senators are on stage under bright lights, surrounding Sen. Dick Durbin at a podium bearing the U.S. Senate seal" />senators are on stage under bright lights, surrounding Sen. Dick Durbin at a podium bearing the U.S. Senate seal" />
Hard-fought races for the U.S. Senate are dominating the news before the 2022 midterm elections, with energetic and close contests in Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Hampshire and Arizona, among others. Some have included record amounts of spending; others have featured seemingly endless amounts of spiteful attacks. Some have left voters wondering what policies the candidates want to pursue, or how issues will affect their daily lives.
There are 34 Senate seats up for grabs in regular races this midterm, plus one additional seat contested in a special election to replace the retiring Oklahoma Republican, Jim Inhofe.
U.S. senators serve six-year terms, and around one-third of them are up for reelection every two years. It is a system that the Founding Fathers purposefully set up to ensure a degree of continuity and stability in Congress, while at the same time allowing for change on a regular basis.
Related SectionAs voters consider their choices, understanding the role and duties of a senator is important. What does a U.S. senator do once they are elected?
Senators take part in deliberations and voting within the Senate, with the goal of advancing the issues and positions that matter to their state. But they also serve to advance the interests of the country. Political scientists often refer to this as the " two congresses" — every member is expected to serve distinct local interests while simultaneously, and collectively, representing the best interests of the nation as a whole. Those two roles can sometimes conflict when it comes to lawmaking.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD) speaks at a news conference following the weekly Senate Republican Caucus Meeting in the U.S. Capitol Building on August 02, 2022 in Washington, DC. During the news conference the Republican Senators spoke on their dismay with the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Each senator serves on multiple committees and subcommittees to gather expert testimony on specific issues, oversee executive branch agencies and consider proposed legislation.
Each party elects leaders to facilitate decisions and advance the party's policy objectives within the Senate. The Senate majority leader – that is, the elected leader of the majority party – has a lot of power to decide which bills will be brought to the floor for debate.
But every senator has substantial power to shape legislation.
That's because the Senate has the filibuster, a tool that permits any senator to effectively stall legislative action by taking the floor and talking for as long as they want to talk, subject to some important limitations.
Actual "talking filibusters" are rare these days, but a variety of delaying tactics within Senate procedures, such as something called the " hold," allow each senator, regardless of party, to potentially stop consideration of a bill.
Senators also serve their constituents — both those who voted for them and those who didn't. They do this through their legislative activity — debate, voting and committee work — but they have other ways to act on constituents' behalf.
Although they likely need to be in the Capitol when Congress is in session, most senators travel to their home state frequently. There, they hold town halls, meet with constituents, learn about how policies affect local communities and talk about the work they're doing in Washington.
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) talks with veterans and families in support of the PACT Act, a bill to expand health care benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, outside the U.S. Capitol August 1, 2022 in Washington, DC. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Each Senate office is staffed with people whose job is to do things like read constituent mail, listen to constituent concerns, schedule visits with the senator and work to untangle bureaucratic red tape to make constituents' lives easier. Worried that your passport isn't going to arrive in time? Call your senator's office. You're a disabled veteran who's wondering what happened to that check to cover a new wheelchair? Send that email to your senator's office.
The internet and social media have dramatically increased the public's capacity to communicate with members of Congress, which makes tracking constituency opinion a daunting task.
Because they represent an entire state, a senator must be familiar with an extensive array of "interests" — a broad term that covers public, business and industry concerns. These interests can be represented by well-organized groups of individuals or small businesses that contribute to the health and vitality of local communities. At other times it can be powerful corporations and industry associations.
For example, a senator from Texas cannot ignore the needs of oil companies in the state, or else they could face a backlash among a large number of voters who work for, or otherwise depend on, those oil companies. But at the same time, that senator must listen to the voices of farmers and ranchers, small-business owners, law enforcement officers, housing developers, homeowners, immigrant communities, health care providers and food service employees.
Members of Extinction Rebellion DC, ShutDown DC and Arm in Arm DC marched to the homes of senators they consider most responsible for a reduction in climate change regulations on June 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. Their "Tour of Shame" featured a giant model of the constitution, altered to say "We The Corporations." | Bonnie Cash/Getty Images
Americans tend to distrust special-interest groups that ask for specific policy changes. Part of the distrust is due to the role they play in elections. Powerful interest groups may endorse a preferred candidate in the hopes of advancing their legislative goals, give them money or spend it independently to help their campaign.
While interest groups can be influential in elections, they may also serve a much more benign role — providing insight and information that can help senators make good decisions in service to their constituents. This is why senators dedicate a chunk of their time to meeting representatives — and, yes, lobbyists — from these groups.
Finally, every senator must constantly prepare for the next election cycle. This means raising money, working with national party representatives and maintaining relationships with local political leaders.
Alex Padilla was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to become a U.S senator of California in 2021, when Kamala Harris resigned after becoming elected to become Vice President of the U.S. in 2020. The senator, a Democrat, is up for reelection in the 2022 Midterm Election, running against Republican Mark P. Meuser. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images
All of these tasks take a lot of time and energy, and Senate staff members are vitally important in executing the daily work of the senator. Staffers keep track of issues, communicate with constituents, manage constituent mail, schedule the senator's time, contribute to committee work, prepare background material, write legislative speeches, coordinate with colleagues and interact with the media.
Today, Senate offices average about 40 people. Some staffers work in the Washington office of senators, while others work in state-based offices.
Managing a congressional office and members of the office staff itself takes a good deal of time.
