The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of fifty individual states. Each state has its own set of laws and government, which can be quite different from one another. Each state also has a number of US Senators who are responsible for representing the interests of their constituents in Congress.
Kamala Harris
Senator Kamala Harris is a Democrat from California. She was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 and is currently serving her second term. Harris has been a prosecutor and state attorney general before she was elected to the Senate.
Dianne Feinstein
In the Senate, Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, where she has served since 1997. Feinstein is a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform and a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s policies. She has also been an outspoken advocate for the rights of immigrants and was one of only six senators to support S.J. Res. 34, a resolution condemning President Donald Trump’s decision to end DACA. Feinstein has also championed environmental causes, sponsoring landmark legislation that created the California Solar Initiative and made it easier for solar companies to get financing.
Born in San Francisco in 1938, Feinstein graduated from Stanford Law School in 1959 and subsequently practiced law in San Francisco. In 1974, she was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where she served until 1992. That year, Feinstein was elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the first woman ever to be elected to that body from California.
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer was first elected to the US Senate in 1992 and has since been a leading voice on environmental and human rights issues. She has also been a vocal opponent of the Iraq War and played an instrumental role in passing the Affordable Care Act. Barbara is a Democrat from California and currently serves as the senior senator from that state.
Richard Durbin
Richard Durbin, the senior senator from Illinois, has long been one of the Senate’s most vocal advocates for immigration reform. As a Democrat, Durbin spearheads the Senate’s efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform, which would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Durbin was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, and raised in nearby Skokie. He earned his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and began his career as a public prosecutor with Cook County in 1992. In 2000, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he served until 2006 when he left to pursue a Senate election.
Durbin was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 and has served there since 2007. He is chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and also serves on the Committees on Environment and Public Works, and Appropriations.
Adam Schiff
Adam Schiff represents California’s 22nd congressional district, which covers parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties. A Democrat, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2000 and served three terms before being elected to the Senate in 2016.
Schiff has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and has been a leading advocate for gun reform and policies that support climate change. In the Senate, he serves on the Intelligence Committee, which he chaired during the passage of the 2017 reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Kevin de León
Kevin de León is a U.S. Senator from California, who was appointed to the position in January of 2015 by newly-elected President Barack Obama. A Democrat, de León represents the 33rd congressional district, which encompasses most of the Central Valley and parts of Orange County. Prior to being elected to the Senate, de León served as Mayor of Oakland, California from 2006 to 2014.
A lifelong resident of California’s Central Valley, Kevin de León has a long history of fighting for progressive causes in his home state. He first came to national prominence as the executive director of the Los Angeles Community Action Network, where he helped turn around a struggling low-income community by forging partnerships with business leaders and government officials. In 2002, he was elected to the Oakland City Council, where he became known for his commitment to public engagement and fighting for affordable housing and education solutions in his district. After four terms on the City Council, de León was elected Mayor of Oakland in 2006, becoming the city’s first Latino mayor and its youngest at age 37. During his time as Mayor, he led Oakland through some difficult times.
How to contact your US Senator
If you’re interested in reaching out to your U.S. Senator, there are a few straightforward ways to get in touch. You can call their office directly, send them an email, or write them a letter. Here’s a breakdown of each option:
Option 1: Call Your US Senator’s Office
Your US Senator’s office is always open and will be able to help you with whatever question or issue you have. You can find their contact information on the website or by calling their office directly.
Option 2: Email Your US Senator
Emailing your US Senator is another great way to get in touch with them. Many senators have staff who are specifically dedicated to responding to emails, so you’re likely to get a response pretty quickly. Just make sure that your email is polite and concise, and that you clearly state what issue or question you want to be answered.
Option 3: Write A Letter To Your US Senator
If writing is more your thing, then writing a letter may be the best option for you. Letters are typically more personal than emails and can be more specific with regard to your questions or issues.
Conclusion
In the United States Senate, there are a total of 58 members. Thirty-three of these senators represents California.
