Your State US Senators: How to Find Who Represents You

Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now? Answers will vary by state. You must know the name of at least one of your two current U.S. Senators when you take the citizenship test. The USCIS officer will ask specifically about your state’s senators, so you need to know who represents your state right now, not who represented it in the past.

Every state has exactly two senators regardless of population. Your state’s senators represent you in the U.S. Senate, voting on federal laws, confirming presidential appointments, and representing your state’s interests in national government. Knowing who they are is part of being an engaged citizen.

The Essential Facts

For the citizenship test, you must know at least one of your state’s current senators by name. The test will ask specifically about your state. For example, if you live in Texas, you need to know one of Texas’s current senators.

You can find your senators on the U.S. Senate website at senate.gov. You can also search online for “U.S. Senators from [your state name].” Make sure you have current information, as senators change when they retire, lose elections, or are appointed to other positions.

As of December 2025, every state has two senators. Some states have had the same senators for many years. Other states have new senators who were recently elected or appointed. Senate elections happen every two years, but only about one-third of Senate seats are contested in each election because senators serve six-year terms.

When studying for your citizenship test, learn both your senators’ names. While the test only requires one, knowing both shows engagement with your state’s representation. Learn their party affiliations too, though the test does not ask about this.

Why You Need to Know Your Senators

Senators represent your state in Congress. They vote on laws affecting your daily life. They confirm judges who may hear your cases. They ratify treaties shaping international relations. They represent your state’s interests when federal policy is debated. Knowing who your senators are connects you to how federal government operates.

Your senators are accountable to you as a voter. You can contact them about issues you care about. Their offices respond to constituent concerns. They hold town halls and meetings where you can voice opinions. But you can only hold them accountable if you know who they are.

The citizenship test asks about your senators because informed citizenship requires knowing who represents you. Voting intelligently requires knowing who currently serves. Participating in democracy means understanding who makes decisions in your name.

Senators differ from representatives. Representatives serve specific congressional districts within states. Senators represent entire states. If you live in California, your representative serves only your district, but your senators represent all Californians. This makes senators important statewide figures.

Historical Moment

In 1992, California elected two women to the Senate simultaneously for the first time any state had two female senators. Dianne Feinstein won a special election to fill an unexpired term, and Barbara Boxer won the regular election for the other seat. This “Year of the Woman” marked a breakthrough in Senate representation.

Feinstein told supporters on election night: “Two percent of the Senate is female. Maybe now it’s time to have a government that looks like America.” At that time, only two women served in the 100-member Senate. Adding two more from one state doubled female representation.

California’s election reflected changing attitudes about women in political leadership. For most of American history, no women served in the Senate. The first woman senator, Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia, served only one day in 1922 as a symbolic appointment. Not until recent decades did women senators become common.

Today’s Senate is more diverse than in 1992, though still not fully representative of America’s population. Knowing your senators matters partly because Senate composition affects whose voices are heard in federal government. The more you know about who serves, the better you understand how well government represents people like you.

How You See It Today

Your senators make decisions affecting you constantly. When Congress debates tax policy, your senators vote. When the President nominates Supreme Court justices, your senators confirm or reject them. When treaties are negotiated, your senators ratify or refuse them. These are not abstract actions but decisions shaping your life.

You can contact your senators about issues you care about. Every Senate office has staff who handle constituent mail, email, and phone calls. While senators cannot respond personally to every contact, they track constituent opinions. Enough contacts on an issue can influence a senator’s position.

Senators hold town halls and listening sessions in their states. They visit communities to hear local concerns. They speak at events and forums. Engaged citizens attend these events to voice opinions and ask questions. But first you must know who your senators are to know when and where they will appear.

Election years bring opportunities to evaluate your senators’ performance. When senators run for reelection, voters decide whether they deserve another six-year term. Reading about their voting records, policy positions, and accomplishments helps you vote informed. Some voters always support the same party. Others evaluate individual senators based on their actions in office.

The Deeper Story

For most of American history, state legislatures elected senators rather than voters directly. The Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 changed to direct election. This made senators more accountable to ordinary citizens rather than to state legislators.

Before direct election, ordinary citizens did not think much about who their senators were because they could not vote for them. After the Seventeenth Amendment, knowing your senators became more important because voters could hold them accountable directly through elections.

Senate elections have become major political events. Senators raise tens of millions of dollars for campaigns. They run television ads, hold rallies, and debate opponents. They campaign across their entire state, not just specific districts. These high-profile campaigns make senators well-known figures in their states.

Some senators become national figures. They run for president, appear frequently on news programs, or lead on major legislation. Other senators focus on their states, working on local issues rather than seeking national attention. Understanding your senators requires knowing not just their names but what they prioritize and accomplish.

Senate offices employ hundreds of staff members in Washington and in state offices. These staff handle constituent services, policy research, communications, and legislative work. When you contact your senator, staff members usually respond. Effective senators build strong staff operations to serve constituents and advance legislative priorities.

Connections That Matter

Knowing your senators connects to understanding federalism. Senators represent states in the federal system, giving states a voice in national government. Your state’s interests are represented by your senators when federal policy affects your state specifically.

Your senators relate to separation of powers. The Senate’s unique powers—confirming appointments, ratifying treaties, trying impeachments—make senators key players in checks and balances. When your senators confirm a Supreme Court justice, they help determine who will interpret the Constitution for decades.

Senate representation connects to political participation. Democracy requires informed citizens who know who represents them. Voting in Senate elections meaningfully requires knowing who currently serves and what they have accomplished. Following your senators’ actions helps you understand how well they represent your interests.

For more on what senators do, see our article on Senate powers in the uscis-questions category. To understand Senate elections, explore our explanation of six-year terms. To learn how to contact your senators, read about constituent services.

Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my state’s current senators?
Visit senate.gov and look for your state in the senator directory. You can also search online for “U.S. Senators from [your state].” Many news sites and government websites list current senators.

Do I need to know both senators or just one?
The citizenship test asks for one of your state’s senators. Knowing both is better, but you only need to answer with one senator’s name. Make sure you know at least one full name correctly.

What if my state just elected a new senator?
You need to know who currently serves when you take the test. If a new senator was elected or appointed, learn that senator’s name. The test asks about current senators, not past senators.

Can senators change during my application process?
Yes. Senate elections happen every two years. About one-third of seats are up each election. If your state elects a new senator while you are applying for citizenship, you should learn the new senator’s name.

What if I live in Washington, D.C.?
Washington, D.C. is not a state and has no senators. The test will not ask about senators if your address is in D.C. You would answer that D.C. has no senators because it is not a state.

Do I need to know their party affiliation?
The test does not ask about party, but knowing which party your senators belong to helps you understand their likely positions. Democrats and Republicans often vote differently on major issues.

What if both my state’s senators are new to me?
Learn at least one name thoroughly. Practice saying and spelling it. If possible, learn both. Know which one has served longer, as the test might ask for your “senior senator” though usually it just asks for one senator.

Can I say “I don’t know” on the test?
No. You must answer correctly. The USCIS officer will not accept “I don’t know” for this question. You must know at least one of your state’s current senators by name. This is a required part of the civics test.

How often should I update this information?
Check before your citizenship test. Senate elections happen in November of even-numbered years. If your test is after an election, make sure you know if your state elected a new senator. The test asks about current senators.

What should I memorize for the citizenship test?
Know the full name of at least one of your state’s current senators. Be able to say and spell the name correctly. Practice saying “One of my state’s senators is [name].” Make sure your information is current when you take the test.