The offices of shadow representative and shadow senator are elective offices in the District of Columbia. ...

In 1978, the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment was proposed to the Constitution of the United States that would have given the District of Columbia the same representation in Congress as a state. Anticipating the passage of the Amendment, the citizens of the District held a constitutional convention for the post-amendment state of New Columbia. It produced a statehood constitution that was duly adopted by the voters in 1982. This constitution created the elective positions of shadow representative and shadow senator with the intention that these individuals become the United States representative and United States senator upon the ratification of the amendment. However, the amendment fell short of ratification, being approved by only 16 states out of the 38 required before the ratification period expired. Nonetheless, the District government has maintained these positions to help in lobbying for D.C. statehood. 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... The District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. ... Page I of the Constitution of the United States of America Page II of the United States Constitution Page III of the United States Constitution Page IV of the United States Constitution The Syng inkstand, with which the Constitution was signed The Constitution of the United States is the supreme... Congress in Joint Session. ... New Columbia is the name of the proposed U.S. state that would be created by the admission of the District of Columbia into the Union as the 51st state according to legislation offered starting in the 98th Congress in 1983 and routinely re-introduced in succeeding Congresses. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The chamber of the United States House of Representatives is located in the south wing of the Capitol building, in Washington, D.C.. This photograph shows a rare glimpse of the four vote tallying boards (the blackish squares across the top), which display each members name and vote as... Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ...

The shadow representative should not be confused with the non-voting delegate that represents the District in Congress, nor with the practice of the Official Opposition appointing shadow cabinets in parliamentary systems. A Delegate to Congress is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives who is elected from a U.S. territory or from the District of Columbia. ... These are tables of congressional delegations from the District of Columbia to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. ... The Parliamentary Opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. ... The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orange—the former being constitutional monarchies and the latter being republics A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in U.S. English), is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support...

Current Officeholders

See the Main Article: United States Congressional Delegations from District of Columbia These are tables of congressional delegations from the District of Columbia to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. ...

History

The position of shadow senator is not at all historically unique. On six previous occasions and as far back as 1796, certain American territories have elected such officers prior to and pursuant to their admission as States into the Union. Following enactment of statehood for those areas, these men were accepted as full members, and admitted formally into Congress. A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ...

See also

• Shadow cabinet

The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose...

External links

• A Brief History of the Shadow Senators of the United States