 2010

What are the length of terms for senators, governors, etc. and do they have to run again to continue to hold office?

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hypewaders · Aug 9, 2010

http://www.rapidimmigration.com/usa/1_eng_civics_less1.html

How Representatives and Senators are Elected

The House of Representatives and the Senate represent a compromise among the early leaders of our nation. States with larger populations wanted representation in the central government according to population, while states with smaller populations, fearing being dominated by the larger states, wanted equal representation.

Both options were adopted in the two different houses of Congress. It was decided that members of the House of Representatives would be elected every two years according to a state's population. This election is held during odd-numbered years. This population is determined by a census held every ten years. Each state is entitled to at least one representative, as is the case with Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. If a state has only one representative, he or she is known as a Representative at large and is elected by the whole state.

States with larger populations are divided into congressional districts. Larger states such as California may have many representatives (it has 52, the larges number for one state). And although they cannot vote, there is a resident commissioner from Puerto Rico and a delegate from the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. At this time, the number of members of the House of Representatives is limited by law to 435, to keep it from becoming too large.

Senators are elected to the Senate once every six years. Only 1/3 of the Senators may run for re-election in any year, to prevent a complete change in its members atone time. Until 1913, they were chosen by the state legislature as a representative of the state government, but when the 17th amendment passed, they were required to be voted by popular vote. Each state can have two senators to represent the wishes of their electorate (the people voting for the senate) in the Senate, which ensures equal representation for all states in this part of Congress.
Terms of Service for Representatives and Senators

Each state in the United States has at least one representative in the House of Representatives; many have more, and the number is determined by the population of the state they are elected in. This population is measured every ten years in a national census. A representative is elected to office for two years, and all representatives must choose whether to run for re-election every two years.

To be eligible for election, a representative must be at least 25 years old by the time the representative takes up his or her seat in the House. He or she must be a citizen of the United States for at least seven years in a row, and must be a resident of the state in which he or she is running for election. And while the Constitution does not require that a representative live in the district that he or she represents, in practice this is always the case.

Each state in the nation is represented by two senators who are elected for a term of six years. Every two years, on a rotating basis, the terms of one third of the Senators expires, and they must run for re-election (the rotation prevents a complete change in the Senate body).

To be elected, a Senator must be at least 30 years old by the time he or she takes up a seat in the Senate. He or she must have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years in a row, and must be a resident of the state in which he or she is elected.
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Moderator Note: These are questions answerable with a simple internet search. Because there is no compelling topic for discussion here, this thread is closed.

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Length of terms

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