The posts of shadow United States senator and shadow United States representative are held by elected or appointed government officials from subnational polities of the United States that lack congressional vote. While these officials are not seated in either chamber of Congress,they seek recognition for their subnational polity,up to full statehood. This would enfranchise them with full voting rights on the floor of the US House and Senate,alongside existing states. As of 2021,only the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico currently have authorized shadow delegations to Congress.
John K. Evans III is an American lawyer and politician who served on the Council of the District of Columbia from 1991 to 2020 before resigning due to numerous ethics violations. Evans served as the chairman of the board of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) until its ethics committee found he violated conflict of interest rules. A member of the Democratic Party,he represented Ward 2 of Washington,D.C. from May 1991 to January 2020,making him the D.C. Council's longest-serving lawmaker. He ran for Mayor in 1998 and 2014,but lost in the Democratic primary both times.
Michael Joseph Panetta is a former District of Columbia shadow representative,having served from 2007 to 2013. Though elected by the citizens of Washington,Panetta was not recognized by Congress. A shadow representative is different from a delegate to Congress,an office held by Eleanor Holmes Norton while Panetta was shadow representative. The office of delegate is created by the U.S. House of Representatives and delegates are recognized by that body.
Michael Donald Brown is an American politician serving as the junior United States shadow senator from the District of Columbia,having served since 2007.
The District of Columbia Democratic State Committee is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the District of Columbia.
The 2012 United States presidential election in the District of Columbia took place on November 6,2012,as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated. D.C. voters chose three electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate,Vice President Joe Biden,against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate,Congressman Paul Ryan. Prior to the election,Washington DC was considered to be a definite win for Obama;the nation's capital is heavily Democratic and has always voted for Democratic nominees for president by overwhelming margins.
The 2018 United States Shadow Senator election in the District of Columbia took place on November 6,2018,to elect a shadow member to the United States Senate to represent the District of Columbia. The member was only recognized by the District of Columbia and not officially sworn or seated by the United States Senate. Incumbent Mike Brown was re-elected to a third term.
The 2020 District of Columbia Democratic presidential primary took place on June 2,2020,as one of eight delayed and regular contests on that day in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 presidential election. The District of Columbia primary was a closed primary,with the district awarding 45 delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention,of whom 20 were pledged delegates allocated on the basis of the results of the primary.
The 2020 United States Shadow Senator election in the District of Columbia took place on November 3,2020,to elect a shadow member to the United States Senate to represent the District of Columbia. The member was only recognized by the District of Columbia and not officially sworn or seated by the United States Senate. Paul Strauss won election to a fifth term with the largest percentage and number of votes in his career.
On November 3,2020,the District of Columbia held elections for several local and federal government offices. Its primary elections were held on June 2,2020.
On November 3,2020,the District of Columbia held a U.S. House of Representatives election for its shadow representative. Unlike its non-voting delegate,the shadow representative is only recognized by the district and is not officially sworn or seated.
On November 8,2016,the District of Columbia held a U.S. House of Representatives election for its shadow representative. Unlike its non-voting delegate,the shadow representative is only recognized by the district and is not officially sworn or seated. Incumbent Shadow Representative Franklin Garcia won reelection unopposed.
Adeoye "Oye" Owolewa is a Nigerian American politician,pharmacist,and a member of the Democratic Party. In November 2020,he was elected as the shadow representative of the United States House of Representatives from the District of Columbia. As a shadow congressperson,Owolewa is tasked with lobbying for D.C. statehood;the unpaid position is authorized by D.C. voters in 1982,but never approved by Congress. Although mistakenly described in Nigerian media as the first Nigerian American to be elected to the U.S. Congress,Owolewa is not a member of Congress.
On November 4,2014,the District of Columbia held a U.S. House of Representatives election for its shadow representative. Unlike its non-voting delegate,the shadow representative is only recognized by the district and is not officially sworn or seated. Incumbent Shadow Representative Nate Bennett-Fleming did not run for reelection and Franklin Garcia was elected in his place. The election was held concurrently with a mayoral election.
The 2014 United States Shadow Senator election in the District of Columbia took place on November 4,2014,to elect a shadow member to the United States Senate to represent the District of Columbia. The member was only recognized by the District of Columbia and not officially sworn or seated by the United States Senate. Incumbent Paul Strauss won his closest primary challenge against businessman Pete Ross and was easily elected to a fourth term.
The 2012 United States Shadow Senator election in the District of Columbia took place on November 6,2012,to elect a shadow member to the United States Senate to represent the District of Columbia. The member was only recognized by the District of Columbia and not officially sworn or seated by the United States Senate. Incumbent Michael D. Brown was re-elected to a second term.
On November 8,2022,the District of Columbia held a U.S. House of Representatives election for its shadow representative. Unlike its non-voting delegate,the shadow representative is only recognized by the district and is not officially sworn or seated. Incumbent Shadow Representative Oye Owolewa was reelected to a second term.
The 2002 United States Shadow Senator election in the District of Columbia took place on November 5,2002,to elect a shadow member to the United States Senate to represent the District of Columbia. The member was only recognized by the District of Columbia and was not officially sworn or seated by the United States Senate. Incumbent Shadow Senator Paul Strauss decisively won the primary against challenger Pete Ross and was reelected to a second term by a landslide.
The 2008 United States Shadow Senator election in the District of Columbia took place on November 4,2008,to elect a shadow member to the United States Senate to represent the District of Columbia. The member was only recognized by the District of Columbia and not officially sworn or seated by the United States Senate.
The District of Columbia is a political division coterminous with Washington,D.C.,the capital city of the United States. According to the Article One of the Constitution,only states may be represented in the United States Congress. The District of Columbia is not a U.S. state and therefore has no voting representation in the United States Senate. However,it does have a non-voting delegate to represent it in the House.
