What do Senators and Representatives do to get elected?

Both Senators and members of the House of Representatives are directly elected by the populations of the various states. The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed the direct election of Senators while the Constitution originally provided for the direct election of representatives of the House. To become a Congressman, a person must be nominated by their party through the primary election process in the spring. The winners of the primaries will face off in the general election in November.

Members of the House are up for election every even year while Senators serve for six-year terms. One-third of the Senate is up for election every even year. The entire state will vote for Senators, but only the citizens from each Congressional district will vote for members of the House of Representatives. According to the Constitution, a person must be 30-years old to be elected a Senator. Members of the House of Representatives must be 25-years old to run.